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  Fishin' with Capt. Gus! ~ Fishin' Report
July 22, 2007
Mid summer is a prime time to try your hand at night fishing. Air and water temperatures are cooler and the fish roam freely under the cover of darkness. July and August find anglers night fishing under bridges, around lighted docks and in the deep water near the dam. Reports of big stringers of bass, cats and stripers run rampant this time of year.
Anglers new to night fishing should be aware that roaming and casting in any body of water after dark is not without challenges. Not only is it harder to navigate, but playing and netting a fish requires more skill at night. Simple tasks like tying knots, unhooking fish and dipping bait from the live well can be a chore. With those thoughts in mind here are some tips to help make your next night trip a success.
Organize your boat and fishing gear before leaving the dock. Pre-rig as many fishing outfits as possible and have the terminal tackle in a designated tackle box. Clear the decks of anything that could cause someone to trip or fall in the darkness. Be certain that everything has a place and that there is a place for everything, including dock and anchor lines.
Decide upon various fishing spots in advance. Check out unfamiliar waters during the day. Identify them with landmarks visible at night and mark each of them on a map or chart. Better yet, if you have a GPS unit, waypoint the spots and follow your trail back to them.
Lighting is the number one issue at night. First and foremost, be sure that the boat's navigation lights are operational. Always have extra light bulbs on board. Be sure that the boat batteries are fully charged and keep an extra long set of jumper cables on hand for emergencies.
Flash lights, headlamps and lanterns are useful when fishing in the dark. They also require bulbs and batteries, so have replacements. Reflective tape, florescent rod tips and lighted floats make it easier to see the bite. Some anglers use glow rods designed especially for night fishing.
Bridges are great places to fish after dark, particularly when using a suspended lantern or florescent light. The light not only brightens the area, but lures bait and predators within casting distance. Crappie fishermen have used this technique forever. Lights attract all types of fish. Suspended lights are also effective when anchored or slow drifting in open water.
Anglers in search of bass and stripers find big fish around docks equipped with bright lights that shine directly into the water. The lights are relatively easy to locate from quite a distance over water. Some lights shine into the shallows while others are positioned over deep water. During the summer, the deep water locations are best, especially in areas with nearby brush or other cover. Lighted docks should be approached quietly and care should be taken not to throw a shadow over the lighted area.
Playing a fish in total darkness requires skill and luck. The key to bringing the fish to the net is to keep a tight line and a drag set loose enough to allow the fish to run when it wants to. Seeing a fish in water is difficult enough during the day, but at night it almost impossible. To make netting easier, tape a flashlight to the handle of your net and turn it on when the fish is close.
Tips from Capt. Gus:
It takes a fish longer than it does a person to adjust its eyesight to darkness. Plan your night trip to begin after dark. Some of the best fishing is between midnight and dawn.
The Hot Spot of the Week - Bass are surface feeding at daylight near the lower hot hole and in some of the larger boat basins. Bass anglers, fishing slowly across the surface with flukes and small jerk and buzz baits, have been quite productive. Catfish and perch are hitting cut bait. Stripers are spread throughout the main channel.
The lake level is 4.0' below full pond and the water surface temperature is in the mid to high eighties.
Captain Gus Gustafson of Lake Norman Ventures, Inc. is an outdoor columnist and a full time professional fishing guide on Lake Norman, NC. Visit his web site, Fishin' With Gus! at www.FishingWithGus.com or call 704-617-6812.
For additional information e-mail Gus at Gus@LakeNorman.com
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