Episode 228: Lure Fishing At Night With Greg Vinall

Key Messages

• For many people fishing at night with lures seems counter intuitive. Can fish see lures at night? The answer is 100% yes. In fact, my personal experience has been that many fish species feed more actively and confidently after dark, and that the number and quality of fish caught is often well above that of fishing in the daylight hours.
• While fish can be caught in the same structure as night as they are in the day, many species gravitate to different parts of the system once the sun has set. For example, large fish will often move in to shallow margins, flats etc to hunt and feed at night, retreating to deeper water and structure to rest up during the day.
• Tackle for night fishing can often be lighter than for daylight fishing as it’s possible to target fish away from hard structure. Conversely, fish are often less shy of heavier lines and leaders once it is dark, so even those fish that remain close to structure are a little easier to extract.
• Greg finds that on a full moon the bite is often not great, either during the day or the night, although fishing with surface lures under a full moon can be productive. The new moon presents challenges because it can be too dark to see what you’re doing, but fish can be spooked if you use a bright light on a dark night. Waxing and waning moons offer a good compromise and often seem to be more productive, though this can often be species or location dependent.
• It’s generally a good idea to keep portable lights off the water as much as possible, although fixed, stationary lights such as streetlights, ferry terminals and wharves usually attract both bait and fish. Predatory fish tend to lurk in the shadows around the edges of the light.
• Lures for night fishing don’t need to be much different than those for day fishing. Fish will find and eat lures in the dark, so things like colour and detailed patterns on lures aren’t important, but chrome finishes or spinner blades can be beneficial at times as they create minute flashes that the fish can see. Fish will often take slightly larger lures at night and featured like rattles, vibrations and scents can all help a fish detect and eat a lure.
• Greg is not a fan of lures containing a high proportion of luminescent paint, although small amounts of luminescence can sometimes help. Likewise, lures with built in lights or with chemical light sticks tend not to be as effective as anglers might expect.
• Familiarise yourself with your night fishing spot during the daylight hours whenever possible as this will help you figure out where and how to fish later. Focus on listening for signs of fish and bait and concentrate on feeling your lure work through the line.
• When land based fishing at night be extra vigilant for hazards such as crocodiles, snakes, trip hazards and slippery surfaces. The consequences of these hazards can be higher at night.