Just as the sun goes just beyond the treetops and the buzzing of the mosquitoes start to hover, is when the nighttime angler starts thinking about the strikes yet to come after dark. As the sun sets, the nerve rattling noises of jet skis and pleasure boats starts to wind down and a pleasant, quieter, cooler time sets in for the anglers. For the anglers that are willing to brave the hazards of night fishing such as unseen objects, biting bugs, aggravating bats, tangled lines and the such, there are scores of bass that will be on the move and willing to make an angler's night worth while.

  Those in the know will tell you that when the water reaches it's summertime temperatures, the bass will feed better at night than they do in the heat of the day. Their reactive lateral lines will help them feed from vibrations rather than site. The low light conditions will enable them to move more freely without concern. All these conditions combined together with anglers that hit the water at dusk and leave at sunrise will sometimes lead to monster bass being caught after the sun goes down. 

  So, what does the braveheart that stays out for some nocturnal angling put on the end of the line in order to get some of these midnight monsters to bite? Here are some proven favorites. First off, it's hard to beat fishing topwater lures at night. The subtle sound of the lure, then the sudden surge of water blasting around it as a huge bass decides he needs a meal. Topwaters such as the Lucky Craft, Sammy, are hard to beat. The Sammy's "walk the dog" style of retrieve is hard for feeding bass to resist, especially on a good moon that provides a good shadow for the lure. It's high hook up ratio is probably the best on the market for topwater baits.

  Another proven favorite at night is the spinnerbait. One of the best night time spinnerbaits on the market is one put out by McGuinness Fishing Products called the Leverage spinnerbait. This spinnerbait is the first to perfect the flexible hook system and provides fewer lost fish than any spinnerbait available. Fishing the Leverage nighttime blade over rocks and drops provides some heart stopping strikes. Either slow rolling or dropping this blade can cause just about any bass to decide to take an easy meal, and send the angler into a frenzy after the ferocious strike. The Leverage's flexible hook system results in a greater percentage of strikes making their way into the boat than any other spinnerbait around.

  Next comes probably the most used nighttime bait and that's soft plastics. Although there are many companies that provides quality plastics, there is one that boasts quality advances in their effectiveness. Power Bait by Berkley, is becoming one of the most popular soft plastics on the market today and is great for after dark bassing. These Power Baits come in variety of styles from lizards to Power Hawgs and send bass into a lockjaw state once they take a bite. Berkley's Power Baits boasts that fish hang on to the lure over three times longer than any other bait on the market and anglers are finding that it's true even after dark.

  There are many other things that go hand in hand with bassing after dark. Things such as fluorescent line, fluorescent lights, submergible lights, bug sprays, headlights and the list goes on. That list is just going to have to wait until time for another article

Finding big bass after dark is not as difficult to do as you may think. The difficulty comes in having the patience, determination, and confidence it takes to catch these trophies. Some fisherman luck onto a big fish occasionally, but if you follow these steps, you'll have better chances at being consistent catching big bass.

  Of course the first thing to do is find an area or two that usually holds fish. Making sure you are familiar with the body of water you're on. A very detailed map or gps unit will help you familiarize yourselft with the lake. Long points, humps, deep brush, and log jams are excellent.

  The second step is to decide on the bait to throw and stick with it. No matter what bait you decide on it should be one that you have a lot of confidence in. Make your choice based on the particular conditions you are faced with. It should be something that can be presented slow, and still put out a lot of vibrations. It should be subtle and still highly visible, not glaring, just visible. I'll usually bulk up my baits for night time fishing. Typically my choice is a jig. I usually add bulk by trailing it with a no.1 pork. I always use a rattle on my jigs, also. Black and blue, black and chartreuse, or black and red or the normal colors I pick.
 
The third step is to prepare yourself mentally, and physically for this type of trip. You need to be mentally prepared for a long slow night of fishing. You should have a mental attitude that your going to throw one bait in one area all night long, (unless conditions change during the night), and be prepared not to give up if your not getting bit. Be confident in the fact that you have chosen an area which meets all the necessary criteria, and that at some point during the night a big fish will move through to feed. It takes a lot of patience, a lot of determination, and a ton of confidence. If you fish all night without success don't get discouraged. If you feel strongly that the area you picked is the best choice you could have made, fish that area many times before giving up on it. At some point during the night a big fish will feed.

  Physically you should be well rested, and alert. Don't try to go out after working all day, and expect to do well. Plan your trip well and get plenty of rest before you head out. Just because your fishing a big fish spot, doesn't mean you are automatically going to catch a big fish. However, every cast you should be alert, and expecting a hit. It's easy to get bored and sloppy with your presentation. This is a big mistake. Keep expecting the strike, eventually it will happen.

  The whole point of this type of fishing is to intercept a big bass as the thought of food becomes it's primary thought. A big fish will begin to move to easy hunting grounds and if you are able to intercept this fish while it's on the path to feed, the chances are that it'll go ahead and take your offering. As a bass begins to move up from deeper water, it will generally stop at isolated cover along the way such as stumps, brush piles, etc., these are the spots to concentrate on. A big bass will not travel a long distance to feed, if it can find an easy meal close to it's deep water haunt there is no need for it to travel farther and expel more energy. That is one of the biggest reasons fishing migration paths are so productive for finding and catching big bass.

  You should also be prepared with the proper gear. Line choice is very important, choose a line that has excellent castability features, it should be a minimum of 15 lb. test and be abrasion resistant. A good braided line is a good choice for several reasons. It is more sensitive than monofilament lines, and has enough back bone for excellent hook sets. Hooks should be checked for sharpness often, a small file works well for re-sharpening hooks in the dark. As for as reels go, a fast gear ratio (6:2-1) is necessary for handling big fish in heavy cover. For a rod, I choose a heavy action "broom handle" of a rod. 7'-7'6" in length, 100% graphite, rods of this class not only allow you to horse a big fish, but they are sensitive enough to detect the slightest of strikes.

  Be very aware of any noise that you may be creating while fishing these spots at night. After all, there is probably little, or no other boat traffic around the area your fishing at night. And the slightest noise can alarm a wary bass of your presence. It does little good to practice a stealth approach if once you arrive you drop a deck lid shut, or drop your trolling motor down too loud. I even go as far as to turn off all electronics in my boat when arriving to my spots. Depth finders, aerators, etc. create a lot of noise that you may be unaware of. Alarming noises can be the deciding factor between success and failure. And failure doesn't put many fish in the boat