Best Lures for Bass Fishing at Night: 4 Baits You Need for Night Time Fishing
Catching bass while the sun is setting and once it has gone down can be absolutely incredible. Often, big fish that aren’t biting during the heat of the day move shallow and go into full-on feeding mode as the lake quietens down, the sun starts setting and the heat subsides. The way fish feed does change at night so knowing what lures to throw is key. This article outlines some key go-to lures for catching bass at night.
Night Fishing for Bass: Understand Bass's Behavior in the Dark
Bass fishing at night presents a fun opportunity for anglers to target lunkers. This underexplored realm of fishing can be remarkably productive, often revealing the presence of the largest and most elusive bass. However, successfully engaging in night-time bass fishing requires a strategic shift in lure selection due to the low light conditions.
n the darkness, bass rely heavily on their senses of vibration and noise to detect prey, making lures with dark colors and added vibrations essential for attracting their attention. Dark-colored lures, such as black or deep purple, stand out vividly against the dimly lit water, increasing their visibility to bass lurking beneath the surface. Additionally, incorporating lures that produce enhanced vibrations and noise can help compensate for the limited visibility. These lures often feature rattles, built-in buzzers, or spinning blades, creating an irresistible combination of sensory stimuli that entices bass to eat.
Furthermore, the element of surprise plays a significant role in night fishing. Bass tend to be more active and aggressive during the cover of darkness, making it an ideal time to experiment with topwater lures like buzzbaits or noisy poppers. The disturbance caused by these lures on the water's surface can trigger a predatory response from bass, resulting in explosive strikes that send adrenaline coursing through the angler's veins.
Let's talk about some immensely successful baits when targeting bass at night.
Some of the best lures for bass fishing at night are spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, bigger profile Texas rig worms, and noisy topwaters.
4 of the Best Lures for Bass Fishing at Night
Spinnerbait
A spinnerbait is perfect when searching for aggressive nocturnal bass, particularly if there is some wind-chop on the water.
A slow, steady retrieve gives bass time to find the lure which is especially important when bass are relying more on sound than visuals in dark conditions. To give yourself the best chance of attracting attention from night-time feeding bass, use a spinnerbait with a single Colorado blade to create as much commotion as possible and draw fish out of cover.
If you are fishing under a full moon, you may want to swap the Colorado blade for a Willow blade for a more natural baitfish imitation.
Buzzbait
Once low-light conditions set in, a buzzbait can be really powerful. It makes a lot of noise and has a substantial profile making it easy for bass to find it without having to pick it up solely through visuals. Bass that are feeding aggressively under the moonlight actually feel safer at night than they do during the day. They will cover some serious water and leave their cover to hit a buzzbait in the darkness meaning you can throw this thing in open water and still get bites.
Big Texas Rig Worm
The big Texas-Rig worm is a staple night fishing lure and has been catching lunkers in the dark for decades. A big 8-10 inch ribbon tail plastic worm is a big profile making it easy for bass to find in the dark. The movement of the ribbon tail action emits vibrations making the lure even more apparent to hunting bass.
A nice tip to make a little extra noise and help fish find your lure even better is to put a small plastic bead between your hook and your sinker. This creates a little ticking noise when you move the bait, attracting bass through sound.
Topwater: Whopper Ploppers
Topwater baits can absolutely kill it at night time. They create commotion on the water, helping the bass find them when light is low. Fish topwater presentations that make noise like Frogs, Poppers, Jitterbugs and Whopper Ploppers to get maximum attention from bass relying on their non-visual senses to hunt at night. Hearing topwater blow ups at night when you can’t even see your bait is absolutely exhilarating, you absolutely need to give this one a go.
Wrapping Up
If you have never fished for bass at night, you really need to give it a go. Night time fishing can result in some of the most aggressive strikes you can imagine and may well result in you landing your PB this summer. Hopefully the guidelines above will give you a starting point as to what lures to throw when the sun goes down and the lunkers start feeding.
