How do you approach a new body of water at night? Working a “9-5” job, if I fish during the week it has to be in the evening after the sun goes down so I’m wondering what makes a lake have a good night bite? Water clarity? Certain structure? I’m just trying to figure out a way to find a possible “night bite” lake based on doing research before hand.
Any tips is appreciated!
Water clarity is big on most dark stained lakes fishing slows down 1/2hour after dark or be for what species of fish are you looking for
With all due respect thoern in my experience water clarity has nothing to do with
it. Big Marine is clear with no night bite not too far away you have Bald Eagle which is dark with a night bite. Most of the lakes in the Faribault area are dark with no night bite. White Bear clear with a night bite. Has to do with the lake ecosystem best thing you can do is ask at a bait store. If the lake is clear without a night bite the sunset bite can go 45 min. past sunset-a night bite might only start at that time. Usually on a thread like this someone will say you should find out for yourself-got the time? Go ahead, bring a radio.
No offense Tim in my experience is that lake with a 5’to 3′ water clarity fish feed early in day time hours where I live.
I’m more than happy to do my own research and grind through a few different lakes but am just wondering what to look for when doing research online regarding the lakes I’m looking at. Not sure if there’s a pretty big giveaway to if there’s a chance a lake has a good night bite or not.
For crappies,you may want to go out about an hour after full dark.There were a few lakes in SE WI like this.One lake you could not even get many during daytime/low light times.
Go out and setup with a light,and leave it in one spot.I think going from hole to hole with a bright light may spook them?More so with clear ice/shallow water.
Can’t say much for pike,never targeted them.
I haven’t had much luck on catching pike and sunfish after dark.
Crappie seem to start at sun set and slow down 45min after dark so what i will do is go to where you are catching them and shovel the snow away and light a lantern and fish next to it and thats why i like a clear body of water so it allows the light to transfer.
I like to fish off of a weed edge that is off the deep for an example 40 feet comes up to say 15 ft flattens out 12 weeds start
for sunfish I would try to get out there as early as possible. seems like the brighter it is the better the fishing is. but when it starts getting dark and im fishing them i make sure to put on something with a glow. just to get them to notice your jig. the darker it gets the more difficult tho
I’m more than happy to do my own research and grind through a few different lakes but am just wondering what to look for when doing research online regarding the lakes I’m looking at. Not sure if there’s a pretty big giveaway to if there’s a chance a lake has a good night bite or not.
This is good thinking.
If lights are on in perms on a lake, either they’re happy playing cards or the fish are biting.
Crappies and walleyes are probably the best night biters. I’ve never looked for a steady bite after dark but those little windows of activity can be dynamite and if you aren’t there during the window its all too easy to assume that the water doesn’t have a night bite. A couple things come into play, especially crappies.
Moon phase drives a lot of the insect activity in mud bottomed lakes. It doesn’t matter what the water clarity is, it depends on the moon. Blood worms come to mind as certain moon periods will see huge levels of activity in them after dark and the activity can be sporadic over a night and happen several times. Since many of these insects are driven by water temperature as well as the time of year, cold water and calendar times can play a big part in insect activity too.
Sunfish are notorious for shutting down just before dark and all too often the assumption is that they do not hit at night. WRONG! They feed in periods, just like crappies, but they’ll feed different as a rule: maybe deeper, maybe near weeds, different foods. Crappies and sunfish are prime time opportunists and they do not miss the dinner bell. If a body of water has these fish and an angler is not catching them, its not the fish. Most anglers won’t wait out a bite after dark or they’re too blistered to recognize it.
A good night bite is a hot commodity and a smart angler that locates one won’t wear it out by hitting it every night or by running off at the mouth. This is why night bites get given up and then POOF, its all over.
Like Tom said if the lights are on in the perms.. (then the lake has a night bite) Nothing you can look at in the lake, in the stars or Tarot cards that will tell you-ask around or try it yourself. In Fisherman had an artical about how certain micro-organisms become active after dark, they gave names of species, it was interesting but in the end they said some lakes have a night bite and some do not. Be persistent ask around. I went to a lake to fish gills, we left when it was getting dark and we saw a group going out-they seemed like they knew right where they wanted to go, made me think hmmmmmmm.
Good Luck!
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