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Last Updated on February 8, 2025 by Paul Clayton
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10 Saltwater Night Fishing Tips for Maximizing Fishing Success
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As the sun begins to set, fish move inshore to feed, safe in the knowledge that the nightfall blanket offers them protection from predators. As anglers, fishing at night can increase our chances of success because the fish are closer to shore and feeding.
Key Takeaways
However, fishing at night is not without its own set of problems.
Sitting on a dark, barely lit stretch of isolated beach can be an unnerving experience, and they aren’t without their dangers, especially in remote or unfamiliar locations.
Most anglers tend to band together on such nights, even when some locations are crowded with fishermen, especially on the most industrious evenings. So, suppose you’re worried about fishing at night. In that case, there should be plenty of locations where you can fish in the company of other like-minded individuals, including well-illuminated piers and promenades.
If you prefer your own company and are not worried about the dark and isolation, there are many locations where you can cast your baited hook for monster fish. However, I would still recommend fishing with a friend for safety’s sake, especially if you’re heading to more dangerous shorelines.
Angling at night is productive between 8 pm and 3 am, especially if high tide hits around midnight.
Saltwater Night Fishing Tips
Clear and calm nights are better for nighttime fishing than windy, rough seas. This is predominantly because fish can feed closer to shore when the seas are rougher, so there’s less need to do so in twilight hours.
Fish will be active in calm, clear waters once the sun has completely set. However, if the moon is out, this can be off-putting to fish, preventing them from moving into shallower waters.
To maximize our chances of success, we’re looking for cool, crisp, calm nights with the tides working in our favor. We’ve had great success during frosty winter evenings when every other sensible person is wrapped up in bed, but this is the time to maximize our fishing success.
Choose The Right Location
Before heading out to a fishing location at night, you must check it out during the day. Look when the tide is out to get a good idea of the seabed and potential hazards.
Doing this allows you to avoid snags and hazards and see the casting distance to interesting features such as sandbars, weed beds, and rocks. Additionally, you’ll be able to see how you can get to your fishing location safely and what you should look out for when the visibility is poor.
Fishing in a location during daylight hours can be dangerous, and doing so in the dark when unfamiliar with the landscape is doubly so. Know where your exits are and where any cliffs or rock formations are located, and make sure your fishing spot won’t be threatened by large waves or swell.
Choosing a location with a shorter distance between the low and high water marks is a good idea. This will allow you to set everything up and not continuously move as the tide comes in or goes out. When visibility is poor, you want to keep your movement to a minimum.
The location you choose when night fishing can greatly impact your likelihood of success, so pick your site with care. Remember how the tides are going and reference your daytime reccy when deciding on a spot. Remember that the tide’s ebb and flow will go in opposite directions depending on whether the tide is coming in or going out.
Set up your base camp above the high tide mark. You can tell where the high tide normally reaches by the previous tide lines or the debris deposited on the beach. Remember that spring tides tend to push further up the beach; this can be emphasized if there’s a strong onshore wind.
Having some shelter at your base of operation is a good idea. This can be a purpose-made tent or even an umbrella. It helps keep tackle and bait dry and can be a pleasant retreat from the wind and cold if necessary.
Set Everything Up From the Start
Setting up an organized central base when fishing, especially from the beach, can save a lot of headaches and time later on. Ensuring the vital gear is near at hand can make your life much easier.
Take special care with live bait. Many live baits are susceptible to cold weather, such as wind, rain, and colder temperatures, which can quickly kill baits such as worms. Ensure the bait is stored in an out-of-the-way location; you don’t want to accidentally step on a Tupperware box.
Setting up a few different kinds of rigs before you head out fishing is a good idea. You can even pre-bait them to make your life easier. When it’s dark and possibly cold, the last thing you want to do is set up a fiddly and intricate rig.
Many rod rests have bars and clips specially made for holding unused rigs.
Having a spare reel on hand is a must. Untangling lines or snags during daylight hours is hard enough; it’s a near-impossible task when it’s dark. Swapping the reel out for another one is much easier and will maximize the time you have your bait in the water, increasing your chances of landing a fish.
The same goes for many small yet essential pieces of gear in your tackle box. In the dark, stuff seems to vanish, only to be discovered again when the sun rises. Having duplicates of your must-have items, such as knives, scissors, and pliers, can make your life much easier if something is misplaced on a rock somewhere.
Illuminate Your Surroundings
A fuel-powered lamp can be a great source of light and heat, but the problem is that it can be dangerous and fiddly to operate. If you plan on using one, ensure you know how to do so safely and that it’s located in an out-of-the-way location where it’s unlikely to be knocked over. A lamp pole is a great investment as you can adjust its height and keep it clear of your feet and casting.
If you’re uncomfortable with fuel lamps, headlamps are another great option. LEDs have come a long way in recent years and are perfectly capable of replacing traditional light bulbs; they are also very energy efficient, which means you can get many hours of lighting out of a single set of batteries.
Another advantage of headlamps is that your hands can get on with the fishing.
Practice in the Daytime
Even experienced anglers may find it challenging to cast accurately when it’s dark. Not only do you not know where your bait has landed, but knowing where to cast is also difficult. Practicing casting in the same location during daylight hours is a great idea. Then, you can use that knowledge to cast accurately when it’s dark.
