A growing number of anglers are discovering that nighttime is prime time when it comes to targeting bay fish. Calico bass, sand bass, spotted bay bass, croaker, halibut, and other species all seem to go spring-break wild when darkness falls. Although some hardcore night anglers are tightlipped about their adventures, others report finding the biggest, meanest, and hungriest fish after sundown.

Combat night fishing veterans will also tell you that it pays to acquire a bit of specialized training before heading out. Ready to soldier up? Here’s the instruction manual!

Night Ops

Before heading off into the night, make sure your running lights and anchor lights are working. Double check flares, flashlights, radio, and life-jackets. Bring boat documents in case you need to convince authorities that you’re one of the good guys.

Driving at night adds an element of  danger. Unlit buoys, boats with dimly lit navigation lights, confusing background lights, and floating debris make it necessary to slow down.

“Keep your head on a swivel, especially when you’re crossing shipping lanes,” says nighttime warrior Jesse Freeman. “Your eyes are your best friends out there because nobody’s really looking for small skiffs.”

Just about any boat will work for night ops, but most diehard nighttime bay anglers prefer 14- to 17-foot skiffs with electric trolling motors. Smaller boats help get you tighter to structure; troll-ing motors help maintain position in the current so you spend more time fishing and less time circling back around.

Underwater Ops

Successful nighttime bay anglers gen-erally look for underwater structure with moving water nearby. Bridges, jetties, docks, rocks, pilings, buoys, channels, fences that terminate underwater, and sand bars are great places to start your drift.

For boat-based jetty anglers, nighttime bay fishing has evolved into a high-risk, high-reward campaign.

“At night we’re generally fishing radically closer to structures like boiler rocks, jetty walls, and whatnot,” says hardcore jetty banger Garrett Lamb, who admits to fishing so tight he’s bumped up against the rocks on several occasions. “One of my favorite techniques is to throw crank bait parallel with the jetty and have it cruise one or two feet above the rocks to lure big calicos out of their holes.”

But not all jetties are alike, according to Freeman. Check out your local jetty during daylight hours; here’s what you might find:

“On jetties, large rocks and big neg-ative spaces between the rocks usually mean better fishing,” says Freeman. “Big gaps mean big fish can swim in and out. Some jetties such as Mission Bay are built out of small rocks that have compacted over time. They have fewer spots for big fish to go back into and lurk.”

Light Brigade

The Holy Grail of nighttime bay fishing is to find a place that has structure, current, and a strong beam of artificial light shining down into the water. Look for piers, docks, bridges, bait barges, and other structures with glowing lights, and you’ll likely find voracious fish. Why? Because light shining on the water att-racts baitfish, which attract predators.

It’s not uncommon to see diving pelicans working these spots at night. Look closely: you’ll likely see bait puddling on the surface and the occasional breaking fish – a sure sign you’re in the right place at the right time.

Although bay fishing is overall better at night, most highly successful trips are planned around the tide chart. Look for periods of peak tidal flow, and time arrival to your fishing spot to coincide with maximum water movement.

Fly Low and Slow

Don’t limit yourself by only fishing tight to structures, says Caesar Chang, fishing tackle representative and dedicated nighthawk.

“Sometimes at night the fish move out and away from structure to feed,” Chang says. “So if you’re flipping artificial bait, you’re typically not pulling it back through the middle of the water column. You’re fishing on the bottom. Find your distance from any kind of structure – be it pilings, sand, or rocks – and slow down your presentation.”

Game fish generally find prey by seeing, hearing, smelling, sensing vibrations, tasting, and touching. At night when it becomes harder to see, fish rely less on vision and more on their other senses.

Chang prefers lures that push more water because the fish are keying in on the vibration.

“Fish use lateral lines more and eyes less at night,” Chang says. “It’s not as much a visual hunt, so look for baits that create as much vibration as possible. I love using creature baits such as poured lobster, crab, and octopus. Skirted jig-heads work well. Beefier swim-baits such as Big Hammer’s four-inch create vibration that will help trigger bites when colder water makes fish sluggish.”

Although many anglers try dark-colored lures first, don’t be afraid to switch out to something lighter to get them to go. Fish attractants, such as the sea urchin-based Uni-Goop are among tackle box essentials for nighttime fishing. And remember, weedless jig-heads are your friends.

