I love being outside in the cold, looking up at distant stars and planets and feeling infinitely small, getting swarmed by bats chasing bugs, hearing the “hoo-hoo-hoo” of owls, and ultimately catching big bass in the dark. Being in the dark forces you to rely on your other senses as visual cues become less reliable, while sense of touch and hearing instinctually take over. A simple task such as keeping tension in the line is completely taken for granted in the daytime, but becomes a challenge at night when you cannot see your line and therefore the location of the fish to determine how to keep the rod loaded properly. Night fishing is very special to me and I cannot describe how much I love it.

I started night fishing using a 1/2 oz. chatterbait many years ago. I built custom chatterbaits using Warbaits swim jigs, split rings, and a chatter blade. I have caught a ton of bass using these with a 4-6” swimbait as a trailer. Eventually I began to also throw spinnerbaits with single Colorado blades and 4-8” swimbaits as trailers and these seemed to get consistently bigger bites than the chatterbait. I rarely fish the chatterbait now as the spinnerbait is so effective and I have more confidence in catching big fish with it. My favorite spinnerbait to throw is the 1/2 oz. Warbaits with a single Colorado blade in the #5 or #6 size. The Warbaits spinnerbaits have thicker wire and longer hook shanks than most spinnerbaits. This translates to stronger and longer lasting spinnerbaits that are better suited for holding larger swimbait trailers. The Colorado blade is very important as I use it as a gauge for speed, because I can feel its thump so well. Double willow leaf spinnerbaits and any other blade configuration also work well, but I like the ability to regulate my speed based on the feedback the Colorado provides. Earlier this year I tried a #7 blade, but noticed I did not catch any big fish on it. Literally one night my #7 blade came off during a cast so I replaced it with a #5 and caught a fish over five pounds that night. It seemed to be a sign to confirm the doubts I had been having with the #7 blade. I do not know if there is actually any correlation between the #7 blade and not catching big fish on my lake, but I definitely have given it a lot of thought, and probably will not try it again. If I had to choose one swimbait size and blade size it would be a 6” swimbait and a #6 Colorado. As for bait color, I do not think it matters. I catch bass on both dark colors and normal daytime colors. My favorite is black though; I just think it’s badass.

My retrieve for both baits is a steady wind. I like fishing the baits as slow as I can while still maintaining the proper movement and action, but at times the fish will definitely want the lures to be moving quickly.

When it comes to trailer hooks, I am not a fan even when it comes to fishing large 8” swimbaits on the back of spinnerbaits. For me they seem to get in the way and injure fish more than they actually help. In the past when I tried trailer hooks I noticed the fish almost always ate the main spinnerbait hook anyways, so I simply eliminated trailer hooks on my spinnerbaits altogether. I find that quality bass rarely miss the spinnerbait hook at night.

Many years ago I started fishing night baits with a medium heavy swimbait rod and fell in love with it. It is definitely more rod than you need, but I like the ability to hit the fish hard and move them quickly. I built a 7’9” medium heavy swimbait rod from a 7’11” blank with 2″ removed from the butt end. This has been my main night setup and has accounted for numerous big bass over the years; it has some serious mojo. This rod also allows me to throw some of the bigger spinnerbait/swimbait combos that I like to throw at times. I used to run a 300 size reel, a JDM Curado 300 Type J, but have tried a couple smaller reels in the past few years. In general I like a 200 size reel or larger for this rod, which allows me to get a sufficient amount of 40 or 50 pound braided line on the spool. Currently I am running an Antares DC Monster Drive and have really enjoyed it this season. On my main setup I almost always use a 30 pound fluorocarbon leader as I regularly fish in zones with gnarly rock and wood. You can expect to be retying your leader a lot, as big bass will often fray your leader in the rocks. I also use the fluorocarbon leader because the connection knot acts as an indicator making noise as it passes through the guides so I know when to stop reeling and reach for the net. As a secondary setup I like to use a 7’7” heavy rod and I use this to throw smaller spinnerbait/swimbait combos. For this rod I have been using a Bantam XG or a 2020 Metanium XG spooled with a 30 pound braided mainline and a 20 pound fluorocarbon leader. On all these reels I have used 4-carrier braided lines, but I will be trying 8-carrier braid next year in hopes that it improves my stealth by reducing guide noise and vibration. I am curious to see if it will make a noticeable difference. 

