Late-Night Largemouths

The largemouth bass fishing that afternoon had been very good. Armed with hollow plastic Scum Frogs, we had worked our way into the heavy cover of lily pads and stumps at the lake’s outflow creek, catching and releasing several 4-plus-pound bass for our efforts. Now, as the sun slowly sank below the horizon and other anglers were packing up and calling it a day, we were just getting started. It was mid-July, temperatures were warm, and most of all, there was no moon or wind forecasted for that evening. The stage was set for a night of exciting fishing for big largemouths!

The prevailing belief among fishermen is that early in the morning or late in the day are the best times to target bass, and most fishermen retire by sunset with this logic in mind. And while fish are certainly taken during the day, personal experience has taught me that the best time to fish for truly monster bass is under the cloak of darkness.

Much of a bass’s life is characterized by being a type of prey. As a fry, small largemouths make a tasty meal for predators ranging from bullfrogs to bullheads. Ospreys and herons will poke and dive for them during the day, and bass learn to dash for cover at the slightest shadow or movement. Accordingly, surivival for these fish means staying close to cover and waiting for the relative safety of darkness before moving around. Only as night falls are bass given the freedom to feed on the frogs, shiners, crayfish and small panfish that also become active when the sun fades away.

Largemouths are biologically equipped with many tools to help them feed in the dark. A laternal line running parallel to its spine helps the bass feel vibration and movement in the water, helping it locate prey that is struggling or moving in its target zone. But perhaps the largemouth’s most valuable feature is its excellent eyesight, which can zero in on a target with deadly accuracy. It takes a while for the largemouth’s pupils to adjust to changing light patterns, however, which explains why most hits at sunset seem to be reactionary strikes with many misses. Only after darkness has set in and the bass’s eyesight has adjusted to the available light will this weapon be fine tuned. Because of this, many experienced bass fishermen choose to begin fishing after dark sets in rather than when the sun is setting.

When embarking on a night of bass fishing, it’s in your best interest to pack medium- to heavy-action rods that have some backbone. The length of the rod can vary in accordance with your height, but my personal preference is a 6-foot baitcasting rod (at a minimum) that has some leverage on the fish. These days, it’s second nature for serious bass fishermen to use a baitcasting reel. Spinning rods can also be used, but baitcasting rods handle the heavier lines better.

Line diameters and pound-test also vary, but I’m a fan of the new small-diameter braided lines because there’s minimal little stretch when setting the hook. If you prefer monofilament line, choose one with a minimum of 12-pound-test so you can effectively haul bass out of weed beds or submerged wood.

Having the proper lights for night fishing is a necessity for safety and success. I prefer a headlamp or a clip-on hat light that keeps both hands free for tying knots and releasing fish. It’s also wise to bring along a battery-operated lantern or larger flashlight, which can be used when a lot of light is needed quickly or if you need to warn other boats. One trick to successful night casting is to use as little light as possible; this lets your eyes adjust to the darkness.

Regulations regarding night boating vary from state to state. If you are fishing a larger lake that has night boat traffic, then using your running lights may be a safe thing to do. I recommend putting a piece of black tape over the part of the white stern light that would be visible from the back of the boat. This prevents night blindness while fishing and also provides a marker for safety purposes. Of course, it’s important to keep the boat clean to prevent tripping over clutter or slipping in the dark while playing a fish. A little bit of prevention will prevent some serious accidents.

On that mid-July night, we started off fishing over submerged weed beds using one of our favorite lures, a black 3/8-ounce short-arm single Colorado blade spinnerbait with a 3-inch black plastic twin-tail grub on the hook. The technique we use is called “bulging,” and perfecting it takes a little practice! After casting out the spinnerbait, the trick is to start reeling almost immediately so the lure doesn’t sink into the weeds and pick up trash or get snagged.

Keep the lure running so that the blade rotates just beneath the surface, causing the water above the lure to “bulge” on top of it. The large Colorado blade gives off plenty of vibration, which helps a bass detect the lure and to zero in. The water displacement also causes a pressure change and a visible trail that many bass find irresistible. That night, a number of 1- to 3- pound largemouths nailed this rig until around 11:00 p.m., when we started to hear big splashes and notice the telltale swirls of big bass on the surface of the pond. Time for a change in lures!

When the bass start feeding close to the surface, it is time for another tactic: buzzbaits. A 3/8-ounce black-bodied buzzbait with a single tri-bladed plastic propeller is my favorite tool for plying the nighttime waters. The single propeller prevents the shaft from clogging with weeds, and the lighter-weight plastic blades are easier to keep buzzing along the surface than conventional metal blades are. Fishing buzzbaits requires practice and finesse to achieve the right speed and gurgling action. Experienced buzzbait fishermen listen to the sound of the lure’s propeller as an indication that they’ve achieved the proper presentation.

The biggest challenge when fishing these lures is the tendency to set the hook at the sound of the strike; doing this will often result in a whirring mass flying by your head or into your face! To set the hook properly, wait until you feel the weight of the fish through the line and rod, and then strike hard. At that point, the lure will be inside the bass’s mouth and a hookup is almost guaranteed. If the fish does miss the lure, simply cast past the strike zone and reel it over the area again to entice another hit.

As the night progressed, we slowly worked the lake’s entire east side with buzzbaits. Our arms began to tire around 1:00 a.m., and by that time more than 30 bass had clobbered our lures, including two weighing approximately 6 pounds. The night air had started to cool off, and thin haze was rising from the water, and soon it was difficult to discern the shoreline in the mist. Once again, it was time to change tactics to coax a bite from the best fish of the night.

Sometimes tried-and-true standbys have their place, and they will produce like nothing else can when used under the right conditions. Large, full-bodied surface plugs that make a lot or noise and present a big target can be very effective, especially on calm and foggy nights. The only drawback to these hard-body lures is their double set of treble hooks, which can be hazardous when trying to lip-grab a fish, especially in the dark. In this case, a good landing net is ideal for preventing injury when dealing with a struggling bass.

One of my favorite old-time plugs is also the first lure I purchased for my tackle box over 45 years ago, the Jitterbug. The Jitterbug is an easy lure to fish; simply cast it out and slowly retrieve it. Its side-to-side swimming motion makes for an easy target even in poor light, and it can also be fished in a stop-and-go retrieve that works well when the bass aren’t behaving aggressively. Again, this surface lure requires that you be patient before setting the hook. Make sure you wait until the bass’s weight can be felt through the rod and line.

The Jitterbug is available today, along with its cousin, the Hula Popper. Also designed by Fred Arbogast, the Hula Popper is another favorite late-night surface popper. This lure requires a little more work to make the magic happen, but a few casts are usually all it takes to master its popping sound and twitching motion. But the king of midnight commotion, in my opinion, is another old-time favorite, the Crazy Crawler. Made by Heddon Lures, this classic features large metal wings that fold out from the sides, making it swim and splash in a tantalizing motion.

When we switched up techniques again, casting these old-timers turned out to be the icing on the cake; four bass more between 5 and 7 pounds couldn’t resist their allure! But by 4:00 a.m., exhaustion began to takes its toll. We loaded the boat on the trailer and headed east for home. Sunrise greeted us as we passed by other bass rigs on trailers, traveling in the opposite direction toward the lakes. Waving to them as we drove past, I wondered if they had any idea what they had missed the night before!