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Author Topic: Night Fishing - WNY  (Read 2470 times)

Offline BlueSnow

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Night Fishing - WNY
« on: Jan 11, 2018, 02:02 PM »
Now that I have the heater squared away and have been happy with my Eskimo shanty I'm thinking it is time to branch out to do some night fishing.  I haven't ever fished through the ice after sundown and was curious about a couple things  - hoping you all might have some insights:

1. Light  - do you use propane lanterns?  Do LED lanterns and batteries last in the cold?
2. Jigs - do you need to use glow in the dark tackle?
3. Destination - I know that some places have restrictions on being out after sun set.  Anybody have any places that they can recommend in WNY where you can get out?  Silver, Conesus, SBH, Chautauqua?
4.  Safety - are there any extra safety precautions that you take at night aside from light?

As always appreciate everyone's thoughts.  When I get my stuff together I'll report back on how it goes.
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Offline zadvorney

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Re: Night Fishing - WNY
« Reply #1 on: Jan 11, 2018, 03:44 PM »
I've fished for crappies and eyes after dark on Chautauqua.  SBH you can get into crappies and gills.  LED lights are great as they last really long. I rigged up a LED array to a large power source. Easier than a lantern.   A lantern gives a boost to the heat though.  Get out and try it. 
If life were easy everybody would have one.

Offline Sax_

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Re: Night Fishing - WNY
« Reply #2 on: Jan 11, 2018, 04:04 PM »
Definitely glow jigs , What are you after Walleyes, Crappies, Trout or anything that bites? With walleyes I find that if you catch a couple right at dusk the night bite is usually pretty good, but if no bites at dusk, It's usually pretty slow. And glow jigs work well as do tip ups with shiners. Some body's of water have a great feed in the bays with the walleyes, crappies or trout working the weed edge from 15' any where to a foot of water, some places have a night bite in the depths along drop offs where baitfish will be suspended and the bigger fish will be right there with them. Night time Ice fishing can be brutal or some of the best fishing of the year. I tend to stick to the warmer nights around a full moon, but very little luck on the full moon.I know Lights in the water work for crappie but have not tried them for anything else. Each year is different as with each body of water, but its always the same formula the fish are going to be where the food is, Water temp and oxygen play a part too but I have caught fish in low oxygen dead mats of brown nasty weeds looking for an easy meal. As for safety don't go alone, don't explore new areas at night always check ice conditions in the daylight hours
Sax

Offline Sax_

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Re: Night Fishing - WNY
« Reply #3 on: Jan 11, 2018, 04:21 PM »
And with any kind of ice fishing a Spud-bar is your best friend. I've gone out on Otisco with 50 guys out there only to find the spud bar go through on the first blow in many spots. I got some wide eyed looks, but most everyone else stayed out but I headed back for the truck. No thanks I'm not going under for dink bluegills.
Sax

Offline Bear Lake Bob

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Re: Night Fishing - WNY
« Reply #4 on: Jan 11, 2018, 04:23 PM »
 :tipup:
I fish a pond, which you will catch Perch and  bass all day, and never get a Calico untill just as the sun has went down completely, then the Perch and Bass stop biting, and from then on, all night, the Calico bite, and bite they do. The only exception I have noticed, was at my pond at my old house, where anytime you placed the power auger into fhe ice, day, night, sunny, or cloudy, the Calico would immediatrly come to the hole, and school up there below the ice hole for your immediate non-stop catching pleasure. A container of Wax Worms, Moussee Grubs or if you wanted to splurge, live Emeralds. All this 35 yds from the backdoor! I really miss that!

While on the subject, Why do Perch generally stop biting at night anyways?

Offline Sax_

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Re: Night Fishing - WNY
« Reply #5 on: Jan 11, 2018, 04:26 PM »


While on the subject, Why do Perch generally stop biting at night anyways?
They go night night and become easy targets for pike and walleyes, which is part of the formula I was talking about, the fish go where the food is.
Sax

Offline BlueSnow

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Re: Night Fishing - WNY
« Reply #6 on: Jan 11, 2018, 04:42 PM »
Honestly I'm just keen to give it a try and if something runs into the hook so much the better.  With the short days it would be awesome to get out after work for a bit - figure I could get out and setup before all dark which would be a plus as I can really expand the amount of time I can get out per season.

I'll have to look into the LED lights as that sounds like a good option.  figure I could figure out a way to tie them off to the poles that support the shanty. 

