Night Fishing Preparation
I have to admit this subject bores me to tears. Amazingly, the
simple fact is that every time I interviewed a fisherman about
night fishing tips he mentioned preparation at the top of the
list.
As boring as the topic can be, make it a habit to go through this
section as a checklist before embarking an a night fishing
excursion. I am guilty of forgetting some essentials from time to
time – make sure you don’t!
Early morning, evening, and night fishing can be extremely
fulfilling (in terms of the FUN you have and the amount of big
fish you CATCH). It all depends on how prepared you are for the
trip. Here are some tips to make sure that you have an amazing
experience, and catch a ton of big fish.
Before I begin, I wanted to give you a chance to take your night
fishing to the next level. “The Evening Secret” is the best kept
“secret” in all of fishing. If you want to put on a fish-catching
show, check it out here:
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Equipment Checks & Stuff You Must Consider
Go through each tackle box you are going to take and locate every
item you need, making sure everything is in the proper place. It
is important to be even more organized than normal because with
night fishing you must rely on your sense of touch and sound to
find what you are looking for. The more organized your gear and
tackle is, the easier it is for you to find what you need. It is
so frustrating to not be able to find your pliers, hooks, extra
line, etc. in the dark! You must have visual knowledge of where
these things are!
Make sure to bring several light sources on your trip. Have some
extra flashlights and a good high candle power beam. Don’t forget
to bring extra batteries!
Pre-tie enough leaders and rigs to last the entire trip. This
will save you tons of time, and you’ll be glad you took this
extra step of preparation!
If you don’t have a first aid kit, get one! If you have one,
double check it! You are more prone to injury at night, and be
prepared to handle little cuts and bruises – especially if you
are on a boat!
L.E.D. headlamps are very effective. If at all possible, have one
on hand. The headlight helps with unhooking (and much more) –
they are convenient than a handheld light. There are some L.E.D.
headlights that put out great light, and the batteries last a
long time. Also, tying on lures can almost be impossible in total
darkness without the help of a headlamp that keeps both hands
free. The less time an angler spends changing lures and retying
in the dark, the more time the angler will spend fishing.
Because fish caught tend to be bigger at night it would pay to
step up a line class. This puts you more in control of the fight
and will save time in getting the fish to the boat.
Boat Preparation (if you fish off of a boat, be prepared to be
prepared!)
Night fishing from a boat can be very productive and safe if you
have the right equipment, you are organized, stick to a set plan,
and are confident about the area you intend to fish.
If you are going out on a boat, make sure it is in good working
order! This goes without saying, but it is so important I will
say it anyway You don’t want to get stuck out there at night.
Really, you should always check your boat no matter what time you
go out fishing. However, you want to be especially sure to
double, triple, and quadruple check everything if you are going
on an evening trip!
Know the layout on the boat; it is important to avoid accidents.
In your artificial lighting your reaction time to problems and
unmanned rods bending is going to be at least double. Take some
time to place your gear appropriately, and take note of where
everything is before the sun goes down. Everything takes twice as
long at night as it is.
Bow and stern lights are required and essential equipment on your
boat and they must be lit when visibility is reduced. Striking
unseen objects at night is the most often reported nighttime
accident and unlit boats lead as those unseen objects. The
temptation to venture forth without proper lighting is not only
illegal, but also extremely foolish.
A proper and fully functional warning device (horn) becomes a
vital piece of equipment in the darkness. It can be used to warn
approaching craft as to your presence and also can be used to
draw attention in the event of problems arising. Although not
required unless off shore, visual distress signals (flares)
should be on board.
An approved type fire extinguisher that is currently dated should
be onboard and in a convenient and ready location. During a fire
is no time to find out that the extinguisher will not function
because it is out of date.
A paddle is required (for smallish boats), not optional
equipment, and again should be in a convenient and accessible
location.
An anchoring device with adequate line in both size and length
for your boat. Deployment of the anchor should occur at the first
sign of trouble to keep your boat in its present safe location.
Too often then anchor is the last thing thought of and boats end
up drifting into dangerous situations.
Some sort of bailing device should be on board. Pumps are useless
when the battery goes dead.
A radio with weather band capability is not only recommended for
day operation but is an essential piece of equipment at night.
Those clouds that look harmless that you see floating over can be
hiding a serious storm. The whole world could know about it but
if you have no means of hearing the warnings you can be caught by
nature’s worst.
Navigation tools, which are helpful in the daylight, become
absolutely essential for safety at night. Obviously your best
choice for nighttime operation would be a GPS. However, a compass
would be a considerable assistant in the dark. Not only is
everything different out there at night, but also things such as
fog can move in with no apparent warning and without a means of
determining direction you are dead in the water.
Personal floatation devices (properly fitted) for each person on
board are at the top of the list and should be worn by everyone
when fishing at night. Finding someone that has fallen overboard
in the daytime is generally easy, but in the dark can be quite
difficult. A throw able flotation device is also required
equipment and should be in a convenient location.
Make sure that your boat batteries have a full charge before
leaving home. In most states your boat lights have to remain on
throughout the night. Running a black light, electric trolling
motor, fish finders, and other gadgets can take a toll on the
battery through the course of a night trip. It may be wise to
carry an extra battery aboard just in case.
Insect repellent is a must. You should never leave the boat ramp
without a good bottle for those trips when the bugs are biting
more than the bass.
Make sure you are anchored securely and not drifting. This is
critical if you are fishing close to headlands or structure where
there is turbulent water. When you are settled, get a radio check
and try all lights on board before it gets dark, so if there is a
problem, it can be fixed before nightfall.
First aid kit, basic tools, manuals etc. are all recommended.
Check The Weather
As obvious as this one is, too many people forget to do a simple
check of the forecast. Try to pick a night where the weather
forecast is good. It is tough enough to move around in the dark
as it is. Bad weather makes it even harder. This can really “make
or break” your fishing trip.
Copyright 2005 EveningSecretFishing.com Fishing
Long-Time Fisherman and friend of EveningSecretFishing
http://www.eveningsecretfishing.com/specialsecret/Night_Fishing_Preparation.php
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