 Anyone
that lives south of the Red River knows that "hot"
does little to describe the horrific heat we have been
experiencing lately. With temperatures surpassing the
100-degree mark for several consecutive days, most folks
don’t think about hours on the water as being much
fun. In fact, this is the time of year I turn to fishing
in the dark, night fishing.
Most importantly to me, it is not nearly as hot fishing
at night as it is during the day in this time of year.
There is something about the sights and sounds on the
water at night in the summer that is truly enjoyable.
Unless you’ve experienced it, it might be hard
to understand.
Like most summertime bass fishermen, I get tired of
trying to find a peaceful place to fish without the
sound of personal water crafts whizzing by. Don’t
get me wrong, they have just as much right to the water
as we do, but I still get tired of them, unless I’m
out riding mine. Needless to say, PWCs are not a problem
when fishing at night.
Finally, the fish seem to bite better for me at night
than during the day. I believe they move shallower,
feeding on baitfish in the dark than they do during
the day. I also seem to catch bigger fish at night,
which really gets the ole’ blood pumping.
Lake Whitney is my favorite place to night fish. It
has a healthy population of largemouth and smallmouth
bass. When traveling to Whitney for some nighttime fishing,
I tend to look for the smallies. They are so explosive
and such fierce fighters, I love catching them, especially
in the dark. Like I said earlier, unless you have experienced
catching a nice sized smallmouth at night, it truly
is hard to image. Words certainly cannot describe it.
At times, it is almost eerie, spooky in a way.
 Our
own Richland-Chambers Resevoir is also a good night fishing
lake. This lake has a great number of large fish in it.
With the high amount of pressure it receives during the
daylight hours, fishing at night not only gives you a
different perspective on things, but the same is true
for the fish. The baits will look different at night.
Something the fish might not be use to. This can result
in more fish being boated (then released, hopefully).
Fishing at night from a boat requires an extra measure
of safety. You need to know the water you will be fishing,
develop a plan and stick to it, and slow down. Always
wear an approved life vest and use your kill switches.
I like night fishing when the moon is up. I am convinced
the fishing is better and I know navigating the boat
is easier with the moonlight.
Be sure and use your running lights at all times when
you are fishing at or near dark. We nearly ran over
a ski boat two weeks ago, anchored just past the no
wake buoy, after dark with no lights on, at Lake Whitney.
I was glad I was driving slow enough to see it before
it was too late. You have to be careful on the water
at night. Unfortunately, there are still a few, uneducated,
uncaring, idiots out there you have watch out for.
When fishing at night, I use three baits: a spinnerbait
with a Superdog Colorado blade for maximum vibration,
a medium to deep diving crankbait and a plastic worm
rigged with a loud rattle and plastic bead. I try to
fish wind blown points at the mouths of creeks I feel
like fish are feeding in. This time of year I focus
on mid to lower end of the lake creeks. The water is
usually a little cooler in the deeper end, thus the
fish are a little more active.
I switch back and forth between the three baits. If
I catch a fish or two in an area on one type of bait,
I will often work back through the same area with another
bait and catch another fish or two. The main point is
to fish your baits slowly. Like us, the fish have to
rely on their other senses other than just sight to
find the bait. Slow it down.
If you are luck enough to live fairly close to a lake
with smallmouth in it, I highly suggest you give them
a try. If you are like me and love to fish, but hate
the unbearable heat, try fishing for them at night.
Believe me, there is nothing more exciting than catching
a shallow water smallmouth, thrashing the water with
everything he’s got……in the dark.
It’s a rush.
Until next time, enjoy the Texas outdoors.
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