Nightfishing

"Colin" wrote in message
...
Please could you advise me on preparing to night fish for Carp on my local
lake.
what sort of things should I be doing, should I sleep well during the day
&
stay up all night etc.How do you set out your stall? what are the best
time
for fish to feed?
Many thanks
Best Wishes
Colin J.

I see you're getting plenty of advice, much of it conflicting.

I've done a lot of night fishing, and also a lot of fishing alone. I began
renting rowboats when I was about 10 years old, and once they got to know me
I would generally take the boat before they opened, and pay the fee when the
shop opened. Night fishing never bothered me, either, but there was
generally someone around to talk too. We have a lot of lakes and rivers
here, and the biggest problem was letting the fishing buddies know where to
meet.

Generally, you should not try to carry too much gear. It should all fit
easily into a single 5 gallon pail. This leaves one hand free for the rods.
Unless you have a built-up site, you may need some type of rod holder with
either a clamp or a spade type for pushing into the ground. (or both) Also
carry a 10 foot length of nylon rope and an anchor (tent peg will do) , for
tying your rod down. There's nothing more embarassing than telling your
buddies about the gear you lost to a carp at 4 am. I like to use a bell
with a clip to indicate a bite. Remember to remove the bell before casting,
unless you enjoy hearing the bell as it tumbles out over the lake. (carry a
few spares, I always seem to forget) When you choose your gear bucket, get
one with a lid; this will be your seat. Bait and tackle doesn't take much
room, choose the remainder of your gear from experience. Some folks like to
take charcoal and a grill. This allows for hot food and warmth against the
chill nights. A small plastic tarp is cheap and quite useful for those
unexpected rains. A knife, pliers and a length of rope are useful. If
there are trees around, the rope allows you to use the tarp as an awning
both against the rain, and as shade from the sun. I keep a garden trowel in
my bucket; this is for burying the charcoal from the grill, and camp
waste. (it is illegal here to dump fish remains into the water) A few
trash bags in your bucket serves the same purpose. You still have room in
your bucket for a radio. Don't take a boom-box, nothing irritates the lake
residents more than loud music across the water at 4am.

Small jars with screw lids make good bait containers. Always carry several;
this prevents disaster when you misplace one in the dark, or one rolls off
the bridge. Baby food jars are a good size to use. I also like to use
small zip-lock bags (such as sinkers and hooks are sold in) for my corn. I
can divide it up and toss them into the freezer--- I can fish for months on
a $1 bag of frozen corn.

Prepare for your own needs, food, drink, matches, flashlight (and spare
batteries), emergency toilet paper (in a zip-lock baggie), bug juice,
thermos, SPARE CAR KEYS, soap and a small brush for washing hands and gear.
Any medications that you take should already be in your kit, but I'll just
remind you here. Take a cheap (or throwaway) camera for those action shots.

Before you leave, always clean up your mess. Pick up your cans and bottles,
food wrappers and bag up any ashes. If you find a bit of trash that isn't
yours, take that too. Now is the best time to clean out your bucket.
Remove left over bait, so that you won't need to do it at home. (forgotten
bait makes itself very evident after a few days in the closet) Brush wash
the fish slime from your rod handles, roll your tarp and coil your rope
neatly. Make sure your pliers, knife and any loose tackle is stowed
properly before you leave. If any of the gear in the bucket is wet,
remember to lay it out to dry after you get home. Special care should be
paid to your knife and pliers, as well as your flashlight and radio. They
should not be left in the bucket unless everything is well dried.

As to method, bottom fishing is easiest and quite effective for carp. I
usually leave a slight curve in the line, my weight is too small for a
really tight line, anyway. If there is moonlight, or a streetlight (or even
a light across the lake) you can see the line from the rod to the water.
With a slight bow in the line, you can see when the fish is biting. Carp
especially will gently pick up the bait. We do fish here for white bass
using bobbers. Moonlight and a keen eye is necessary here, but when they
are biting, no one is napping anyway. Night time is a good time to practice
with a top water lure like a floating Rapala, Hula Popper or Crazy Crawler.
Your first pike or walleye on top water won't cure you of carp fishing, but
it will give you something to do while waiting on the bait rods.

Pepperoni