I remember chucking jitter bugs off the dock on the Trent River at night as a kid back in the 90's. Pretty much fishing audibly it was so dark, but those smallies blasted those old things
My very first lure was a glow in the dark Hula Popper when I was in 5th grade 78’. I never caught anything on it but I fished it with confidence. People laughed at it cuz it didn’t look anything like a frog. This planted the seed in me that was going to only use artificial baits and show those people that they didn’t know sh*t. (Roland showed me what he knows) and I got a six tray Plano and started to fill it up.
Mr. Allen, Very well done discussion of a topic seldom discussed. I especially appreciate the nuances which you shared gained from experience. I am now an old guy and remember when night fishing was a black jitterbug hoping that the plop plop plop would suddenly become a wham.
Straight worms are also awesome at night! It doesn't have to be a curly tail; straight worms still displace water, which fish FEEL with their lateral line. I catch tons at night on finesse and magnum finesse worms on a ¼oz Spot Remover head. Redbug, junebug, or black, usually, but I have even loaded the boat with a watermelonseed Zoom finesse worm! Also, the Shad Rap has caught alot for me at night. Things that don't move much water at all STILL catch fish at night. Put a rattle in it; spray BANG on it-ALWAYS. Sounds like you invaded an osprey's habitat! 🦅
I’ve found the Energizer LED Cap Light to be exceptional. It clips on the brim of a hat and has a one click red light that is bright enough to see knots, land a monster, and illuminate the eyes of mountain lions and whatnot creeping up on you, but is subtle enough to not advertise your whereabouts or make you blind when you turn it off. Two & three clicks are regular LED bright & brighter. It also tilts downward if needed. I’ll also carry one of those “as seen on tv” compact flashlights that is very bright and you can focus on an object and disorient with the flashing mode. BUT I try not to use either of them unless I have to. You’ll be surprised how well you can see without a light once you’re eyes get used to darkness. That being said, I too have missed the water completely on occasion throwing a Hudd into trees on a hillside, over houses, etc. Like Matt.
You guys should upload these “everything you need to know” videos as podcasts. That way I can listen at work without killing my battery or even while I’m driving to the lake with very little signal. Great tips, I started night fishing about a month ago and it feels like cheating, my lake is clear with smallmouth and largemouth here in central Texas and the chatterbait does all the work for me, I can’t wait to get my hands on the big blade chatterbait and fix up a custom night color to try. I think it will be money!
If im not mistaken they have updated night fishing videos every summer. If you search night fishing 4 of the first 10 are tactical bassin videos if not more
I love night fishing. I throw a big buzzbait with the blade colored with a blue permanent marker over nickel. I love hearing those big ones hitting that buzzbait out there in the dark. One good thing about night fishing, even the little bass hit hard.
Fantastic tips. I agree with you on the full moon versus new moon. I started doing that around May. I have also found that 3 to 4 days before the full moon has also been good on my lake and it is pretty clear. Really appreciate you generously sharing your fishing knowledge. Have a good week. 👍
White light is horrible for bugs at night. 😂 It doesn't even matter how dim you can make it. I still use it, but I make sure I'm using bug spray. Tight lines everyone...
Fantastic video! I learned a lot, great info on colors selection & lure choices that I never considered? l started fishing at night regularly a few seasons ago, especially on weekends. I catch more bass that are typically above average size at my local lakes , all of my biggest bass caught during the summer were during the night! It’s an awesome way find monster largies & smallmouth, they smash my lures & fight like hell! Another reason switched to evening/night fishing is the rise of boat owners & lakes getting overcrowded in my area. causing misery for me & many others trying to enjoy some time on the lake. And seems to really spook the fish. A lack of common sense, boating etiquette, & the chaos I’ve seen at the launch is unfortunate (but entertaining at times!) Keep up the great videos, much appreciated!!!
I start night fishing in June here in SC and stop in September. No party boats, jet ski's, wake boarders and skiers....night time on the lake is magical. I've been fishing for 40 years and have caught more fish on a Jitterbug (day and night) than any other lure (with the exception of plastic worms). If you find a place where the fish have never seen/heard a Jitterbug before - it can get insane, getting bit over & over.....
@Robert Bailey Lake Hartwell, which has gotten much harder for me to catch fish. There have been so many Tournaments fished here (Bassmaster, FLW, High School, local). All of those pro's have "educated" the bass to where I struggle to get bit....
my dad owns one of the Garrison Lakes in Wheat Ridge Colorado, the deep one. My friend from youth, Vance Ragland and I were out on a little boat, and about 12:30 ante meridian, trolling and stopping on the 3 acre surface area, and we hit 3,4,5 lb. bass for several hours ! I hooked one in 5 feet of water that could easily have been a 7, but lost it. An awesome night.
This video dropped right on time. My father in-law and I have been talking about doing some night fishing. Day time fishing in Arkansas has been a buzzsaw lately.
