Times have changed, so has "Nocturnal Bassin'"
The water exploded. The huge largemouth bass engulfed the black,
battle-scarred jitterbug. The ensuing battle was on and the excited
young man dove for the landing net as he scrambled in the dark.
Meanwhile, his Grandfather, who had endured so many lengthy battles
before with these hard-fighting largemouth bass of the night, dove for
the heart pills, hidden in his tacklebox. Such are the thrills of
fishing for, "Giant bass of the night."
In those days. Days when an aluminum boat, one rod, one reel, and one
old, metal tackle box (encrusted with several layers of paint,
displaying globs of melted plastic worms), were all a man needed to go
fishing, times were simple. Those restless anglers that ventured out in
the dark, seeking their quarry, the ever elusive largemouth bass, found
preparation, only took a few minutes.
Even water safety rules of that era were mostly left up to the angler.
Enforcing modern days rules such as, outboard motor kill switches, life
jackets for every boat occupant, running lights "on all night", charged
fire extinguishers and other mandatory, safety rules, were mostly
unheard of and usually not strictly enforced. Why, there weren't even
any bass tournaments!
Times have changed. Night fishing anglers have got to have preparation.
Getting ready for an entire night of fishing, means more than just
rigging many rods, instead of just one. By today's water safety rules
every boat on Alabama's lakes and rivers must have running lights "on
all night". This means, whether your navigating the lake, fishing on
the main lake or far back up in some tributary, or even just plain
anchored down, you must have lights on fore and aft. (That's the front
and back of the boat, for you first timers). Why? You may ask. Like I
said, times have changed.
Gone, are the days, of just a few small boats puttering around in the
dark. During summer, over half of Alabama's anglers resort to night
fishing, due to the intense daytime heat. Added to the growing
confusion, are the growing list of bass tournaments, many are which are
held after dark, due to the popularity among today's bass tournament
anglers. Then there's those high powered bass boats. There's nothing
wrong with that. Disobeying Alabama's water safety rules is, and can
often prove to be fatal, unfortunately to innocent by-standers. That's
why we have water safety rules.
GETTING THE BOAT READY FOR NIGHT FISHING
Besides running lights, you will need black lights or some type of dim
light, for fishing the banks, especially during dark nights with little
or no moon. Without them, you will spend needless hours of retrieving
hung lures from bushes, trees or other shoreline cover. Although only
rare occasions have shown mishaps, keep in mind that those bushes
harbor mosquitoes, wasps and even snakes.
For running at night, you must have a high powered spot light. No
matter how many years of experience you have fishing any particular
lake at night, you never see those floating logs, or other boaters,
until its to late. More lights? You bet, the more the better. Its very
frustrating rumbling around in the dark in one of today's bass boats
and many boat manufactures have taken that in mind when designing these
modem day vessels.
If you don't already have 'em age areas helps tremendously. Two
flashlights should be on every trip, one for each angler. There are
even small headbands with lights on a flexible snake-like stem, for
hands-free knot tying during the night. Even spare fuses, bulbs, or
running lights, are a good precaution to avoid getting a ticket, or
worse yet getting caught out in the dark without running lights. Some
anglers even install high powered running, head lights on their boats.
Lights aren't enough.
In the old days, "seat of the pants" anglers just threw some old
cushions in the boat. Nowadays every person in the boat must have a
life jacket. Wearing one, after dark every time the boat is on plane,
is highly advisable. Boat occupants should always make sure the driver
of the boat is not drinking alcoholic beverages and that he/she is
wearing an outboard motor kill switch. Besides, most bass tournaments
have these two mandatory rules and water safety patrols can impound
boats and jail the occupants, especially when the driver is are caught
drinking or intoxicated.
Enjoying a safe night of fishing means including many, many, more
variables in your trip. Some, that many anglers either forget,
disregard or have never experienced, can bring unneeded frustrations,
if not included in your night fishing checklist. Charged batteries are
a must. Even bringing along a spare battery may be needed to run all
those lights, bilges, aerators or other electrical items at night.
