Night Fishing

Vollmer

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Cranks optimal? Jigs? I was wondering if I would have a better catch rate with crawler harnesses or slow death rigs once summer gets rolling? Looking for presentation ideas as far as weight and blade size ect... Lures/Tips in general.

I've done very little night fishing, but I am set up for it. Sounds like it has high potential. Anyone know if it's prime time? Especially for walleye's.
 


KDM

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Lake or river as there are very distinct differences that can drastically effect night fishing?
 

BP338

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can you use lights? in AZ we would drop some lights to attract the shad to bring in the crappie.
 


Rowdie

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I've night fished from a boat only a handful of times in my life with limited success. We stayed close to town (Mobridge). The best luck I had was on a full moon in August, around the year 2000. I know it was before the one over slot restrictions. I pulled cranks in 45' to 60' over the moose flats. If I hit 35 I went deeper. My cranks would only go down 25'. I was targeting big suspended walleye. I caught 4 or 5 4-6lb fish and one huge northern. My brother had just fished the couples tournament the day before and not one fish caught in that tournament was as big as my smallest. I think those 4 would have won it, if my memory is right.
 

KDM

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I did lots of night fishing in MN lakes when I lived in Fargo and here is what I learned. Sand flats with sparse cattails was the winning bottom type most of the time. I wade fished or fished from shore. Boats seemed to turn off the bite as every time a boat would go by, my catch rate would hit the toilet for about 20 minutes and then pick back up. I mainly used original raps or shallow shad raps with as long a cast as I could muster. Retrieval speed would be just fast enough to get the lure about 2 inches below the surface. I think the wake caused by this shallow retrieve helped the fish zero in on the lure. Rattles were good on some days and the kiss of death on others. Dark colors were far superior to the bright ones as I think the dark colors had more contrast when viewed from below. A longer rod was much prefered as having a 4 lb walleye with a 8 inch rapala sticking out of it's mouth swimming between you legs makes for more excitement than a guy wants. Don't ask how I came to this conclusion. Jigs have their place, but I found that night walleyes don't seem to look down to find a meal so jigging close to the bottom was less productive on the average night. However, there were those nights when the jig was the way to go. Fishing close to a light source is a good idea, but not to close. I would stay about 50 yards from a light source as I believe the shadow you cast when getting closer to the light spooks fish. I think the motion of casting and such keeps those wary fish on edge and tight lipped. I would stay away and cast closer to the light and retrieve it back into the darkness. That seemed to be the best bet. Guys that would set up lanterns on the shore or keep their head lamps on all the time didn't have as much success as those of us that went total stealth mode. I have very little for night fishing from a boat. When I used one, I anchored up and cast. Noise from stepping on the boat floor, fish crashing in the livewell, and other disturbances seemed to push the fish away from me as most of the fish came at the farthest point of my casts. I caught very few fish within 20 yards or so of the boat, but when fishing from shore or wading I would get smashed anywhere up to and including right at my rod tip. Good Luck!!!!
 

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