You can also employ a fixed spool reel to ensure you don’t overcast or use the magnetic brake controls on your multiplier reel to limit your casting distance.
Fish feed much closer to shore when it’s dark, so there’s little reason to cast out beyond the horizon.
Taking a few minutes to familiarise yourself with daytime casting can save you a lot of headaches once the sun has set.
Spotting a Bite
The lack of light can make spotting a bit challenging. However, there are a couple of easy solutions. Simply adding a fishing glow stick to the end of the rod makes spotting a bite a piece of cake; they come in packs of 10 or more, and a single tip can last a whole night of fishing. Alternatively, you can wrap the tip of your rod in some reflective tape or paint it white with a spot of Tippex. Problem sorted!
Just make sure your rod tip is within your line of sight; you don’t want to be continually looking up at it; not only is this uncomfortable, but it can cause neck cramps after a while.
For a high-tech solution, consider a rod alarm. These can be as simple as a bell placed on the line or an electronic device that detects movements in the line and signals an alarm if a bite is detected.
Keep Warm and Alert
Having a great night’s sleep the previous evening is the best way to avoid being miserable during your nighttime fishing trip; this helps you stay warm and alert. Avoid consuming alcohol or building a fire, as these will make you feel worse once the effects have started to wear away.
It’s been said before, but layering is a great way of keeping warm when the temperature drops at night. Lots of thinner layers are normally better than one thick layer as it’ll allow you to remove some if you’re too hot or add more if you’re too cold. Having a thermos of hot drinks and some food is a great way to pick yourself up if you feel yourself beginning to flag. Also, a hat is a must-have item; every fisherman should own at least one hat.
Fish Don’t Need to See Your Lure
You might not think it, and I was certainly a bit skeptical when I went night fishing with lures for the first time, but fish don’t need to see your lure to be attracted to it. Originally, I thought I’d need to invest in some luminescent lure or something powered by batteries, but that’s not the case.
Many moons ago, when I had more hair, I had much to learn about fishing.
I still have a lot to learn, but I know at least that fish don’t necessarily need to see the lure to take it.
On my first cast on my first-night fishing excursion, I caught a fish with a standard lure. At that time, I didn’t quite understand why that was the case, but the upshot was that I no longer worried about fishing at night with lures.
Many fish species rely less on vision to locate their prey, instead emphasizing movement, sound, vibrations, and smells. I’ve repeatedly proven this by using small lures in the dead of night in disturbed, dirty water and catching plenty of fish. Common sense suggests this is incredibly difficult for the fish, but they repeatedly take my lures in these conditions.
So, don’t doubt the lure you’re using. You don’t need anything fancy or glow-in-the-dark. Any decent lure can work when saltwater night fishing.
Give Some Thought to the Size and Shape of Lures
A lure’s action, shape, and size are far more important than almost anything else. This is doubly so when you’re fishing after the sun has set.
These design aspects give your lure its characteristics as it moves through the water. Fish are incredibly adept at tracking these movements and vibrations back to the source. During the twilight hours, predatory fish are highly attuned to the movements and vibrations around them as they signify their next meal.
When picking out a lure to use, I would normally recommend trying to match it to the type of baitfish you’d expect to see in the area. For example, if we expect to see herring in the water, I’ll choose a lipless bait or flat crank. These types of lures mimic the movement and vibrations of the bit fish very well and are, therefore, very attractive to the predatory fish.
Color Matters, Just Make Sure It’s Black
Even though I’ve already stated that color doesn’t matter, I need to contradict myself slightly and say that black lures work very well.
Darkly colored or black lures are incredibly effective both at day and night. They just work, and there is a very good reason for this.
All predatory fish, specifically those specializing in nighttime fishing, are fantastic at identifying silhouettes of their prey from below. So, the stronger the silhouette produced by the lure, the greater the chances of it being taken by a fish.
You might not think it, but a dark-colored lure is easier to see from below when compared to a lighter-colored lure. The reason for this is even when it’s dark, the light produced by the moon and stars creates a bright sky, so any darkly colored objects that block out this moon and starlight are easy to spot. A lighter lure color is harder to distinguish from the bright sky, making it more challenging for the fish to see.
Avoid Glow in The Dark Lures
I’ve tried nearly every lure when fishing at night, and without a doubt, glow-in-the-dark lures are less effective than standard lures. The only exception to this is if you’re in some seriously deep water, where you might find luminescent baitfish.
If you’re night fishing in coastal waters, you won’t see much natural bioluminescence except for plankton. That’s not to say it doesn’t have its place in night lures. A small amount of glow-in-the-dark paint for the eyes or a few spots down the side of the lure can draw attention to it. But a full lure made from glow-in-the-dark material looks odd and will probably put fish off rather than attract them.
Final Thoughts
Fishing at night can be great fun, but you need to be organized to maximize your chances of success. Wearing the right clothes and ensuring you’re equipped with the right gear can increase your enjoyment. Spending a few minutes scoping out your chosen fishing spot during the daylight hours is highly recommended, it might just make the difference between success and potential disaster.
With a little bit of planning, you’re nearly guaranteed to catch fish on a twilight fishing trip.
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