If not moving around a lot, an outboard motor battery can't receive a
good enough charge from the motor's alternator and can run down by the
end of your trip. If you have trolled all night and your trolling
batteries are drained, you could have trouble getting today's big,
outboard motors started. Even jumper cables should be included for
emergencies in your boat or to aid other anglers that have battery
troubles. So now what else? Plenty, remember, you've got to be prepared
for any emergency to avoid one.
Boat anchors are great, especially when you find that good spot where
the fish are bunched up or feeding and want to stay put. Without one,
you could drift away from a spot that took all night to find, often
leaving the fish far behind. A big, long-handled, hook-proof landing
net is a must. Big bass feed at night and many have been lost at
boatside due to angler error or having the wrong equipment.
Breakdowns? They happen. I once trolled all night, ran down both
batteries. Went to crank the outboard motor and nothing. The aerator,
that had been running all night, had ran down the cranking battery. Had
I not had a small paddle tucked away for just such an emergency we
would have had to sat there. Far up in that little creek, miles from
the boat dock, in the dark, with only a small flashlight, until help
arrived. Now, I have a cranking battery, for that purpose only.
GETTING YOURSELF AND YOUR TACKLE READY
So, what else? Mosquitoes are pests no matter where you fish, so
repellents should always be included. Long sleeve shirts will help.
Bring along a jacket to. It gets cool on the water at night. Emergency
kits can include many items. Band-Aids, bandages, methiolate, snake
bite kits, syringes, prescribed medication, or a clean sterile knife or
razor blade and peroxide, may be needed for removing hooks and
sterilization. Never leave anything to chance, its a long way to get
medical help when out on these lakes at night. Any emergency could
arise so being prepared is more than being necessary, it could save a
life.
Other emergency kits must include several items for boat or tow vehicle
breakdowns. Your boat always needs to have spare spark plugs and the
tools to remove them. Oil, gas, drinks, ice, food may be needed, so
check these necessary items prior to the trip. Many convenience stores
near the lake are closed after dark. This also includes everything
needed for the outboard motor and trolling motor. Spare props, pins and
cables can't be found when you need them.
Check your tires and wheel bearings before the trip. Its no fun being
broke down on the side of the road in the dark. Bring along spare
tires, grease, bearings, seals and the tools to remove then. Even
lights or a small air compressor that plugs into a car cigarette
lighter, can help during these roadside emergencies. A strong hydraulic
jack, precut 2 by 10 inch boards and even a few bricks may be needed if
you have to pull over in mud, soft grass or along a bad roadside.
So as you see preparation is the key. Just safely getting to the lake
and back home requires a lot of getting ready for night fishing. There
are many items I failed to mention. Anglers of yesterday did not have
the convenience of a cell phone. They are worth their weight in gold
during emergencies. If you don't have one, borrow one for the trip and
leave the number with a loved one or two. Also tell them what lake you
are going to, where you will be launching and when to expect you home.
All that's left now is your tackle.
From top to bottom bass will hit any lure in the box at night. Being
prepared means having everything you need, where you can find it during
the night, when its needed the most. Fishing after dark means you can
leave the light line and finesse lures at home. Although some very
clear water lakes may require this type of tackle while fishing during
the day, nocturnal hours on most our lakes, calls for the use of
heavier line and stout equipment.
Besides, due to most lakes having lightly stained water conditions,
most bass feed by detecting underwater vibrations emitted by potential
meals (or your lures) and the use of lateral line detection, the bass'
"radar" after dark. Lures that emit a lot of flash and vibration, make
plenty of noise and water displacement, are often needed to aid the
bass in finding your offering or getting bit. Adding rattles or even
fish attractants will also help.
So be safe. Enjoy one of the finer things still left in this life,
night fishing. But bring along you heart pills, you may need 'em. There
are some Big Bass to be fooled after dark by the persistent angler.
Some things never change.
Good Fishin'