Night Fishing Do's & Dont's...

[Stonewall2002]

Got my black-light and am finaly goint to be taking my first true night fishing adventure this Saturday night (full moon). Was wondering if you guys have any advice on what to do and definately what not to do. This includes both fishing as well as boating tips. Thanks for any and all tips in advance!

keep on chuckin'

[bereabasser]

Always wear your life jackets when the boat is running.Never know whats floating out in the lake

[Cobra190]

First and foremost be safe which you already know. Make yourself as visible as possible while fishing and boating. Pay attention to what is going on around you and where you are. Be as familiar with the body of water you are fishing as possible. Don't forget some kind of bug repellent. not only will your lights and blacklights draw bugs, but wiat till you try to get close enough to a light to make a line tie.
As for fishing, if it is your first time at night, it could be exciting. Itend to be able to keep my focus better at night. It seems like your feel is keener and you can watch your line for those twitches under the blacklights. I mainly use t-rigged plastics at night, but the fella's on this board can help with other lures if you ask for specifics on what you would like to try.
Be safe and good luck to you!!

[Cajun78]

What lake are you going to?

Use extreme caution (use kill switch lanyard) when running down the lake and dont go too fast. I have been nearly run over at Herrington at night several times by either drunk or blind boaters running like idiots.

I like a black with bronze colorado blade spinnerbait slow fished at night. I also use alot of T-Rigs, mainly darker colored worms. The chartreuse tail is often the key to drawing strikes. Also, fish the boathouses, docks, bridge supports and other cover you can find.

[stoner]

Fish somewhere there is little boating activity an idle speed only lake would be a good start for the first timer, your less likely to get rocked out of your boat by a rouge wave and you'l be able to relax more.
Throw something big and bulky with a rattle- 10" worm or my favorite big jig with twin rattles and bulky trailer, dark colors work best no matter what you throw. Keep a topwater tied on also even though I've not had a hit on one all year.
Be safe and use common sence also be sure your battery can handle the load that all your lights are going to put on it.
Stoner

[Tim_T]

Do drink....lot's!

Remember to never have your lights on as you are moving down the lake.

Always go full throttle throughout your chosen body of water.

Don't forget to have a very loud stereo and blast it as often as possible.

If you can do each of these succesfully, you are ready for Taylorsville on a Friday or Saturday night. Good Luck.

[Dover]

Just my Top 10 for Night Fishing -

1. Keep your red/green and white tail light on at all times.... KWRA and TWRA have night vision goggles and will definitely write your @ss up especially on Dale Hollow.

2. Bring a flashlight to see your way around inside the boat.

3. Keep the boat organized and have a place for everything so when you need it, it's there.

4. Wear clear eye protection going down the lake --- a bug in the eye going even 30mph feels like a bug in the eye going 60mph :-)

5. Always wear life jacket protection especially traversing down the lake.

6. Try and go out towards your honey-holes during daylight to see the lay of the land and especially check if anything is floating down lake or down river.

7. If not familiar with the lake, bring a map or have GPS capability -- even the most well-known lakes looks different when you are tired after night fishing 8-10 hours.

8. Do not leave anything in your tow vehicle that you don't want stolen --thieves come out at night (try and park at a secure launch area if possible).

9. Watch out for them crazies especially at dusk when they try to make it back to their launch site after drinking all day (not H2O either).

10. Have fun and make sure you hold on to them rods so not to have a rod snatched out of your hands by one of them mean, hungry, brown looking fishies.

tight lines

[elnutsmalljaws]

Got my black-light and am finaly goint to be taking my first true night fishing adventure this Saturday night (full moon). Was wondering if you guys have any advice on what to do and definately what not to do. This includes both fishing as well as boating tips. Thanks for any and all tips in advance!

keep on chuckin'

A few odds and ends that I hope helps:

