"Chris Rennert" wrote in message
. ..
Ok all, I know it is fall, and I know the Smallies are up shallow eating.
Here is what I am running into! The moment the sun disappeares behind the
horizon, boom, nothing, not a bite, or anything. I switch to black
crankbaits, black topwaters, black spinnerbaits, etc. etc. When that
doesn't fly, I go to natural(shad, crayfish, etc.), white, then chartreuse
, next thing will be glow in the dark.
I have read articles on night fishing, and here is one question I have. Do
smallies stop biting for a certain amount of time as their senses adjust
to the lighting conditions. From 5pm to 6:30pm (sunset about 6:15 or 5
minutes in that general time frame). Then nothing at all, and I have gone
into 1, 2, and 3 hours after dark. Still nothing. I am still marking
balls of baitfishing on my graph, but I have not even had a bite, and I am
probably fishing after dark 2 or 3 days a week. Reading those articles, I
know people catch fish after dark, and I know people here have mentioned
night tournaments. I will say that Winnebago is not by any means clear.
I guess I would take any suggestions you guys might have. I don't get out
of work till almost 5pm, so if I only fished till dark that would only be
about an hour and a half, and that just isn't acceptable :-).
My best smallie fishing at night has been late night. I've never done well
at dusk and the several hours after for smallies, muskies, walleyes and
largemouth, but for whatever reason, not smallies.
The best night I had catching smallies was one night muskie fishing. It was
back in my days of "If it's not a muskie, it's not a fish" mind-set and I
was throwing a large, jointed muskie surface lure. I had two smallies slam
the lure within a 30 minute period, both were carbon copy fish. I measured
them both on my board and they measured an even 25 inches! Both were fat,
healthy and obviously hungry. Looking back now, I realize that I probably
turned loose fish that might have been state records! They were caught at
2:00 and 2:30 a.m......
I don't night fish a lot anymore, but what little I have done pretty much
mirrors that experience. Late night and large, steady moving surface lures.
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com