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Offline Sax_

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Re: Night Fishing - WNY
« Reply #7 on: Jan 11, 2018, 05:10 PM »
Honestly I'm just keen to give it a try and if something runs into the hook so much the better.  With the short days it would be awesome to get out after work for a bit - figure I could get out and setup before all dark which would be a plus as I can really expand the amount of time I can get out per season.

I'll have to look into the LED lights as that sounds like a good option.  figure I could figure out a way to tie them off to the poles that support the shanty.

A lot safer too, a lantern in the tent can deplete oxygen and has a nasty habit of burning your line when you go to set the hook.
Sax

Offline claymore6

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Re: Night Fishing - WNY
« Reply #8 on: Jan 11, 2018, 05:28 PM »
Make sure you have reflectors on your shelter. Getting hit by a snowmobile will really ruin the fishing.

Offline BlueSnow

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Re: Night Fishing - WNY
« Reply #9 on: Jan 11, 2018, 05:30 PM »
Make sure you have reflectors on your shelter. Getting hit by a snowmobile will really ruin the fishing.

LOL - Excellent suggestion
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Offline BUCKSKI

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Re: Night Fishing - WNY
« Reply #10 on: Jan 12, 2018, 10:12 AM »
A good head lamp or two, Pm if your going out somewhere with in an hour of buff.

Night fishing can be great, just driving home is the issue. Been pulled over coming out of Mayville enough to get a room @ the hotel and fish later into the night!
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Offline daytondedrick

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Re: Night Fishing - WNY
« Reply #11 on: Jan 12, 2018, 01:44 PM »
I dont know how limited your options are but we used to be able to drive our trucks right out on the ice and we'd shovel off a large area and have a "party" on the ice at night. We all had shantys near each other.  We brought generators and flood lights. We pounded em all night. It was fun. Havent had the ice to do that in a few years. That was on Lake Champlain for perch. We get mostly yellow perch some white perch and crappie.

Offline Gillpill

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Re: Night Fishing - WNY
« Reply #12 on: Jan 12, 2018, 04:56 PM »
We use a lantern and flashlights. I do use glojigs but have caught fish even I know the glo was non-existent because I hadn't recharged the jig in a while. Crappies like some already mentioned are night time feeders as well as day time so when a whole school comes in it's game on
That's a Bluegill, no that's a Sunfish...I've heard it both ways!!

Offline moosefeet

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Re: Night Fishing - WNY
« Reply #13 on: Jan 12, 2018, 06:57 PM »
I put some LED Strip lights on the top bar of my shanty and run them off my Vex, 2 strips 12'' long and its plenty of light.

Offline kenkuniff

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Re: Night Fishing - WNY
« Reply #14 on: Jan 12, 2018, 07:25 PM »
Is it legal to night fish at SBH? I would also be interested in going if anyone goes around the Buffalo area.

Offline BlueSnow

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Re: Night Fishing - WNY
« Reply #15 on: Jan 16, 2018, 07:27 PM »
Well one of my buddies and I are going to head down to SBH tomorrow after work and will plan on staying until about 9 or until the wind blows us off the ice.  Might end up just drowning maggots and chewing the fat - but a new adventure awaits.  If anyone else is around and about stop on by I've got a red eskimo shanty and will be out around 5 (hopefully earlier).
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Offline BUCKSKI

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Re: Night Fishing - WNY
« Reply #16 on: Jan 16, 2018, 10:02 PM »
Yes on the SBM at night, did it before. Tubes area, not too much action besides rock bass. We were not the only guys there, so smoke-fire?
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Offline BigRob

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Re: Night Fishing - WNY
« Reply #17 on: Jan 16, 2018, 10:11 PM »
There were 2 huts in the harbor tonight at 8pm when I came home and 1 hut still out on Gallagher beach I left at 5 when they shkwed up and was still oht there in same spot at 8 so must have done ok lol

Offline BlueSnow

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Re: Night Fishing - WNY
« Reply #18 on: Jan 17, 2018, 12:40 PM »
Not really sure what to expect out there today aside form a few snowflakes.  I seem to remember a few years ago someone talking about getting into calico's at SBH but I think I've only ever jigged one up during the day.

I have some glow jigs and a couple of glow pimples so will see if anything is doing.  If not I'll burn some propane and have some laughs - I conned two buddies out!



