Night Fishing Tips

Most people have heard of fishing during the day, but few people know about night fishing. Fishing under the moonlight presents its own special kind of appeal and challenges, in addition to the different species of fish you can catch. This article will detail some tips you can use when you try night fishing and how your fishing gear can differ from what you’d use during the day.

What is Night Fishing?

Fishing at night doesn’t qualify as a separate type, or method, of fishing. Even though different fish are caught in different ways at night, however, the only two things that differ when comparing night fishing and daytime fishing are darkness and a more romantic atmosphere.

The most common tackle used for night fishing are spinning, floating, and bottom fishing rods. When night fishing, you can experience a lot of inexpressible emotions, so keep in mind that it requires not only technical but, also psychological preparation.

Night spin fishing for predators has recently become increasingly popular. With the onset of night, such predator fish as ide, zander, pike, and much larger fish come out to hunt. They catch a variety of small fish in shallow waters.

Night zander spin fishing is considered the biggest gamble. The peculiar way to making a catch is that you have to periodically throw and spread the bait along the stream for a considerable distance. Choose quiet and clear weather. It is better to look for this predator fish in shallow water with the help of a popper or floating wobbler. Bait should be left on top, dispersed in the water and clearly visible in the moonlight. The appearance of zander can be determined by an emerging wave.

Night fishing gear does not differ much from the gear used for daytime spin fishing. The only difference is that it should be a little more powerful and larger.

At night, peaceful fish are usually caught with a bottom fishing rod or with a regular float rod. To make the bait visible, a fishing rod is equipped with firefly floats. These floats shine and they are visible over long distances and do not scare away fish with the light.

When using a bottom fishing rod, a bell tied to it lets you know about fish biting. However, the bell has some drawbacks – it cannot always be heard, and with sudden biting, it can fall off and get lost.

Another type of fish to catch at night is burbot. It is usually caught using bottom tackle. Small fish, frogs, or worms are usually used as bait. Burbot bites better on moonless, rainy nights. Tackle should be very strong, with a single, large hook. Since the bait is usually swallowed deeply, it is not easy to unhook the fish in the dark so, it is best to stock up with a sufficient number of easily replaceable leashes.

Of course, night fishing with bottom rods and feeders is classic. From dusk to dawn, fish change their parking and feeding places significantly. That’s why I start fishing in the evening, either at a pit or on the way out of it to the shore. At night and in the morning, you can get closer to a shallow area but with the furthest possible throw, and later in the morning, return to the pit.

Night Fishing Gear

You can either use 2 feeders or 5 bottom rods (it’s hard to keep track if there’s too many). The feeder tackle test is selected depending on the current strength and weight of the load. If you have some Chinese coil installed on your rod, leave it sit and you will catch fish.

You can take both multifilament and fishing lines, but if the bottom is stony, better opt for a fishing line that does not rub against the stones. The tip of the rod serves as an attention device (at night you can use a “firefly”), similar to a bell on the clothespin. Now you just have to prepare leashes of various lengths (usually from 8″ to 20″) with different hook sizes and weights on swivel fasteners.

You need reliable rod pods, bank sticks or special rod holders. If you leave the rods unattended, either attach them to the stands or pull out all the tackle for the time you are away. It often happens that large fish drag a feeder away when biting.

The main difficulty with fishing at night is poor visibility, so think about buying a powerful flashlight. A very practical and handy flashlight that can be attached to your forehead, leaving your hands free is the best. A stationary lantern which will stand next to your fishing equipment is also a good idea. Prepare your fishing place in advance, so that everything is at hand.

An indispensable assistant during night fishing is a knife. You can make pegs, chop fish, and cut fishing lines with it, as well as protect yourself from wild animals.

A durable folding chair to sit down, without any risk of stumbling, will also come in handy.

The next necessary thing is a hook remover or wire pliers for pulling out hooks. At night, fish often swallow a bottom lure so deep that a hook simply cannot be reached without the help of a special tool.

You should also add hand-wipes and a proven mosquito repellent to your equipment list, because mosquitoes can cause a lot of trouble during a fishing trip at night.

As I have already mentioned before, summer nights can be pretty cold, so make sure you have warm clothes and headgear with you.

When it’s dark, changing, unraveling, or tieing something up is quite difficult. Take enough weighs, bait, floats, and hooks with you and do not forget your fishing rod!

Inertial coils and sliding floats are not suitable for night fishing. But you will need 1-4 size hooks and a strong 1.0 fishing line (0.16 mm) because everything you catch will be large. Keep in mind that everything has to be at hand.

Night fishing gear Night fishing tips