By Reed Montgomery

Getting your boat ready for night fishing also requires just as much attention as you would give to your fishing rods, reels and fishing tackle. Anything left to chance, can and will, happen.

Anglers that do decide to make a change (from day to night fishing for the next 3-4 months of summer) will also see getting themselves ready for a long, sleepless night of fishing requires a few changes as well.

So how does an angler make sure he/she has everything in perfect order to even have a chance at successfully chasing down those little green fish…during the nocturnal hours?

Easy, just take it one step at a time.

YOUR FISHING TACKLE AND YOUR EQUIPIMENT
Looking at most of today’s “avid anglers arsenals” you can assume each an every angler (even bank fisherman) employ the use of more than one rod and reel outfit.

Some anglers, like bass tournament anglers, may have as many as a dozen rods rigged and ready on any fishing excursion, especially when being prepared for a major bass tournament, where time is money.

Rigging rods all day (or even worse, all night) is time consuming. The angler that simply has to reach for another rod already rigged and ready, will always have more time to out fish an angler in the same boat, that is not well prepared.

So if you are an angler with only one rod and reel its time to upgrade. Maybe its time to invest in, or somehow attain, at least four more quality rod and reel outfits. (Got a birthday coming up? Its always, not to long until another upcoming holiday like Fathers Day, Mothers Day, or Christmas…so hint around!) Especially if your getting ready for night fishing!

Having five rods already rigged and ready and knowing where everything is in the boat, means less time will be spent rambling in the dark for items such as sinkers, jig heads, hooks and various types of lures. So get organized.

Even certain sizes of lures or certain lure types may require a certain size hook. Or when you are spending time looking for a pair of nail clippers, scissors or a pair of needle nose pliers to cut fishing line, consider this. This is time spent doing unnecessary things, when actually you could be fishing!

Fishing for bass, especially some of the big largemouth bass you see in Alabama’s so noted “ Big Bass Lakes” such as Lake Wedowee, requires considering the use of heavy tackle and strong line.

Like said, have at least five rods already rigged with lures you will fish from top to bottom, possibly all night long. Some rod and reel combos are different from others and often having several different types of rods and reels makes them more recognizable, even after dark.

* Keeping certain lures on certain rods keeps your mind trained to just automatically reach for the right rod and reel combination.

There are several types of quality rods and reels on today’s market that will as they say, fit the bill (or is it fill the bill?). Anglers getting ready for night fishing should consider having a few of their “five rod arsenal for night fishing” rigged with a certain type of lure and most importantly, the use of medium to heavy test line on each outfit.

Unless your good at telling those old tales (about the one that got away), I would suggest you leave the light tackle outfits at home.

Unless your fishing around well lighted areas such as when night fishing around piers, boat houses and marinas in very clear water situations requiring lighter line, most night fishing trips involves the use of heavier line. At least 14 pound test monofilament line and even heavier line up to the 25 pound test category is suggested.

Fishing line your reels are loaded with can be monofilament line, braided line or fluorocarbon line. Line choice is up to each individual angler. Considerations are many.

To make it simple we can assume most anglers fish with monofilament line. It is strong, mono has some line stretch (unlike braided line) and most mono has little line memory. Monofilament line is always cheaper than the other two line types as well.

I would suggest having three rods rigged with 17-20 pound test line. The other two rods rigged with 14-15 pound test line. Berkeley Trilene Big Game monofilament line is as good a line choice as any.

Rod lengths and good rod backbone are important as well. You want to return home with five rods. Not four and one half rods! You will need three long rods. One, seven foot medium action rod and two seven and one half foot long medium-heavy action rods.

You will also need two shorter rods, both medium action rods in lengths of six to seven feet. (See: www.tigerodz.com for quality hand made rods with a lifetime guarantee, made right here in Alabama)

TACKLE SELECTION
Lure suggestions for fishing after dark could be a very lengthy list. Today’s lure market offers anglers hundreds of lure choices to tempt those little green fish with. Lures that work both during the day and at night, leave a lot of choices for anglers to consider.

Lure types and lure category are what’s important. Some lures work better than others for targeting bass after the sun goes down. Anglers can actually “clean out the boat” often eliminating a lot of lures they would select for fishing with during the day.

Then anglers can narrow it down to just a few lure selections, for a more simple and more organized lure selection for fishing with after dark! Labling each box and knowing where it is located in the boat is important as well. Just like when fishing during the day the old thought: top, middle and bottom apply to night fishing and your lure selection.

ON TOP
Topwater Lures – When selecting a few topwater lures for night fishing consider weedless models and not so weedless models. If fishing around aquatic weeds and wood cover you do not want to be throwing topwaters lures displaying 2-3 dangling treble hooks.