Next time you go during the day- find the spillway on your lake and give it a go. What I've found is that because generally speaking the water coming out is going to be quiet a bit cooler and far, far more oxygenated than that in the lake itself- the fish are far more active. Also- don't sleep on fishing the current because even though largemouth don't generally like current- they do in the spillway because that's precisely what feeds them. Smaller fish who get caught in the current and really have very little choice about where they're at or if they're going forward- they're going forward whether they swim or not and they're gonna take the path that the water makes them take- and the bass know this. At spillway I fish there's a large concrete pad the water flows over first- and at the end of that pad the current has blown out a deeper hole- that's where the bass sit, waiting for a fish to be swept over the lip of that concrete. Now it's usually only good for maybe 2-3 bass- then i have to move on to another hole on down stream or something but- this time of year every bite is precious and these are larger bass because the smaller ones can't handle that current. Once I've hit that spot, and I always hit it at sunup- I just move down and fish shade and cover on down stream where the current is starting to settle a bit. You an catch them all day- if you can stand the heat and the bug bites. Right now I have about 30 something bites on both ankles- they tore me up last time I went. I've been clawing at them for days now- sorry, I guess that's a little gross huh? But hey- welcome to bank fishing, get ready to have some serious bug and tick bites. I bath in deep woods off but- it just slows them down- nothing stops them. We got skeeters that can stand flat footed and fuck a turkey down here- prehistoric, tetradactyl skeeters.
@@rickyparker1149 Ouch! Reservoirs are always tougher it seems- I fish a couple but, vey rarely cause they're a tough place to get bit for me, I don't know about everyone else. I'm used to stained water with lots of laydowns and what not- and they're always clearer water with very few laydowns if any. One I fish does get shallower on one end and it has a bunch of old stumps you can fish- but the bass don't seem to frequent that cover to be honest- they seem to stay out on the main creek channel mostly- off shore. The two words that strike fear into bank/kayak fishermen everywhere.
@@stoneysdead689 I know what you're referring to though as far as the oxygenated water being increased around spillway areas. The majority of the bodies of water I frequent are Reservoirs, or lakes with a lot of vegetation, cover, and overhang. Not many spillways to speak of..
I’ve been night fishing for decades, and I still go once or twice a week, especially around both moon cycles… I have found a pair of LED gloves that are great, there’s a light on the index finger and one on the thumb, they’re brand is Thom’s and they’re on Amazon for 16.99 I have headlamps too, but the gloves are great. You see better if you need to tie a knot or change baits….nothing like a giant running or jumping in the dark , it builds your senses and awareness, and it’s really tough to get good pictures 😜😂😂😂🎣🎣🤷🏻♂️
Fishing the full moon on Lake Hopatcong the topwater bite is usually much worse than the darker parts of the month. It’s not exactly a murky lake but the visibility isn’t super awesome. Great channel, keep rippin’ ‘em!
Thank you for all the useful tips and explanations! You guys are awesome. PS. Welcome to TN. I live in the Tri-cities area. I have a friend who lives in Soddy Daisy. Some day I am going to tow my boat 3hrs to there and he will provide the room and board as well as electricity for recharging trolling batteries. Hopefully stay 3-5 days and try out the fishing. Always amazed by the vast amount of fishing knowledge and experience you guys have! Thanks for sharing. You guys Rock! I would be 100% willing to bet you two are the world’s top Bass fishing anglers!!!
Yeah.How'd I do it now?I saw everybody always asked me when I'm getting out of the water with my proper.What?What was I using favor body wants to know what I'm using.I'll wait till i'llways say it was a fashion Poe.I was used in the fishYeah. How'd I do it now? I saw everybody always asked me when I'm getting out of the water with my proper. What? What was I using favor body wants to know what I'm using. I'll wait till i'llways say it was a fashion Poe. I was useding the fish fish and Poe.
Great tips Matt i agree 100% with your baits, colors and the rest. If anybody knows what to do its going to be you guys. This was a great one for sure thanks again. God Bless and safe adventures.
I’m in Rhode Island fish in ct and mass too . Heddon crazy crawler gets the bigger bass active . Been fishing with it for 30 years . The commotion it makes is sick . Real it fast then pause they blow up on the pause .
Hey Tactical Bassin this vid was just what i needed thanks for your time in making this vid cause in 2 months i plan on putting together a nigh time tackle binder that i can use for night time
I fish wed.. night tournaments on table rock lake and damn near got into an accident because I guy was hauling ass with his lights not on! Missed this idiot by about 5 ft. I agree 100 about your video! Thx guys and be safe out there
My local lake is a big multi species lake and I am unfortunately stuck as a bank fisherman but night fishing ive had a lot of luck with underspins and crank baits/blade baits. Earlier this year I caught a 10 pound walleye on a crank and it was like 9:30 at night. I have also caught several 4 pound largies on underspins with a keitech as well as countless big Whitebass and the occasional channel cat on the blade bait.