Make sure you know the body of water you are fishing and have traveled it during the daylight before hitting it at night. NEVER LAUNCH AT A LAKE AT NIGHT IN WHICH YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN ON BEFORE OR FISHED THAT PART OF THE LAKE BEFORE. I did this at Cumberland a few years ago where I fished a totally different part of the lake that I had nevered been and did not put in until 10pm. I missed running straight into an island at 35 mph by literally feet and scared me to death. Try to get on the water a bit before sundown and your eyes will adjust much quicker to the darkness, plus there is a good topwater bite just before dark as well. Take along some sandwich bags or plastic gloves to put over your hands before applying bug repellent to eliminate any smell getting on your hands then transferred to your baits (same use for sunscreen as well). I keep an extra couple of replacement bulbs in my boat for my running lights for you never know when they will go out. Keep extra fuses in the boat as well for the same reason. Keep the boat deck as clear as possible to try to not stumble around and fall in. Take along a good spotlight, I use a 10MM candlepower, plus a good high beam flashlight. Really watch it when you run up into bays and coves for houseboats will not always beach on the bank and some times will tie up to trees on both sides of the cove and float out in the middle. I have seen some without their lights on and this makes it even more dangerous. If you are fishing Cumberland and the larger lakes, a houseboat moving on the other side of the lake will push some pretty good rollers that take their time getting to the other side and if you are running and hit one of these, it could be bad news. I just about threw my brother in laws dad out of my boat at C Land a few years ago as I saw him go airborne by about 4 feet and come crashing to my deck from one of these rollers. I have not fished C Land since the drawdown, but I would bet the cables that anchor the marinas, especially around Jamestown, are out of the water and could decapitate someone if not careful (maybe someone that has fished C Land can chime in on this). If your trolling motor does not have a directional arrow that lights up, then you can take a glow stick and tape it to the trolling motor at night. Keep your blacklight turned down as low as possible to put off as little light as possible, especially if chasing brownfish. Jigs, Big Worms, Big Night Spinnerbaits and Cranks all work at night. I like rattles in everything and prefer three days before and after the New Moon for bigger fish and three days before and after the Full Moon for numbers of fish. Best half of the month to fish is from the New Moon to the Full Moon. Try to use as light as line as possible and fish as deep as you can for I personally think most people fish too shallow at night and they are sitting the boat right on top of the fish and the majority of the fish never see their bait. Believe it or not, take along some long pants and sweatshirt for some nights can be pretty cold, even in the summer. Put on your rainsuit if the dew is falling pretty hard to stay dry plus your rainsuit will keep you a little warmer if you don't have enough clothes. Good Luck, hope these helped.

[Stonewall2002]

Thanks for all the info everyone. I plan on fishing the North Fork of Rough. I've fished it pretty hard the past year or so and know it better than anyplace I've fished. Saturday is the full moon so I'm hopen' it will counteract the effects of the fairly strong cold-front comming through tomorrow. Water has been very clear the last few times down, hopefully the rain will add some color to is as well. Been throwing a big worm at them with some decent sized takers but plan on shakin it up a bit wit a jig and definately a spinner bait. I really appreciate all the boating advice, anything I can learn will only server to make me a safer boater. Keep the advice comming! Thanks again for all of the help.

Keep on Chuckin'


P.S. I wouldnt go to T-vill any night of the week in a battleship.

[trentonc2000]

if the mayflies are hatching, don't use the blacklight or you'll be shoveling them out of the boat for the next month.

[UYKY]

1.wear life jacket all the time
2.slow down
3.pre arrange your trip - ie make a night box of gear to keep from having to rummage around the boat in the dark and sort of know where you are going to be fishing.
4.bug spray
5.do not be afraid to "go big" at night. this is the time for 10" worms and large spinnerbaits.

[stratos185]

In reading the answers to your question I did not see the one thing that I do that helps me with night vision. By Ky law you are required to keep both bow and stern lights on at night. The bow light does not bother night vision much but the glaring stern light will. I solved this problem for me by taking a white sock and putting it over the white light and tying it on with a rubber band therefore cutting out the glare and the white stern light can still be seen by everyone.