Tips for Night Fishing

[delawareriver]

Ive been wondering about perch at night? Anyone ever try it with any success?

I've caught several nice perch during the night but not with regular success. one here or there and mostly on tip ups set up for walleyes. think only one or two while jigging.

[Ascott3006]

Well the lantern can double as extra heat so im good with it definetly going to bring the old coleman. How about location are you guys staying where u find em during the day or are you heading to shallower or deeper? Or something different altogether?

[Adironzach]

Haven't had much success on Tip-ups at night although I haven't put in enough time to really figure out my local lakes yet. When it comes to illuminating the tip-ups, I'll bring out some glow sticks with me and tape them to my tip up flags. Green and yellow i have found were the brightest. I can tell based on the orientation of the glow stick whether or not the flag has been tripped.

[hardwater diehard]

Well the lantern can double as extra heat so im good with it definetly going to bring the old coleman. How about location are you guys staying where u find em during the day or are you heading to shallower or deeper? Or something different altogether?

Get there early..before dark drill lots of holes ...you will find the hot hole/area...then that's the area to fish ..action tends to heat up right before dusk then till a lil after ...then a lull..good time to secure gear your not using light your lanterns  etc..then the action will pick up..

Haven't had much success on Tip-ups at night although I haven't put in enough time to really figure out my local lakes yet. When it comes to illuminating the tip-ups, I'll bring out some glow sticks with me and tape them to my tip up flags. Green and yellow i have found were the brightest. I can tell based on the orientation of the glow stick whether or not the flag has been tripped.

Tip downs at night work good ..keep them fairly close ..reflective tape works great..I set baits rather high ..targeting crappie and the larger/aggressive fish ..ie sunfish..higher baits "decoy" the fish to the area.. it also lets you know which way the school is moving..fish the holes with the tip down action should you need to move..this is mostly a basin technique ..after most fish start to migrate there .

[trapper2000]

good full lantern   high vis gold line and dress warm gets cold when the sun goes down and yes a light out side so you don't get run over

[Ascott3006]

good full lantern   high vis gold line and dress warm gets cold when the sun goes down and yes a light out side so you don't get run over

Definetly wanna have the porch light on trapper the sled heads are itchin as bad as we are to get out. High vis line sounds like a great idea hard enough to see in daylight.

[johnb340]

I like reading these kind of threads.  I'm one of the guys that show up an hour before dark while guys are heading out.  I was smiling when I read adkRoy and diehard's posts about the Coleman lantern; so true and probably the best tip given.

At night I tipup fish for bullheads unless walleyes are present.  Inside the shanty I use 2 rods for crappies and I glowjig with one tipped with whatever I bring and the other is usually a slip bobber rig.

[Ascott3006]

Ive never caught a bullhead through the ice i did catch a mud puppy in 25 fow once that was my oddest catch through the ice to date right at dark

[Doppler2]

There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold
The arctic trails hold secret tales that will make your blood run cold
The Northern Lights have seen queer sights but the queerest they ever did see
Was the night on the Marge of lake Lebarge where I cremated Sam McGee

In all seriousness, bluegill can be caught by putting a flashlight facing down on the ice next to your hole, but usually I can't feel my hands by then and the fumbling in the dark combined with having rigid dowels for fingers makes for a rough time rebaiting.

[johnb340]

In my youth days my dad used to tell me bullheads hibernated in the winter buried in the mud and that the spring thunderstorms woke them up.  I caught my first bullhead thru the ice on a jig and waxie, thought I had a really big crappie and was like this can't be.  So I tried to catch them on purpose with a waxie/nightcrawler combo on tipups and caught some more and that tossed my dad's theory out the window.

[Ascott3006]

Anyone try the night bite yet? How was it? Going to try next week if the weather cooperates.

[JJ]

Night time walleyes is one of my favorite ways to ice fish. Prefer less light so no lanterns for me, a small headlamp with a red LED is important, helps keep your night vision. We head out and set up as everyone else is picking up and usually have the lake to ourselves, cook dinner on the ice and stay later if it is warm or they are biting good. Years ago I made a set of lights that trip with a mercury switch and use a single AA battery... makes checking tip-ups easy.



Here's one from New Year's Eve that was released:

[moosefeet]

We get after the crappie at night sometimes and the action can be pretty good. I rigged up some LED lights and power them off of my Vex. I haven’t tried the walleye nite bite much but plan on it.

[Rugburn]

 Caught a bullhead at night a few weeks back, good fighter. Use the LED light bar in the flip plus a headlamp.

[tblaster123]

reflective tape on the tip ups and a headlamp. works great.

the key is to put 1 piece of reflective tape on the flag, and another piece on the tip up right in the area where you hook the flag up. so from a distance, you see 2 reflectors "together" you know its down. you see one reflector higher than the other, you know its up.