I have found that really really big bass spend most of thier time suspended in deep water ,the only time they leave is to feed,I discovered this by accident I wanted to see how long it took my first deep diving crank bait to float back up ,I was very suprized when a 4&7/8 bass ate it.i started doing this on purpose and landed a ton of big boys
With out a doubt the best topwater for me at nite is a 1/4oz. clacker buzzbait..Just the other nite got a 6lb. and a 8lb. on back to back cast..Best topwater for bigger fish
Would you prefer the same tips you use for fishing lakes to someone bank fish at night in the river. I live in the Quad Cities area in Illinois. I'm literally a 2 minute walk from the Mississippi River. I do night fishing but mostly bottom fishing with either stink baits, nightcrawlers sometimes live or cut bait if I catch something with my inline spinners before dark. It's really rocky with some big rocks along the bank and maybe 10 feet off the bank. If not would you please do a video on the best ways to fish day or night on the river bank fishing. Thanks and I appreciate all your videos and tips. Thank you for your time and tips. Keep the lines tight and the hooks sharp my friend.
Thanks Matt. I live in NC and it gets brutal fishing the day hours with 95 + days and 80% humidity. No bikini top on my 210. Want to try night fishing and found this very helpful.
Best thing he said is, “best thing to never fish with a hook that wire cutters can’t cut”. I hooked a big bass on a shower blow last summer. I got her up in the boat then thought I could get her unhooked by hand. Bad move, she thrashed and I got TWO of the three tebbles in my top part of my hand and the hooks were buried while she was still hooked and thrashing! We had no wire cutters in the boat and I do now! Long story short we tried everything we finally got the fish off but I had to be rushed to the hospital and the freakin ER Doc cut the hooks to push them through and lost BOTH inside my hand. They dug and cut for 45 minutes and it wasn’t fun. They never got them out so I had to go to a plastic surgeon that night and get hand surgery done! Yes, these hooks were wrapped around my tendon in my top hand abd when we tried the braid trick out on the lake I thought I was gonna faint. Moral of the story, take these hooks VERY seriously!
Rattletrap ... Rattletrap ... Rattletrap .... Its my favorite night bait along with the whopper plopper if there active ... Plenty of nights they are not so its drop shot with live bait , rubber worm , or a suspending Husky jerk ... Some nights they wont bite anything period , just like the daytime .. .Lots of weird patterns go on at night , how bout whopper ploppers for walleyes at night ...lol Yep . I fish a lake that has walleyes and a big population of bull frogs and the walleyes come in shallow like clockwork every night in the summer . We have are most luck with whopper ploppers twitched hard like a frog , they suck it in so gently ( they make this strange sunction popping sound ) or sometimes they smash it like a bass ... weird eh ?
Great video. Lots of good info and opinions. Used some of your tips to do my first real night session on my new (to me) Hobie - great time of day to test a new rig 😂 Anyhow, landed quite a few throwing a t rigged zoom monster worm. They were absolutely inhaling it.
@@mr.fatbasstard_--_true- but then why change the colors at all lol. I’ve always thought this about “night” camo. The thing you’re trying to imitate is green during the day AND night. So if you wear (or use) something darker, it seems obvious to me that it would in fact end up darker than the thing you’re going for.
Not to mention hitting docks. Cast along and the lure lands on a dock that you can't even see. You say to yourself: "DAMN! I don't remember a dock being there!" LOL
I can't catch a thing on weighted senko. Rough water or not. I've tried belly weighted hooks, bullet weights, etc. Never a bite. Always weightless Texas. Had a few on drop shot with a senko tho.
I must disagree to a small extent on the setup.. Having a lighter unpinned weight on a Texas rig gives me a great feel. Bass come up at night to feed so fishing the ledges. Also with a unpinned weight no matter the direction the fish pulls it will give you a tick no matter where they go you will know. Unlike if pinned and swimming towards you you would get nothing but line slack. Also if you cast at the top of ledges and let the sinker fall it will think to the bottom gaining their curiosity then allows you to swim the plastic to the sinker allowing the bait to have a weightless swim to the bottom and even if a bass picks it up ½ way down again since the weight will be on the bottom you will immediately feel it. .. not saying your advice is not correct but just didn't agree that a unpinned weight is a don't do. it has worked extremely well for me. Love your videos and this is the 1st time I haven't agreed with ya. The new moon to full moon. Advice is 100% on point though! Thanks for all you do!
Last friday was out at 3 am and caught my new pb 9lb 6oz and one almost 8 on a thunder cricket. Wasn’t the ideal moon phase but thats when i could get out, and i still smashed em. I went out assuming they’d chew topwater but they didn’t wanna come up at all, so i bumped bottom with the bladed jig and they were munching it
@@brandlmitch no way 😹 What color? I knew mine was big but since I couldn’t see I didn’t think it was THAT big until i went to grab its mouth 🤣 Did yours crush it or did it just get heavy
