There’s an old expression in striper fishing, “night time is the right time.” However, this concept can be applied to many other species on Cape Cod, even in freshwater. Andrew Burke hits a large kettle pond under the cover of darkness to target brown trout, a species that is famously active in the hours between sunset and sunrise.
Even when the water is cold, the night bite is great for a variety of species including brown trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, and largemouth bass. Just like surf fishing from the beach at night, a slow presentation is often key to coaxing bites.
A variety of lures can be effective for freshwater night fishing, but minnow-style lures such as jerkbaits and crankbaits draw strikes from trout and bass alike. In this case, Andrew fishes a classic lure, the Original Floating Rapala.
Do you need some sort of special permission to fish these ponds at night?