Night tournament tonight

[perkdog65]

A first for me...any suggestions. Fishing from 0300 to 1100 on sinclair.

[Hef]

Hey Chief, here is what you need for your arsenal. I have a night tourney tonite as well. These are what I use and have good luck with. I see alot of folks turn in 0's at the scales, due to the fact of them not getting in and working the banks. They will be there feeding when it gets dark, trust me.

Bottom: (anthing with alot of water displacement and scent)
1. 7-10" Power worms (preferably black, black/blue, or red shad)
2. Black/Blue jig w/ trailer

Topwater: (Louder the better)
1. Buzzbait
2. Jitterbug

Mid Column:
1. Spinnerbait w/ large single Colorado blade (black, purple)


Good Luck Chief

[Hef]

Oh by the way, I like the avatar.

[FlyRod]

Large topwaters...in black if possible unless you can fish in lighted areas (docks, etc). I recommend a LARGE prop bait, a Jitterbug, or a Spook in the Black Shore Minnow finish. I'm not much for chuggers in the dark.

Black or Black/Blue soft plastics. 6-10" curl tail worms, 4"+ Grubs, add a rattle if you can do so properly. Start with the lightest weight that will still "activate" the tail on the fall...test that!

Black or Black/Blue spinnerbaits with COLORADO blade, preferably a large single blade. Then, do a 180 and throw a WHITE one, same setup, especially if there is any ambient light...moon, dock lights, dam lights, etc.

I don't know that lake at all, so these are general ideas....
Start with the TW lures, then go to spinners, THEN the worms.
If your partner is knowledgeable do as he does, but be ready to adjust if his techniques/locations are not producing.
Riprap along levees, bridges, and dams are usually a good spot as are weedbeds adjacent to deeper and cooler water. If those don't produce, try a shallow flat or series of ledges leading to deep water.
When night fishing, you must remain at General Quarters at all times. This is for safety so well as improving your chances of catching fish. Make sure the required lights are on at all times. Be alert for the sound of approaching power boats and wave a light to warn them of your presence as you hum along on the TM.
When under power, remember that reaction time is greatly reduced if a hazard is encountered. Go slow and keep a sharp eye for reefs and shoals AND other watercraft. GPS is helpful but a Q-beam swept back and forth is a wise touch. Make sure your partner isn't just staring dead ahead.

Wear your PFD at ALL times, drink lots of water and/or GatorAde(TM), take the bug repellent AND...this pays off...some hand towels, moistened, in zip bags. Keep these in the cooler, under the ice. Frequently apply to face and neck then re-zip and put them back in the cooler. You'll last longer, feel better....trust me. Make some for your partner too. He'll be grateful.

If you can find a small LED that will clip to the bill of your cap, buy it! A most critical item. Also, if you wear glasses, use a strap. When under way (and Haze Gray?) make sure you secure your cap. Finding a blown-off cap in the dark is problematic at best.

At the FIRST hint of lightning, return to port at flank speed.


There isn't much time...get yer fantail to the store NOW, sailor!

Here's wishing you a happy voyage home.

F.Rod

PS: I was an Army tanker, but my son retires from the Bloomin' Navy on the 21st of this month.

[perkdog65]

Hey thanks guys. I never would of guessed that you would use dark colors in the dark... how can they see them, although the vibration is probably more important. I have heard this before about the dark colors so I do have a nice selection in that area. I have various TW stuff too...might need a couple new spinners though all of mine are bright colors. So a quick trip to the store after work and i should be good to go. The lake has quite a few docks with lights plus the moon should be pretty bright tonight...just past full. It has a power generation station that discharges water not sure of the schedule though.

Hef... good luck to you there shipmate...where you guys heading..the Potomac? I was stationed in Patuxent River just before i retired, did somefishing on that body of water...definetly different than down here in GA, no tides to worry about.

Fly Rod...you know i will be at GQ...a guy just got killed on this lake last week when someone blew right through him on his pontoon boat at night. Easy on the Haze Gray remarks i was headed for the closet to grab the sea bag after reading that (it's still there you know...and packed) ROFL.
Thanks again guys

[Hef]

No Chief, the tourney was up at Piney Run Resivoir. The bite didn't turnon until about 10:30 and we had a couple that would have taken lunker IF we could have gotten them in the boat.......oh what if.

[WTL]

Flyrod, the only thing I happen to disagree with you on is lightning.

Now I am not one arguing for staying out in a storm or anywhere close to a storm or any time when thunder is making it clear that a storm is close. But at night, on a lake you can see lightning for 70 miles, probably further. I have actually enjoyed watching storms over other states before while on the lake at night.

[bassking22]

Perkdog you use dark bait at night for their outline (easy to see), and vibrations and sound are good too.
Try a rattling bait like a Yo-Zuri Rattl'n Vibe or Rat'l Trap (replace the hooks on a rattle trap hooks with better ones though)

[Hef]

Bassking, funny you should mention ye' old Yo-zuri Rattle 'N vibe. That is my favorite lipless bait and I threw that thing last night till my arm almost fell off. I switched over to that big colorado blade spinner and they started hitting it. Blew my mind.

[FlyRod]

Originally Posted by WTL

Flyrod, the only thing I happen to disagree with you on is lightning.

Now I am not one arguing for staying out in a storm or anywhere close to a storm or any time when thunder is making it clear that a storm is close. But at night, on a lake you can see lightning for 70 miles, probably further. I have actually enjoyed watching storms over other states before while on the lake at night.

Someday, my boy, you will become a Krispy Kritter,
We're gonna miss you, "French Fry".

FR

[WTL]

Yea well I'm not too worried about lightning when I'm sitting on guntersville and the storm is sitting on Atlanta. Its kinda hard to get fried in that position, unless you hang into some high voltage lines.

[Bo Dale James Jr.]

"Hey thanks guys. I never would of guessed that you would use dark colors in the dark... how can they see them, although the vibration is probably more important"

I couldn't find the F&S about this. I have quoted it in the past.
Fish see darker objects better under dark conditions..Something about the eye structure.

[perkdog65]

Hey thanks for all the info...i didn't win but third is not bad and i missed the big fish by 2 ounces. All in all we had a good time and i learned alot. One being not to ride with this guy for a night tourny again...he had no gps and running WOT and i couldn't see squat...scared me to death...i was glad when the sun came up.

[bassking22]

Well, hef, thats not too wierd, they might not have been too hungry and not wanted that bait at thnat time, but with the spinner you just got a reaction strike. I find that if they are hungry at all though they'll usually hit a Rattle N' Vibe, that just might not have been the case.

[Hef]

It won't deter me from throwing that yo-zuri everytime I go though.

[bassking22]

Yep, its truly a great bait.