| Night fishing for bass has become, to a degree, a | | | | and use it to fish with. This is good if you are |
| southern tradition. Summer in the south is defined | | | | fishing by yourself but, if you have someone with |
| as Memorial Day weekend until Labor Day | | | | you, the light will be in their face all night thus |
| weekend. Everyone brings out their water toys, | | | | limiting their ability to fish. You can mask off the |
| ski boats, jet skis, and house boats. The lake | | | | side of the light in the boat and that will help |
| traffic becomes very much like a freeway. | | | | tremendously. This light is generally fairly bright |
| Fishermen are become accustomed to getting out | | | | and will draw bugs. Incidentally, wives don't like |
| on the lake at daylight and fishing for a few hours | | | | bugs, if you did not know that. |
| until the lake starts becoming crowded and then | | | | Another alternative is one of the lights made for |
| retiring to breakfast. The temperature rises during | | | | night fishing such as the Night Stalker sold by |
| the day and the fishermen wait until late evening | | | | Bass Pro Shops. This light uses one or two |
| to go back on the water and fish until dark. This | | | | florescent type bulbs and casts a very soft light. |
| activity lasts for four months and most fishermen | | | | You can get these with "black light" bulbs or white |
| only get to fish a sum total of about 4 or 5 hours | | | | bulbs. The combination of one white bulb and one |
| per day. This amount of time is not sufficient for | | | | "black light" bulb works very well. The black light |
| most fishermen. The alternative is to spend more | | | | bulb causes monofilament line to show up very |
| time on the water during the day, but you have | | | | well at night thus allowing you to watch your line |
| to dodge the skiers, jet skis and sight seers. | | | | very easily. This type of light comes in a plastic |
| One other way to spend more time on the water | | | | case that has feet with suction cups for attaching |
| is to start night fishing. As a general rule, the night | | | | the light to your boat. They use your boat |
| time is cooler and the boat traffic is minimal. Many | | | | battery as a power source. Most have a plug of |
| fishermen are very reluctant to fish at night | | | | one type or another for plugging in to an |
| because they are afraid of being eaten alive by | | | | accessory outlet. I installed a combo courtesy light |
| bugs or getting lost at night. They have heard all | | | | and cigarette lighter under the driver console on |
| kinds of stories about things that can happen to | | | | my boat and my night light has a cigarette lighter |
| fishermen at night. Having fished over 30 night | | | | type plug thus making it easy to hook up for |
| bass tournaments and many, many nights of just | | | | night fishing. Fishing at night during the full moon |
| plain fun fishing I can assure you that most of the | | | | stages will, generally, provide enough light to fish |
| stories are BS! | | | | by so that a light from the boat may not be |
| To have an enjoyable and productive night fishing | | | | needed. |
| experience does require some planning. If you fish | | | | A lot of fishermen use the cap lights for |
| during the day, are you bothered by bugs like | | | | performing various tasks within the boat but I |
| mosquitoes or gnats? If you are not, chances are | | | | have found a small 12 volt lamp installed under a |
| very good you won't be at night either. If bugs | | | | console will work much better. You have to be |
| are a problem, use a good bug spray. Be very | | | | very careful about having a light of more intensity |
| careful about getting the spray on your hands and | | | | swinging around in the boat because inevitably it |
| transferring it to the bait. Wash your hands after | | | | will cast a shadow from the boat over the water |
| applying the bug spray. I fished many a night on a | | | | you are fishing and spook the fish. |
| small lake outside Camden, Arkansas for several | | | | You are going to have somewhat diminished |
| years. I remember the first time we arrived at | | | | vision at night thus it is imperative to keep your |
| the lake just before dark and immediately noticed | | | | fishing space as uncluttered as possible. You |
| a noise that was unfamiliar. I asked my partner | | | | definitely don't want to trip over something loose |
| what it was and he said "Mosquitoes." I thought | | | | and take an early bath or bad fall. Organize your |
| he was kidding until we got on the water and by | | | | fishing deck with just a couple of rods, a net |
| chance bumped into a Cypress stump with a bit | | | | tucked out of the way, and a small bag or tackle |
| of leaves on it. We were swarmed with the little | | | | box of lures you plan on using. You don't want to |
| critters that were the size of a small helicopter. | | | | have to dig through a dark compartment for baits |
| As long as we were careful, the bugs were not a | | | | or tackle. |
| problem. We learned how to fish this lake at night | | | | Practice good safety procedures on the water |
| without a hassle from the insect population. Most | | | | after dark. Make sure your running lights are |
| large reservoirs or lakes are not overly infested | | | | operational, wear or keep your PFD's close for |
| with pesky insects and usually, if not fishing with a | | | | easy access, have a good flashlight and a high |
| bright light, you won't be bothered. | | | | intensity spot light available. Carry a cell phone. |
| This brings us to the question as to whether or | | | | Also use your kill switch while running to your |
| not to use a light and what kind? One of the | | | | fishing spots. |
| major problems with night fishing is the limited | | | | In the second part of this article we will discuss |
| vision thus making it a real adventure to cast a | | | | the types of baits used for a successful night |
| lure toward the bank. What kind of light can you | | | | fishing trip. |
| use? A lot of fishermen turn on their stern light | | | | |