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Offline lowaccord66

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Re: Night Fishing - WNY
« Reply #19 on: Jan 17, 2018, 02:51 PM »
They go night night and become easy targets for pike and walleyes, which is part of the formula I was talking about, the fish go where the food is.

Ive never agreed with the perch not feeding at night myth.  I have caught far too many to think that is actually a thing.  Technique varies but I have found them to be willing almost every night Ive ice fished.  Sometimes interuprting crappie time!

Offline BlueSnow

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Re: Night Fishing - WNY
« Reply #20 on: Jan 17, 2018, 10:15 PM »
Well that didn't exactly go according to plan.

I got out to the Small Boat Harbor about 4:30 and had the Shanty up by 5.   Fished in about 7 fow at the end of the first row of docks in some very windy conditions over top of about 13 inches of ice.  Three of us in the shanty and not even a nibble the entire time through 8:30.  Jigging Raps, sweedish pimples...nope.  Glow in the dark jigs nope.  Glow pimples...nope.

Regardless with the heater rocking, the wind whistling and a pile of laughs it was a successful night out.  Though perhaps next time the fish will be a bit more interested in our offerings.
Blue snow is better than yellow snow

Offline basshunter12748

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Re: Night Fishing - WNY
« Reply #21 on: Jan 18, 2018, 09:28 AM »
Ive never agreed with the perch not feeding at night myth.  I have caught far too many to think that is actually a thing.  Technique varies but I have found them to be willing almost every night Ive ice fished.  Sometimes interuprting crappie time!

I have caught a few yellow perch at night but they are definitely predominantly day time feeders!

Offline Bear Lake Bob

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Re: Night Fishing - WNY
« Reply #22 on: Jan 18, 2018, 10:04 AM »
When I went for Calico in the Small Boat Harbor I started fishing from  3 : 00 PM into the darkness, I always fished the to the right  side  of the pipes along the wall headding back towards the harbor entrance. From the start of this wall, I fished approx 125 yds down the wall, and approx. 25 yds out. This was always a good starting point for the night bite.

Also, never even caught a dink perch. The calico liked live Emeralds fished on a size 6 hook about 20 inches above my small jig baited with mousee grubs. I noted that constant movement of the line attracted the school.

Be prepared to cut several holes in a line, about  10 yds apart along the wall before you start setting up. I fished each hole for approx.15 minutes before moving to the next cut hole. In appoox 8ft of water, when you hit one fish, stay put.The school, will come, and you will have fish.

Fishing the Boat Harbor for 65 years, one important lesson I have learned, that the surface only changes by their placing all those docks in the water, however , the big changes happen under the water, with yearly fluctuations of weed growth a big factor in the harbor.

Most fishermen remember that all the good ice fishing was  at the far end in front of the pipes, year after year, and for most, it was the go to place. Now, it is barren of fishermen.Who knows why? :tipup:

Offline BlueSnow

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Re: Night Fishing - WNY
« Reply #23 on: Jan 18, 2018, 10:17 AM »
There was a guy out last night around the end of the pipes with flashing tipups that made it look like a runway, but I didn't see too much activity on them.  With the newbies and wind yesterday I focused on getting the Shanty up ASAP - next time I will need to do some reconnaissance first.  In years past I've liked fishing along the wall near the drop off or over on the Freezer queen side.

Are the fish more receptive to the glow jigs or do you think it doesn't really  make a difference?
Blue snow is better than yellow snow

Offline Bear Lake Bob

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Re: Night Fishing - WNY
« Reply #24 on: Jan 18, 2018, 10:31 AM »

The mention of the old freezer queen brings back instant memories of all the freighter boats, ore and grain, that tied up yearly aong the Freezer Queen wall ( dock ).  I got my first ice fishing experience there, catching buckets of smelt under the shadows of such Lake Freighters as the Edmund Fitzgerald, amongst others. Remember the smelt of years ago?  Many smelt were up to 15 inches, and almost around as a quarter when full of eggs, and when they hit in deep water off Sturgeon, you vould feel the fight. Now, being a commercial bait dipper, I see very small Smelt, only 4 to 5 inches are the rule Who knows what happened in this case.

One thing for, sure,  nighttime was smelt time, now we don't see this sure thing lately, even in the Small Biat Harbor at night. Maybe the Steelhead and Brown Trout have been over grazing on them :tipup:

 



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