Night Fishing: Being Prepared
by George & Scott Welcome, Imagination
Bassin' Guide Service
Summertime arrives - it's hot - and cool
nighttime fishing becomes an inviting proposition. However,
fishing your hometown lake at night requires much more
preparation than daytime fishing does. That body of water so
familiar and friendly during the day becomes foreign and
sometimes hostile as darkness descends. With just a little more
preparation it can be enjoyed however and the results can be
absolutely super. Being pro-active instead of reactive will
ensure a safe and enjoyable venture in the darkness of night.
Fishing day or night requires that your boat
be properly equipped as per U.S. Coast Guard required equipment:
Personal floatation devices (properly
fitted) for each person on board are at the top of the list and
should be worn by everyone when fishing at night. Finding someone
that has fallen overboard in the daytime is generally easy, but
in the dark can be quite difficult. A throwable flotation device
is also required equipment and should be in a convenient
location.
Bow and stern lights
are required and essential equipment on your boat, and they must
be lit when visibility is reduced. Striking unseen objects at
night is the most often reported nighttime accident and unlit
boats lead as those unseen objects. The temptation to venture
forth without proper lighting is not only illegal, but also
extremely foolish.
A proper and fully
functional warning device (horn) becomes a vital piece
of equipment in the darkness. It can be used to warn approaching
craft as to your presence and also can be used to draw attention
in the event of problems arising.
Signal flares, Although
not required unless off shore, visual distress signals (flares)
should be on board.
An approved type fire
extinguisher that is currently dated should be onboard
and in a convenient and ready location. During a fire is no time
to find out that the extinguisher will not function because it is
out of date.
A paddle is required, not
optional equipment, and again should be in a convenient and
accessible location.
Other recommended equipment that should be on
board would include:
An anchoring device
with adequate line in both size and length for your boat.
Deployment of the anchor should occur at the first sign of
trouble to keep your boat in its present safe location. Too often
then anchor is the last thing thought of and boats end up
drifting into dangerous situations.
Some sort of bailing device
should be on board. Pumps are useless when the battery goes dead.
Flashlight and batteries
(that have been checked) and spare batteries should be onboard
when fishing at night. The one flaw in flashlights is that they
seem to fail just when we need them. Check the operation before
launching!
A radio with weather band
capability is not only recommended for day operation
but is an essential piece of equipment at night. Those clouds
that look harmless that you see floating over can be hiding a
serious storm. The whole world could know about it but if you
have no means of hearing the warnings you can be caught by
natures worst.
First aid kit, basic tools,
manuals etc. are all recommended on board
Navigation tools,
which are helpful in the daylight, become absolutely essential
for safety at night. Obviously your best choice for nighttime
operation would be a GPS. However, a compass would
be a considerable assistant in the dark. Not only is everything
different out there at night, but also things such as fog can
move in with no apparent warning and without a means of
determining direction you are dead in the water. With both pieces
of equipment that are mentioned above, being completely familiar
with their functions is of extreme importance. A GPS is a
basically simple piece of equipment but it does take some
practice to use it correctly and efficiently. It’s a little
late to start reading the manual and trying to figure out how the
GPS works when trouble raises up to mar your trip. A compass is a
very basic piece of equipment, but again to follow a path and
navigate with it does take some practice. For example, did you
know that when you make an initial turn to the left that your
compass would swing right? For someone that has not used the
compass this can be very confusing, especially when stress adds
to your navigational problem. In addition, a compass only shows
direction of travel, not the direction to your destination, so
when fishing at night you should already have made the trips
during daylight hours so you know the direction you need to go
from your fishing spots back to the dock. Not many lakes have
sufficient markers to combine with a chart so pre-locating and
sticking to those pre-locations for fishing at night is essential
for nighttime fishing.
File a fishing plan with
someone so that in event something occurs you can be
found. Of course sticking to that plan is absolutely a must if it
is to have any value. Ideally, when fishing at night, make your
plan so that you stay relatively close to the shoreline. However,
with practice and experience you can venture further and further
out without mishap.
In addition to thoughts of
safety, spin your thoughts toward the tackle and
equipment that you will be using to catch those fish. Some of the
products that will help to make you trip more successful and
safer are black lights, fluorescent fishing lines
and there are even rods with fluorescent tips. How these
play to safety is that they allow you to visually stay in contact
with all your tackle and help keep you away from those hooks in
the fingers. You might also consider having your nighttime tackle
set up in a separate box. Getting a hook in the finger is an
unpleasant experience but even more so when vision is limited.
Just a little thought and preparation can greatly enhance that
nighttime experience.
With just a little
preparation you can venture out in the dark and have a
safe and enjoyable fishing experience. Without this preparation
that adventure can turn into your biggest and darkest nightmare.
The results can be a simple scare, or quickly turn into total
tragedy. It is not uncommon to hear stories of absolute fantastic
times fishing at night. Be prepared and have one of those
fantastic times.
Good Night Fishin'
George & Scott Welcome
| Author Information.
 Imagination
Bassin Guide Services is based in Florida and offers guided trips
on Stick Marsh/Farm 13 and Ansin/Garcia Reservoir. These waters
are the best in the world and offer an outstanding opportunity
for that "BASS" of a lifetime. Our clients are either
the experienced fisherman that is seeking to learn the layout and
techniques that work best on these waters with artificial baits
or the beginner looking for a great day on the water. Artificial
baits account for more large bass caught than any other method
with soft plastics being the number one bait. Fishing platform is
a current model Nitro 896 Savage fully equipped. Clients supply
their own tackle (up to three rods) and tackle box. We carry a
complete tackle setup if needed, and we advise on what to
purchase if you don't have local lures. Our preferred
method of fishing is with artificial bait however we can and do enjoy live shiner
fishing at times when that seems best for the bass and for the
client.
Give George or Scott a call: 561 225-6755 Days,
561 337-1147 Nights
Visit their web site at Imagination Bassin'
Guide Services
Email George or Scott at acstech@atlantic.net
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