Night fishing is quite different from fishing in the daylight, the circumstances of the water are different, the types of fish you will find in the nighttime are also different.
Truth is, some predatory fish are more active at night time for one of the two reasons; either to use darkness as their surprise element or to move more freely without fear of bigger predator fish.
Here are the most important tips and tricks you need to know for having a safe and rewarding night fishing trip.
The 7 Essential Night Fishing Tips For Beginners
1. Be Familiar with the Area
It is always a wise decision to have a small trip around the area in which you intend to go fishing. You want to have a general feeling of the area, familiarize yourself with the surroundings and get a good idea of the water condition.
Fishing in the dark in an area that you know well is going to be very helpful in case of any troubles you might encounter.
2. Keep Quiet
There are so many things that can go wrong and scare away the fish in the area where you’re fishing. Some things might be even out of your control such as the sound of your boat’s motor or the sound of you moving your equipment around the boat.
Simple sudden sounds will easily scare off the fish and unfortunately, you cannot retrieve a school of fish if they swam off scared. Make sure to always move around quietly and not cause any sudden loud sounds.
3. Use Low Lights
Having clear vision at night is a bit challenging because if you use too much light, you’ll scare off the fish around you. Back in the day, fishermen used to use black lights to fish at night time while other fishermen saw that it was best to fish in the moonlight with no other lights at all.
However, none of those methods are popular nowadays as people are more alarmed when it comes to their safety and it would be definitely better to see your catch and your equipment clearly.
So, what is the best way to have good vision while night fishing? A headlamp! Headlamps are now very popular as they help you move more freely around the boat and give you just enough clarity to be able to fish better while not alarming your possible catches.
4. Use a Fish Finder
Fishfinders are your best friend when you want to go night fishing. A good fish finder will help you locate the areas where you can find schools of fish so you can easily move to an area where there are a lot of potential catches.
Fishfinders use sonar to locate fish, the way it works is more similar to the way predators locate their prey. They send out signals and receive back the echoes reflected off a spotted school of fish. In other words, not affected by the darkness.
Moreover, fish finders are helpful to spot obstacles on your way as during nighttime, it would be difficult to see it yourself.
Not only does a fish finder help you locate obstacles and schools of fish, but it can also help you save your favorite fishing spots so you can reach them smoothly at nighttime.
5. Take Your Time
Sometimes, fishing at nighttime will need a little bit of patience. That’s why you should wait in the same area you’re at for a while before deciding to move to a different spot. Be more patient in the dark as most people will want to end their trip faster and go home after a bit of time, which is quite normal as it would feel more comfortable.
After all, it is not usual to fish in the dark when you cannot see clearly and accordingly you will become less patient in a short amount of time in the same place.
A good strategy would be to stay at one spot and work it as much as you can before you move to a different spot. Moving around a lot will decrease your chances in catching fish and might also discourage you from any future nighttime fishing trips
6. Be Attentive
If you usually go fishing in the daylight, you would be less caring about your balance on the boat as you can see everything around you clearly. However, fishing in the dark is a whole other story.
A lot of fishermen recorded accidents while night fishing because they lost balance after they caught a fish. They would be so excited to unhook their catch and they usually stand up and try to move around.
Once they do, they trip over and some might even have gotten injured. It is more difficult to keep your balance at night as you will need to be more attentive to the boat movements and ensure that you move carefully around it.
If you depend on moonlight only while night fishing, your chances of hitting obstacles are far greater than those who use lamplights or flashlights. Mainly because when you have a better vision, you can take the necessary actions to prevent any sudden mishaps.
7. Safety Comes First
Fishing in your hometown lake as you usually do is one thing at daylight and a totally different thing at nighttime. The water you are familiar with to be safe and easily navigated in the day could feel foreign and even hostile at night.
To ensure your safety, pack up all the needed tools you might need in case of any sudden incident. Here are the most important safety items you will need on your nighttime trip:
- Flaring signal
- Floatation device
- A paddle
- A flashlight and batteries
- An anchoring device
- A VHF radio
- First-aid kit
Final Thoughts
Nighttime fishing is the most exciting and fulfilling experience you can have in your fishing adventures. For those who love the quiet and the moonlight, this is the perfect trip for you! If you do decide to go night fishing, make sure you pack up perfectly to ensure your safety and to ensure an enjoyable trip.