[Andrew Walker]

continuing my education in lure fishing....!

I see posts (mainly from the west country and the channel islands) about lure fishing at night. I have caught caught bass on baits at night in the sussex area but given the poor water clarity here I feel that it would be an uphill battle to expect bass to find a lure in our murky waters. I know that sight is only one of the senses used by bass to find food but is it worth trying surface lures or even subsurface lures when visibility is generally so poor?

 

[Pugs]

Are you talking about the reefs or shingle?

I've given it ago but no luck. With a prolonged spell of decent weather and when the reefs do clear up, it should work.

 

[Dave Irving]

Like Pugs,
In clear water night fishing works a treat in sussex. I have had some success on shingle beaches after dark, inparticularly with rattling/jointed lures.
Don't get too depressed by coloured water, if the bass are there, they will still take lures. A word of warning, in coloured water the bass are often VERY close to the shore. A large number of times, I have spooked bass that were right in the margins. Even crunching the pebbles will spook them.

 

[Andrew Walker]

Thanks guys. I dont mind reef or shingle! I dont mind persevering after dark if there is some hope and as I am new to this style of fishing you really want to have some confidence that what you are doing just might work!

 

[Mike Kennard]

My biggest bass in Sussex have all come after dark. Some of them were a long time ago too. Don't rule out fishing anywhere where there is background light too especially when it is calm. Noisy topwaters in dirty water and quieter ones or shallow divers when it is calm. Fish them slow......

 

[Pugs]

We will all have to get together soon this year and see what we come up with over the reefs...if they play ball..lol

 

[Andrew Walker]

That sounds like a plan!

 

[Ben Pratt]

I just caught by first night time lure fish last month. 3 kob in a river mouth in South Africa. These fish are fairly similar to bass in many ways and are prevelent feeders at night and in dirty water. The lures used were 6 inch paddle tail shads. I think that this is a good method at night as paddle tail lures are best fished slow (optimum amount of vibrations) and the fish have more time to find them in the dark!