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Since we lived in Cleburne at the time, we regularly fished Lake
Whitney, because it was close to home.
Being familiar with certain areas of the lake, we felt comfortable
about being able to navigate the water safely
in the dark. What we discovered was a whole new aspect of fishing,
"night fishing".
Fishing at night was as much fun as fishing during the day. The
darkness seemed to add a bit of ambiance
or atmosphere to the trip. Frankly, I got to the point that I would
rather go night fishing, than fishing during the
day. The excitement of having something pulling on your line in
total darkness, not being able to see what it
was until it got right to the boat, was awesome.
Not only did we get to spend time with our children on the weekend
and still get to go fishing, we usually
caught more fish. I'm not sure if the fish bit better at night or
if we fished more intensely with less running
around the lake. Nonetheless, we caught more fish at night. I guess
that is one of the main reasons I liked
it so much.
Another big reason I enjoy night fishing so much is, the lake is
usually not full of other boats. Most folks
don't ski and ride personal water crafts in the dark. In the hot
summer months, it is definitely cooler to fish at
night than during the daylight hours; another big plus for we Texas
anglers.
The equipment necessary for night fishing is about the same as for
fishing during the day. I usually used
crankbaits, spinnerbaits and soft plastics to catch fish at night.
When fishing soft plastics, I like to use
portable blacklights and Stren clear blue florescent line in 17
to 20 lb. test. The blacklights light up the fishing
line, which enable me to watch my line better and detect subtle
strikes.
I had always heard about fishermen using solar and lunar tables
and using the moon to fish. Until I started
night fishing, I never paid much attention to them. After a year
or so, we discovered that the fish usually bit
better when the moon was up. I guess there is something to the tables,
since they are based on the position
of the sun and moon. Today, I rarely fish at night unless the moon
is out.
If you have never done any night fishing from a boat, there are
a few things you need to keep in mind if you
plan of giving it a try. It is going to be dark. Know the area of
the lake you are planning to fish. I wouldn't
recommend exploring unfamiliar water at night. Lakes look totally
different in the dark than they do in the
daylight. It is difficult to judge distances in the dark. It is
easy to become lost, even if you know the area.
Always use the proper navigation lights on your boat when operating
it in the dark. It lets others know
where you are. Use caution when running your big engine. Obstacles,
such as trees, stumps and other boats,
are difficult to see, until it's often too late. I highly recommend
that you not go night fishing alone. Always try
and take someone with you. If you get in trouble on the water at
night, two heads are better than one.
Lastly, never, never, never operate your boat without wearing a
properly fitting personal floatation device and
an engine cut-off device (kill switch) attached. Both could end
up saving your life. Use a little common sense
and practice good boating safety so you won't become another senseless
boating accident statistic.
If you have any questions about night fishing, feel free to contact
me. I'm sure you would enjoy a night on
the water. Besides, if you caught my article on Women and the Outdoors,
you might like it even more than
you think!
Until
next time, enjoy the Texas outdoors.
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