Enlighten me...

[brushhog80]

...on night fishing that is. What decides your lure selection? What do you do different than in the daylight? I am new to this musky thing, so any help would be great.

[porterhouse]

Here are my rules when I night fish,

1) Slow down. Work lures slow.

2) Use good hooking baits like bucktails and crankbaits.

3) Black, black, and black. That's my color choice.

Good luck,

Brian

[JimBuck]

I agree with Brians comments....

I'll also add that larger profile baits have worked great for me, especially topwaters. (Creepers, Dinner Bells etc.) Another handy trick is throwing a glow in the dark bead or something you can see at the top of your leader. This helps when you can't see how much line you have left near the boat and allows you to go into the 8 a little easier. Go get em'!

[HugoBox]

What the fellas up above have already said makes sense.

I'm relatively inexperienced but the really big bladed bucktails have worked well for me.

Also everyone will tell you to do at least an "L" turn if not a full 8.

I'm a huge fan of the green or black lights that you can clip to the bill of a cap. Make sure there's a bit of flourescent or chartruese somewhere on your bait and you can see the bait the whole way in without the glare of leaving a headlamp on - I've caught a handful of boatside fish with this balck light on so I don't think it spooks them too badly.

Lots of guys will say fish them in the same spots at night as you do during the day. I don't disagree with this, I'd just add that in and around those spots you should also move up MUCH shallower that you maybe would during the day and don't forget to toss a few out to the deep side of the boat as well.

Lastly, make sure to have your release tools, camera, and net handy and ready to go as well as plenty of portable light to help unhooking. Everything is harder to do in the dark so preparedness is a must. It'll sound nuts but removing clutter from the boat is a good idea, I was out alone last weekend and stepped onto the edge of a throwable cushion and almost went arse over tea-kettle into the lake. Its not late October with 50 degree water but I'd hate to go in especially when alone - just my $.02 on safety.

Good luck.

erik

[Shoot2Kill]

brushhog 80 - where are you at in Wright county? I live in SE stearns, not far from Wright and am new to the musky scene too...maybe we could hook up some evening and give it a go.

I have very limited expreince here, but I boated a 45 and 51 at night using a red double cowgirl...reeling slow...they both inhaled that lure. My buddy picked it and always fishes with bright colors at night and does very well....I know...a contradiction to what has already been posted color wise.

If you'd like to hook up and give it a go, let me know and I'll email ya.

[50inchpig]

More than anything I'm thinking of myself at night and using baits that I can track and fish well in the dark.

Bucktails, cranks, topwater. I like the rubber glow beads above the leader, not because they actually glow and you can see them, but if you hit your rodtip with your leader you won't spook a fish and you can go into your 8s.

I've fished a night or two where fish showed a definite color preference. DeBo throws bright and I throw dark and he gets all the fish, but don't get too hung up on it.

I do AT LEAST 2 full figure 8s or loops every cast - ask Nater - if you don't you're missing fish.

Sometimes a moderate/fast retreive works at night. Muskies are finely tuned predatory eating machines, they'll find it if they want to eat. This includes dawgs after dark too. You will personally be surprised at what you can see in the dark, muskies have no problem finding your bait.

Just do it - it's the best way to get comfortable. After a few outings you'll start to like it more than daytime fishing. Oh yeah, hold on to your rod extra tight and make sure you have your net, light, and tools handy. Keep your boat clean.

I have quite a few hours night fishing a certain Wright Co lake after dark - nice and clear - good one to practice on.

[Rebel9921]

Night Fishing... ohhh yummy... the time when you basically have the lake (or spots) all to yourself... peace, quiet, and darkness envelopes you... then WHAM... all heII breaks out...

Plenty info already has been given here but lets add a few more...

Topwaters... WTD can work... but not many throw them... its allegedly harder for a muskie to home in on a lure that zigs and zags in the dark... straight retrieve would work great for those... so Pacemakers, Topraiders, Heckler's lures, etc etc would work fantastic for that scenario... just reel them slowly... or get a Rough-Runner... run it like you would a weagle (it wont zig zag, going straight instead)...

Bucktails... More thumps, the better... Color doesnt really matter... what really matters is the silhouette it would show... Pink works great... Black works great... Red works great... Chart/Black works great... you get the guise here... but the difference here is to slow-roll them... not burn them... they'd make more deeper thumps that way... if you think you're already reeling slow enough, chances are that you arent... go slower...

Cranks- can be deadly... dont use them much enough...

Jerkbaits- I dont use them... for same reasons I dont use WTD lures at night... some had minimum success on them...

Soft plastics (Bulldawgs, superD's, Sue's) works great... the water displacement they create is huge... Muskies love them!!!

