Summer 2006

Bass After Dark, A Nighttime Adventure

By ED NOONAN

For nighttime bass fishing try these old-time bass fishing lures : from left, Crazy Crawler, Hula Popper, Jitter Bug.

Is your favorite lake or river a little too crowded on the weekends to do any serious bass fishing? Then I suggest you stay in bed in the morning, get up late, do your chores and honey-dos, have a leisurely dinner and head for the lake around 7 p.m.? The only crowd you may encounter there will be those boaters and anglers pulling out their boats and heading home.
Night time bass fishing is by far the most exciting type of freshwater angling you will ever experience especially if you do it with top water lures. Don't let anyone tell you that bass or any other freshwater game fish do not bite at night. These fish, especially the bass, are on the move and they will and do bite. And a bass on the line after dark an experience every angler should have at least once.

LURES
The normal daytime lures we all use such as plastic worms, jig and pig, spinner baits, etc. will all catch fish at night but the real excitement comes when you are pulling a topwater lure over the smooth surface and that 4-pound largemouth explodes from beneath it. You may not see the strike, and generally you don't, but when that eruption occurs and echoes across the lake you had better have a stout heart and steady hands.
Now any of today's new topwater offerings will work. The Pop-R, Zara Spook, Chug Bug, buzz baits, etc. all will attract night time bass attention but for the most fun I strongly recommend trying three old-time favorites - the Jitterbug, Crazy Crawler and the Hula Popper. These were the topwater lures used by our fathers and grandfathers and this bass-catching trio has been around for over 60 years and still are catching fish.
It was in 1939 that Fred Arbogast whittled a cicada (locust) from a wooden broom handle, added a metal rounded-out bill on the head of it and named it the Jitterbug. The next year Jim Heddon of Heddon Lures, followed up with a duplication of a topwater plug invented by Jim Donaly in 1906, which he called the Crazy Crawler. This is a pudgy football-shaped lure with two metal, cupped and hinged wings just behind the head. And it wasn't too long after(1941) that Arbogast introduced his Hula Popper with its uniquely concaved shaped head and hula skirt trailer made from living rubber.

RETRIEVAL
There are two major reasons why this trio of lures remain popular and can be found in millions of tackle boxes Ñ they still catch fish and they are very simple to use. In fact about the only mistake you could make with them is, not the use them. The Jitterbug and the Crazy Crawler are heavy lures and can be cast quite a distance. Whether you are fishing in open water or over the tops of weeds all that is required to make them work is a slow to medium retrieve. Both are effective because they make noise; but each is a little different. The Jitterbug's oversized wobbleplate that is screwed into the nose of the lure makes a very distinct rhythmic plopping noise as it moves across the surface. This is one lure that seems to work best with a constant and steady retrieve. However, I have found that an occasional stop will oftentimes trigger and otherwise curious but non-biting fish to strike.
Now the Crazy Crawler is the loudest of the three lures. The metal wings on the side of this lure creates a very erratic and tantalizing wiggling motion when retrieved slowly across a quiet moonlit surface. It splashes, clangs and gurgles all the way back to the boat. This lure too should be stopped now and then for a 5-count just to see if anything is interested.
The other surface classic bait, the Hula Popper, was really the predecessor to other topwater baits like the Pop-R and Zara Spook. Producing a "blooping" sound when moved this bait gets the best results when fished with a stop-and-go method. With the rod tip down and just off the surface of the water use a short jerking motion using only your wrists. Vary the number of twitches between stops and let the bait sit motionless for a 5 count.
The hardest and most enjoyable part of night fishing with these surface baits will be the surprise. Generally because it is dark you will not be able to see the strike Ñ just hear it. What you do not want to do is set the hook when you hear the explosion; and this is easier said than done. You must wait until you actually feel the fish on the line. Then lift the rod take in the slack and set the hooks. Because these three lures are all equipped with treble hooks the fish will usually hook itself. Your set will just insure that the hooks are seated.
One of the really exciting things that usually happens when two anglers fishing surface lures at night is that for a second or two neither really know which one has gotten the hit when they hear the splash. Quite often both will set the hook. And as a side note, when you do night fish, especially from a boat, bring a friend along. I do not recommend fishing after dark alone.;

FINDING THE FISH
As the sun sets and water activity on the lake decreases many of the game fish will begin moving into the shallows in search of food. Try to be on the water when there is still enough light to see the weeds and weed edges. When the bass move into the shallows after dark this classic trio of topwater lures worked slowly over submerged weeds will definitely provide some very exciting rod-bending action.
And speaking of rods, these are rather heavy baits and because you will be fishing in areas with heavy cover heavier tackle is needed to control the fish. When they grab that plopping or blooping surface-disturbing bait they are headed for cover and that is when you have to keep them out of it. Therefore you should be using a medium heavy action spinning or baitcasting rod no less than 6 feet long and matched with a high speed, at least 5.0:1 retrieve and spooled with 15 pound test or better.

SAFETY
There are a few common sense rules when fishing at night that should be followed. The first is that all the navigation lights on your boat are working. When fishing keep your anchor light on and regardless of how well you think you know the lake or river, reduce you speed at sundown and after. To guide after dark when under power be sure to use a good light with a wide long-reaching beam to see where you are going. "ALWAYS" wear your personal flotation device - even when fishing and if you are fishing from a smaller power or row boat stay seated when fishing.
In terms of comfort, there is one bite that you should try to avoid when night fishing - that of the mosquitoes. Bring your bug spray and use it often. The other rule of thumb in not to lip your catch until you see it clearly. Anglers who have used these age-old topwater baits have found out that both northern pike and walleye both are quite fond of them. In fact, I use them all when I go to Canada on my annual pike expedition in Ontario.
Topwater angling is always exciting but after dark it is heart-stopping. Give it a try.