Weapons of Bass Destruction

There are no hard and fast rules to be obeyed when it comes to choosing your weapons of bass destruction, but a basic outfit might include a bait-casting rod in the seven- to seven-and-a-half-foot range with medium action (for example, a Shimano Cumara CUS72M or Phoenix MBX-S-700M). Pair that up with a 2500 series reel for a good start.

Since fish rely less on visual cues, many nighttime anglers spool up with heavier line. While four- to six-pound test works as a basic daytime bay fishing outfit, many night owls gear up with eight- to twelve-pound test.

For hardcore jetty warriors, 20-pound test is the bare minimum.

“We usually use fifty- to sixty-pound braid with a three- to six-foot topshot of at least twenty-pound-test monofilament,” says Lamb, who (from his boat aptly named Weapons of Bass Destruction) has muscled numerous five-plus-pound calicos from California jetties.

“Jetty fish love to turn around and break you off,” Lamb says. “As soon as you get bit, you’ve got to turn on them and get them out of there, or you have no chance at all.”

A 20-pound topshot not only gives anglers strength to win the initial tug-o-war, but extra abrasion resistance to survive the occasional seesaw battle. Longer topshots make it possible to cut back frayed line or retie jig-heads without the frustration of retying the braid/mono connection in the dark.

Primer for First Timers

Fishing at night can be rewarding, in-timidating, and frustrating – often in the same evening. Even seasoned veterans have their fair share of horror stories.

Casting at night can be especially troublesome. Any backlash can be horrifying, especially braid.

“This is the type of fishing where it pays to get that one rod and reel and one line and dial it in,” says Lamb. “It doesn’t hurt to practice a bit during the day.”

If you can refine your aim so that you can consistently splash down within a few feet of a floating trash can lid from about 30 feet away most of the time, you’re in pretty good shape, Lamb says. Such accuracy pays when fishing tight to the jetties.

“It takes time on the water at night to develop a feel for where your bait is going to land, since you generally have no visual clues,” Freeman says. “This is especially true if the jetty is backlit by city lights. If you hit the rocks, you’re in good shape since you want to stair-step your lure down the face of the rocks anyway. But if you cast over the jetty even by a foot, you’re in break-off city.”

When Chang brings out first timers, he generally hands them a spinning outfit.

“Casting can be tough because you have limited depth perception at night,” Chang says. “A spinning outfit is easier, and you’re less likely to get fouled up. If you’re not untangling backlashes all night long, you’re going to be a lot happier.”

Survival Outfitting

Bay fishing at night is a year ‘round affair. Shorts, T-shirts, and sandals may work fine in summer. But in fall, winter, and spring, you need to think survival.

“When you go out in the middle of winter, you pretty much have to suit up like you’re going to the mountains,” says Freeman. “I’ll wear three upper layers with a waterproof jacket, two pairs of pants (the outside one’s waterproof), and two pairs of socks under deck boots. Top that off with a hat and fingerless gloves and I’m still cold.”

Other important accessories include miner’s headlamps, flashlights, loads of extra terminal tackle (you lose a lot at night), and a thermos full of hot coffee.

Once you’ve made a few trips, you’ll be sold on the fact that the biggest, meanest, and hungriest bay fish roll out of the rack when the sun goes down.

Question is: Are you ready to soldier up?

Strike Tactics

Fish really are a lot more aggressive at night and much more committed to the strike. That translates into fewer tail grabs and short bites. The temptation is to swing hard on these fish to set the hook, but doing so might cost you.

 
During the day, a lot of anglers like to swing to set the hook. That’s great, because if the fish misses it can track your bait and find it for a second strike. But it’s not so easy for a fish to reacquire a missed target in the dark, especially if it’s been suddenly yanked four feet away. Setting the hook by cranking down on the reel makes it easier for your quarry to relocate the bait.

Fish or Cut Bait

A strong majority of boat-based nighttime bay anglers prefer to throw soft plastics or crank baits so they can cover more territory and fish closer to structures with fewer snags.

But live baits, such as anchovies, sardines, or ghost shrimp work nicely at night, too. Whole baits, such as razor clams, muscles, and worms (live or scented plastic) also produce well. From boat or dock, try fishing a dropshot or dropper loop with just enough weight to keep the rig vertical. Many shore anglers find success in the bays plying eelgrass beds with flat sinkers and reverse dropper loop rigs.