Night Bite

[Fishin Hodge]

Well, I have been itching to night fish for about a month with this warm weather. First trip 3 weeks ago was unproductive, but tried my hand again last night with different results.

Started out fishing in Long Creek before dark with spinnerbaits and crankbaits. The spinnerbait outproduced the crankbait in a bad way, but neither were that good. Caught a keeper crappie on a spinnerbait before heading out of the creek to find some clear water. Ran up past Emerald and realized I wasn't going to be finding any clear water this side of the dam. The water in this part of the lake is ugly to me. Fished it for 30 minutes and did catch one bass on a spinnerbait, but it was getting dark and I had no desire to be in that nasty water after dark.

Headed back up the creek and it was completely dark by the time I started further up the creek. It started a little slow, one here, one there, but it kept getting better and better. As I was leaving I caught a fish on my very last cast.

The first fish started to key me in. Caught her flipping a creature bait on a steeper bank with lots of big rocks and wood. Here she was.

It didn't stop there. Had several other bites and caught several more bass before hooking this one on a signle spin. This was my favorite catch of the night. She slammed the spinnerbait and it sounded like an elephant had been dropped in the lake. She flopped all the way back to the boat; I really thought I had stuck a biggin, but she was a solid fish none the less. She came on a flatter bank, but was only one of two decent fish I caught on flat banks. Both nice fish on the flatter banks were caught on the spinner bait.

Picked the creature bait back up and hit another steeper bank and the flipping bite was on. Went through a bunch of nice fish and several more missed fish. Flipped the bait up there again and felt the bump, set the hook and it was on. It was solid and I finally had a good one; I couldn't hardly move the fish. As I finally got here turned she broke the water slightly and I felt the roll. Here she is. Nice Flathead, just shy of 10 is my best guess.

Kept going and caught another Flathead, smaller, and this nice bass on my creature bait.

Pulled up on the bank were I had parked flinging the single spin again. Caught my last fish on my last cast and only had to crank the big motor to push the boat on the trailer. The fishing was great. I didn't catch the big bass that I wanted to, but I had a blast. I know there have been lots of reports of crowding, but I was the only boat at the ramp I unloaded at last night, and did not see another boat all night. Get out there and get you some. It was a peaceful night I will remember for a long time.

[Gone Fishing]

Very nice and detailed report. It is getting that time of year when the night fishing is hard to beat.

[Sprint21fter]

Looks like the second picture that fish is spawned out already. Nice report there isn't a better feeling when you are night fishing and your throwing a bait of some kind and you feel that hard thump. Will be going soon after dark as well.

[Fishin Hodge]

Should have put that, every bass that I caught of any size was spawned out or a male.