I can already taste the walleyes.

[mvanhank222]

If your using tip ups I would use the Frabil arctic fire tip up lights. The other options would be blue tipz, strike alert or vulture systems. Also the foam tip up hole covers are great if it is very cold.

[tblaster123]

If your using tip ups I would use the Frabil arctic fire tip up lights. The other options would be blue tipz, strike alert or vulture systems. Also the foam tip up hole covers are great if it is very cold.

ive looked at those blue tipz before they definitely are cool. but im not made of money and honestly i can buy some reflective tape for 5 bucks and put it on 7 tip ups or i can spend $40 EACH for those blue tipz, I think ill stick with the tape.

[johnb340]

The lights probably work great but all I have on my tipups are small bells and they work so I never tried the lights.

[bosco2]

I put reflective tape on the flags and shafts of my tip ups. A quick pass over them with the flashlight does the trick. I like the idea of the attachable light indicators but not enough to go out and buy or make them.

[LuckyBuck87]

Never tried night fishing until a friend and I went for smelt one time. You definitely will want a shelter of some kind or dead like you’re heading to the North Pole for musk ox. Got to the lake before dark and set up. The bite didn’t start until after dark and it kept steady until we left around 10:00pm.

[beachwoods 16]

I read this and decided to night fish last night. I recently purchased some new tip up lights. They seemed better than my old ones. So in setting my last tip I forgot to add one of the new shiny frabil tip up lights. Well instead of pulling the tip out I tried to snap it on over the whole. Kerplunk and there goes the light blinking red as it ascends to the depths. It felt like that seen in The Perfect Storm as George Clooney looks up as he sinks with the ship. My tip...guess

[Hardwaternubie53]

Put reflective tape on your flags and take a strong flashlight to check the flags without doing a lot of walking. Walking might scare the fish. A head lamp is great too. Keeps both hands free for whatever. I take a book to read, when I'm not jigging. Keeps boredom away. I have a comfortable coleman camp chair. Drill your holes (walleye fishing) before dusk, from shallow out to deep. Minimize your noise, sit still, be quiet. Take a compass (I'm old school) to find your way back to the car. I carry an aluminum survival blanket to wrap up in if it gets really cold. Works fine. Light weight, don't need a shanty. When you're tired, the less you have to pull back to the car, the better. Good Luck!

[stitch]

I fish for trout after dark.have had good results with tip ups and jigging.

[thecreature]

How about Pike or Brown Trout at night?

[jsmex]

Ive been wondering about perch at night? Anyone ever try it with any success?

 

Normally perch shut off at night but I did find a finger lake where they do feed after dark and well into the night. Those perch prefer a live buckeye

[Ascott3006]

 

Normally perch shut off at night but I did find a finger lake where they do feed after dark and well into the night. Those perch prefer a live buckeye

I used to fish a marina at night on the fingerlakes did pretty good on perch one time

[chez]

I've caught dozen upon dozens of BULLHEADS threw the ice.Just before dark till an hour or so after.
Forage Minnow by Northland tipped with a waxie
They be mixed in with the calico at nite.
As Far  as walleye after dark.i avoid any lite near the hole...especially  a lantern.
Here in pa they seem to spook from the lite.i use litted tipup alarms.anf when  i do get a flag I walk quietly and slowly to the tipup.i have a headlamp on my hat thst I use on the lowest setting.here in pa the eye shy from the lite.
I will say I've caught a few eyes while jigging calico after dark by a lantern.both more with no lite.

[Rugburn]

Sound advise right there chez, species specific.

[BeenPerchin315]

Hey y'all. I've tried a few times for the nite bite but never with any real success the rogue perch here and there.nothing more. Could really go for a learning experienced with an experienced nite fisherman for some pointers and general schooling on the art of nite fishing. I am in the sodus bay area. Message me if interested in giving some tips and time.

[62&done]

Last year I decided to try night fishing. After buying one of those green lights to hang under the ice, I got the battery out of my lawn mower and made sure every thing was good to go for a night time trip. I waited for some decent weather and away I went. The first night was a total bust. I walked off the same time as some other guys who had done well. After some words of encouragement I was ready to go again. I fished two more nights. One night I had my best crappie catch ever followed by another night of some of  the biggest gills I have caught for about 2 hours after dark then all went dead.
    I had big plans for this winter and all that came crashing to an end when I fell off of a ladder Dec 23.  Several broken bones an a punctured lung put me into a recliner chair for what I expect will be quite a while. I am missing ice fishing very much and wish the very best to all of you who are able to get out and enjoy the season. There will be next year and I'll be out there.   God Bless  and be safe