I tend to end each casts with 2-3 wide Ovals or Figure 8's... Its dark... you cant see the fish... but when they're there, they'll HIT... and hit HARD...

Good luck!!!

[JRedig]

I like baits I can see, figure the fish can see them too then.

Bigger and slower is key, IMO.

[hunterjoe]

So, I've been wanting to go night fishing but I think it would be something I shouldn't do alone. For a few reasons. So if there's anyone has an open seat (around the metro) I'd be interested. Also, I do have a boat so if anyone would be interested in tagging along, that would work too.

[nater]

Some good info here to get you started. It does take some getting used to the first couple times but its worth it if you ask me. Definitely do your 8's and hold on tight as Marc mentioned! Personally have seen dark and light bucktails get their attention, probably more vibration then color.

I do some night fishing whenever I get time around the area, most likely the same lakes. Maybe I'll see you out there with the flash going off as you land a nice fish in the dark.

[Scottie Thomas]

Night fishing rocks... lots of great bait suggestions on here already...

If you choose to use large bucktails please consider pinching the barbs on the hooks, especially the back 'death hook'. In my opinion, a lot of fish that hit mid cast at night come up behind the bait and swallow it completely, having those back barbs pinched will save fish. As long as you keep tension on your line those pinched barbs shouldn't result in any lost fish.

As others have mentioned do a solid figure 8 every cast and have some fun with it!

[Shoot2Kill]

Fished for my first time solo last night...until 11:00....very awesome experience...I learned a lot about my boat, and a lot about musky fishing in the dark. It was eerie out there solo, but VERY cool in the same sense because the lake was dead calm and other than one other boat out there I had the whole place to myself! Clutter free boat is KEY. I need to do some boat mods before next season to make it more musky fisherman friendly.

The click of the pacemaker out there when it is dead calm in the dark is SWEET! I kept waiting for an eruption but no dice. Did have one follow on a Spankys Blue/Silver firefly at about 8:00 so the night was a success!

[Zelmsdawg]

Can't wait, going to be putting most these ideas to the test this weekend I think...although not sure the weather is favorable. . . but fishing is fishing so I'll take whatever I can get.

I know night fishing excels on clear lakes but what are your opinions about green lakes at night?

Zelmsdawg

[brad coin]

Theyve told us for years that 'BLACK" is the best night color because it shows up/silhouettes best against the night sky.

However Ive always wondered if thats true then why do we paint stealth bombers Black????

Stealth Bombers are meant to be used at night,,550 million each lets hope us musky guys are wrong and not the pentagon????

[HugoBox]

Theyve told us for years that 'BLACK" is the best night color because it shows up/silhouettes best against the night sky.

However Ive always wondered if thats true then why do we paint stealth bombers Black????

Stealth Bombers are meant to be used at night,,550 million each lets hope us musky guys are wrong and not the pentagon????

Brad - Think you may be on to something. If muskies eat baits we toss at night it would be resonable to think they eat a real baitfish or two during the dark hours. Other than bullheads I don't know a ton of black fish. Maybe throwing something that actually looks like a fish makes sense??

-erik

[Dkoy]

Totally a confidence thing. I've caught the my first night fish and the majority on black, but I think the confidence comes into play which enhance your every move, cast, retrieve, 8's. I've fished with some bozo friends who throw whatever and switch every 5 mins and still bag fish here and there.

[goblueM]

black actually is darker than the night and shows up as a better sillouhette. If you want to blend in more at night, navy blue is way better.

stealth bombers are stealth because of the material is radar absorbing, not because you can't visually see them

[JRedig]

stealth bombers are stealth because of the material is radar absorbing, not because you can't visually see them

Don't forget the shape...

[Musky Buck]

Have 1 lure that has boated all my night fish and I can't seem to find a reason yet not to go with it, only been after them for 22 years though.

[Shoot2Kill]

Have 1 lure that has boated all my night fish and I can't seem to find a reason yet not to go with it, only been after them for 22 years though.

Care to share what that lure is?

[Musky Buck]

A scum frog. jk, if pressure was the same as it once was I'd be glad to share it, but everyone has their own theory and what works best. If you do some muskie homework you'll know what it is. I have about 40 of them destroyed hanging in my work area at home.

[Shoot2Kill]

A scum frog. jk, if pressure was the same as it once was I'd be glad to share it, but everyone has their own theory and what works best. If you do some muskie homework you'll know what it is. I have about 40 of them destroyed hanging in my work area at home.

I understand that! No worries! That's a great collection of KIA lures!

[propster]

Erik, there you go thinking again.

[brushhog80]

Thanks for all the info! Now I just need to put it to use!