In the Heat of the Night
by Tom Lester
 Anyone that lives south of the Red River
knows that "hot" does little to describe the horrific
heat we have been experiencing lately. With temperatures
surpassing the 100-degree mark for several consecutive days, most
folks don't think about hours on the water as being much fun. In
fact, this is the time of year I turn to fishing in the dark,
night fishing.
Most importantly to me, it is not nearly as hot fishing at
night as it is during the day in this time of year. There is
something about the sights and sounds on the water at night in
the summer that is truly enjoyable. Unless you've experienced it,
it might be hard to understand.
Like most summertime bass fishermen, I get tired of trying to
find a peaceful place to fish without the sound of personal water
crafts whizzing by. Don't get me wrong, they have just as much
right to the water as we do, but I still get tired of them,
unless I'm out riding mine. Needless to say, PWCs are not a
problem when fishing at night.
Finally, the fish seem to bite better for me at night than
during the day. I believe they move shallower, feeding on
baitfish in the dark than they do during the day. I also seem to
catch bigger fish at night, which really gets the ole' blood
pumping.
Lake Whitney is my favorite place to night fish. It has a
healthy population of largemouth and smallmouth bass. When
traveling to Whitney for some nighttime fishing, I tend to look
for the smallies. They are so explosive and such fierce fighters,
I love catching them, especially in the dark. Like I said
earlier, unless you have experienced catching a nice sized
smallmouth at night, it truly is hard to image. Words certainly
cannot describe it. At times, it is almost eerie, spooky in a
way.
Our own Richland-Chambers Resevoir is also a good night
fishing lake. This lake has a great number of large fish in it.
With the high amount of pressure it receives during the daylight
hours, fishing at night not only gives you a different
perspective on things, but the same is true for the fish. The
baits will look different at night. Something the fish might not
be use to. This can result in more fish being boated (then
released, hopefully).
Fishing at night from a boat requires an extra measure of
safety. You need to know the water you will be fishing, develop a
plan and stick to it, and slow down. Always wear an approved life
vest and use your kill switches. I like night fishing when the
moon is up. I am convinced the fishing is better and I know
navigating the boat is easier with the moonlight.
Be sure and use your running lights at all times when you are
fishing at or near dark. We nearly ran over a ski boat two weeks
ago, anchored just past the no wake buoy, after dark with no
lights on, at Lake Whitney. I was glad I was driving slow enough
to see it before it was too late. You have to be careful on the
water at night. Unfortunately, there are still a few, uneducated,
uncaring, idiots out there you have watch out for.
When fishing at night, I use three baits: a spinnerbait with a
Superdog Colorado blade for maximum vibration, a medium to deep
diving crankbait and a plastic worm rigged with a loud rattle and
plastic bead. I try to fish wind blown points at the mouths of
creeks I feel like fish are feeding in. This time of year I focus
on mid to lower end of the lake creeks. The water is usually a
little cooler in the deeper end, thus the fish are a little more
active.
I switch back and forth between the three baits. If I catch a
fish or two in an area on one type of bait, I will often work
back through the same area with another bait and catch another
fish or two. The main point is to fish your baits slowly. Like
us, the fish have to rely on their other senses other than just
sight to find the bait. Slow it down.
If you are luck enough to live fairly close to a lake with
smallmouth in it, I highly suggest you give them a try. If you
are like me and love to fish, but hate the unbearable heat, try
fishing for them at night. Believe me, there is nothing more
exciting than catching a shallow water smallmouth, thrashing the
water with everything he's got... in the dark. It's a rush.
Until next time, enjoy the Texas outdoors.
Tom Lester.
| Author Information.
 Tom Lester owns and operates Four Seasons
Lawnscape, a landscape and lawn maintenance service, in
Corsicana, Texas. He has fished for most of his 36 years to
some degree or another. He fishes competitively in bass
tournaments and is beginning his professional bass fishing career
in the BASS invitational circuit and the Everstart Series.
Tom lives with his wife, Kelly, in Corsicana, Texas, only a
few miles from Richland-Chambers reservoir, one of the hottest
new bass lakes to open in Texas in the past ten years. He
formerly resided in Cleburne, Texas, where he guided part-time
for largemouth and smallmouth bass. Tom is currently on the
field staff for Abu Garcia, Norman Lures,
Inspiration Lures, and Bill Lewis Lures, and on the pro staff for
Kalin's,
CastAway
Rods, P-Line,
and Nuwave Products.
Tom enjoys fishing, hunting and writing his outdoor column for
the Corsicana Daily Sun and freelance writing. He is a
former high school Agricultural Science instructor and animal
health pharmaceutical sales rep. He graduated from Texas
A&M University with a B.S in Agricultural Education and a
Master of Education degree. Tom likes being his own boss so
he can take off to go fishing, whenever he likes, and leave his
wife in charge of the business.
Email Tom at lester01@airmail.net
Visit Tom at his web site: Fishing
Pro Staff |
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