A headlamp that has a red-light feature is a must in the dark. Red light will allow you to see well enough to retie your bait or perform other tasks in your boat, but will not spoil your night vision. I am completely pyscho about my awareness to emitting light when I night fish. For example if I need to retie a bait, I will make sure my red light is facing away from where the fish are located and I will NEVER use white light unless I am sure that I have a big fish on and need the light to net it. I see people all the time night fishing with their headlamps on 100% of the time and I do not think that is smart for their fishing success. Stealth, I believe, is key here. 

Summertime and nighttime fishing are commonly associated, but I am here to tell you that if you are only fishing summer nights you are completely missing out. Personally, summer is my least favorite time of year to catch them in the dark. My biggest night bass typically come in the early spring and the fall, periods in which the water is colder. My personal best came in the beginning of April in North Idaho. I also like spring and fall night fishing the best because it’s cold outside, which typically means fewer other fisherman on the water. Water temperature is something I like to keep an eye out for, as there seem to be some limits as to the productivity of a night session when the water gets cold. I have caught them in the dark down to water temps of 43°F, but I really want to see temperatures greater than 50°F to feel good about being successful and catching multiple fish. Some spots on the lake seem to keep biting really well as the water temperature drops below 50°F, while other spots may almost completely stop biting at that temperature. I’ve said it before – fish are weird.

Wind is something that I cannot stand at night. If it is windy, I am most likely not fishing. As much as I love the wind in the daytime, I have some weird feelings towards it at night. I have some theories to explain this, but generally nighttime fishing does not seem to be worth my time when it’s windy. My best nights on the water have been super calm nights with no wind whatsoever. Your experience may differ. 

I try to be very careful at night as to be as stealthy as I can. I do not play music, I do not have my sonar on, no unnecessary lights, and I move slowly and as quietly as I can. When it is super calm on the water I think this makes a difference and is worth doing.

Another condition that is often associated with night fishing is the full moon. People seem to think that night fishing is amazing around the time of the full moon. At my home lake, I think the fish completely hate that big ol’ bright moon to be honest. I do not recall any special night bites surrounding this moon phase. The new moon, however, is a different story. This is the phase that I have always caught my biggest bass around. There are even certain months of the year where I know with complete confidence that if I go out during the new moon I will catch a big bass. It’s that predictable. Another concept to mull over is moon rise and moon set. Many times I have been on the struggle bus, and then the moon pops up or sets and the fish go crazy for a short period of time. I can recall one night earlier this fall where this was the case. I watched the eastern sky as the glow of the rising moon made its way near the horizon. When I saw this I knew the timer had started and I crossed the lake as fast as I could to get to a specific spot. Once I reached my destination I caught three bass in about 15 minutes, the smallest of which was 4.25 pounds. They all ate the 1/2 ounce Warbaits spinnerbait with a 7” Kicker Fishing Pickle Kick swimbait. After that the bite was over and I did not get another bite that night. The moon phase was not even anything special, it was just the fact that the moon was rising and that had the big bass all hot.

There are a few different areas that I like to fish at night and a few concepts to be mindful of. In early spring when the night bite is just starting it is important to find current, as that will drive fish to feed in colder water temperatures than what they would typically be active in. If you can find current they will probably bite when the other fish in the lake are not. I also really like to find shallow rock in the early spring that has been exposed to warm sunny days, as I think bass seek out these areas for temperature gain once the sun sets. During the rest of the year I like to fish in grassy areas and also along rocky banks. Often times night fishing can occur shallower than what you might fish in the daytime as fish move into the shallows to feed at night. This brings up another point; I strongly believe that night bass are different animals than daytime bass. For example, some of my best night zones do not bite to save my life in the daytime, but at night they can go full suicide mode. I think a lot of these bass are just night owls and literally don’t even live in the same area during the daytime, but push up at night looking to kill. I could be wrong, but there are definitely migrations of bass when the lights go out. After all, freaks come out at night.

If you have never given night fishing a try you should do so. I believe it to be a time when big bass are most prone to eating hooks and there is the opportunity to catch a giant, probably more so than in the daylight. Night fishing can be frustrating, but also extremely fun and rewarding. Get out there and catch a giant when the lights are out!

This is Jeff Rodgers,

OVER & OUT