Largemouth Bass Night Fishing
Use lures that make sounds similar to a wounded fish – black poppers work well
At night Largemouth bass follow the lure by its sound. Any disruption in the lure’s pattern may avert the fish.
- Night bass fishing is all about the lake conditions.
- In the summer, muddy lakes produce more fish during the day.
- Clear water lakes that are busy with recreational water skiers and boaters, are characterized by fish that actively feed at night once the waters quiet.
The darkest nights prove to be the best for bass fishing. Those without any moon.
Where to find the bass at night
To fish for large lunkers, focus on the shallows at night after the water calms. These bass feed among brush piles, sandy beach areas, boating docks, swimming floats and along rocky ridges.
Cast traditional surface lures on a spinning tackle around these favorite areas to land some impressive lunker bass.
Spinning tackle reduces the possibility of your line tangling and removes many of the hassles of night fishing.
Why use spoons and spinners?
Night fishing is about simplicity. Colors don’t work at night. Everything appears in shades of grey. Some lures reflect light, others don’t.
- At night, it’s all about getting the largemouth bass’ attention.
Focus on lures that make sounds similar to that of a wounded fish. While largemouth bass have poor eyesight, they make up for it with excellent hearing.
The black jitterbug and bandit series 100 are good examples of these types of lures.
Tackle
Lures that reflect moon light give off reflections in the same way that bait fish give off light. Make sure you use spoons and spinners of the right size for the largemouth bass present or you may either go home empty or end up with a lot of other fish.
Fish follow the lure by its sound. A disruption in the lure’s pattern can avert the fish. This explains why anglers may hear splashes in the area surrounding the lure, but will not feel a tug on the line. The fish most likely missed the lure because of a variation in the retrieve.
- We recommend the black popper as an effective night lure.
the black popper
Tips for night fishing
- Avoid making any noise. The best way to accomplish this is to bring along as little equipment as is required. If you’re in a boat, sounds made on the deck easily transfer down to the water and sudden sounds will scare them off
- Avoid bright lights as the largemouth bass avoid these areas
- Avoid wearing bright colors
- Use a moon glo soft light when you need to change a lure
Poor Eyesight
Largemouth Bass have a fixed iris, which is the main reason why they don’t like direct sunlight. This is also the reason why it takes them a while to get used to the low light conditions after sunset before they come out to roam.
Bass are light sensitive and turn away from well-lit areas. Areas where there’s a lot of traffic are not best as traffic lights are not ideal.