* Buzzbaits are weedless. So are frogs and rats. Zara Spooks and Jitterbugs are not.

* Buzzbaits can be fished right up in the weeds with a slow steady retrieve that helps the bass track down the lure. Trailer hooks are suggested for short strikers.

* Frogs and rats can be fished around wood cover, weeds and even along rock bluffs.

* An old favorite topwater lure with a waddling action is the Jitterbug. I prefer the broke back Jitterbug. I fish both the buzzbait and jitterbug on 20 pound test monofilament line. Black is the best color choice on all of these lures.

MIDDLE
There are many lures to consider when fishing the middle water column. Some bass suspend in mid water depths as the lakes surface waters become hot and stagment or the lakes bottom layer of water becomes low in oxygen.

These summertime bass can be suspended in five feet of water, or they can be found suspended in thirty feet of water at night. They can be found cruising the shallows in one foot of water looking for an easy meal, often staying very shallow all night long.

Spinnerbaits would be my number one lure choice for finding bass at night. You can buzz them for bass located near the waters surface, retrieve them slowly or allow them a chance to fall even deeper in the mid water column.

Or when fished along cover edges or deep water drops, dropping heavy spinnerbaits or slow rolling them along these kinds of places can show rod jarring strikes at night.

Heavy line, long rods and wide spooled reels allow for long casts, better feel and a better hook set on bass you must feel for the strike at night, while using spinnerbaits.

Crankbaits, jerkbaits and lipless lures will fool bass at night too! Although many anglers would not even pack some of these lures for their night fishing excursion they make great lures for covering water fast and getting strikes from bass holding in the mid water column.

These types of lures all emit sound, create underwater vibrations and some even have some degree of flash from what ever light is available at night. These type of lures can be fished on 6 -7 foot medium action rods using 14-15 pound test monofilament line.

Swimming a jig combo, big worm, or a semi-submerged floating worm or lizard, or even using one of today’s oversized swim baits or soft plastic jerkbaits, will also take bass holding in the middle water column at night. Use long, heavy action 7 foot or longer rods with 17-20 pound test monofilament line for these lures.

BOTTOM
Worms, lizards, tube baits, creature baits, Senkos, jig combos, crayfish imitations, finesse fishing with small plastics, grubs, shad imitations and even crappie jigs will all fool a big bass at night.

Trophy Hunters prefer big worms 10-12 inches long. Big 8-10 inch lizards. Oversized tube baits in lengths of 5-8 inches. Anglers choosing to fish with jig combos can be very creative adding big worms, crayfish, lizards or jig trailers such as plastic chunks or Uncle Josh Pork trailers to the back ends of their rubber skirted jigs.

Adding rattles and fish attractants to your lures can entice otherwise cautious bass at night. After all if it looks good, sounds good, and even smells good, it has to taste good. Right?

Always use heavy tackle for these bottom fished lures whenever possible. They are big bass lures. More big bass are fooled on these type of bottom fished lures at night than all other lure techniques combined.

GETTING YOUR BOAT READY
As most anglers know safety is important both day and night. This means lights both fore and aft of the boat must be in good working order. Even spare bulbs are suggested.

You will need a spot light for running at night. Some anglers use a black light for seeing the bank when fishing at night. You will also need two flash lights, one for each angler or a spare in case one quits working.

Breakdowns can occur at a very inopportune time and there is never anything open late at night for parts or repairs. Make sure to have all batteries in the boat fully charged and bring along jumper cables for emergencies. Also check you trailer tires and wheel bearings and replace if necessary. Oil for your outboard motor is a must.

Live wells, bilge pumps, lights, and fish finders can drain a boats batteries at night. It is wise to bring a spare battery if possible. Also have spare props for both the outboard motor and the trolling motor.

Cotter pins, cables and electrical problems can leave you stranded with break downs. Some anglers even bring a spare trolling motor and simply just change them out if a problem occurs.

• For more on this subject See: “ Night Fishing Then and Now “ link at my website: www.fishingalabama.com under the articles link.

Being prepared for night fishing involves getting your tackle, your boat and yourself ready…for anything!

Have fun this summer while night fishing for bass and practice safe boating. Always wear your life jacket and have your outboard motor kill switch attached.

Running lights must be on any time at night, its the law! It might just save your life (or someone else’s life) in case of a mishap. Keep them burning!

Always let loved ones at home know where you are and when to expect you home. Cell phones can save lives. Always have one on board the boat for emergencies.

Thanks and Good Fishin’

Good Fishin'

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