Top 4 baits for summer night fishing

Written by Andrew Schadegg

If you want to beat the heat this summer, there is no better way than to fish at night! Fish that are sluggish during the day get very active at night, which equals some incredibly exciting fishing.

When the sun goes down, certain baits are proven fish catchers. Here are 4 of the best lures to get you that late night lunker!

1. Buzzbaits

Topwater of all kinds are great choices for nighttime fishing. Spooks, poppers, frogs, prop baits and anything that makes a disturbance on the surface can work well. However, buzzbaits take the top prize for night fishing. Since bass don’t see as well in the dark, they rely on their other senses to hunt for prey. Rig up a loud, noisy buzzbait with a lot of clacking. A double-buzz is even better, creating more noise and a bigger profile. Black is always your best color at night and make sure you use heavy 65 pound braided line.

2. Bladed Swim Jigs

Chatterbaits or bladed jigs give off a ton of vibration, which makes them an excellent bait for night fishing. The blade in front of the jig displaces a lot of water giving bass something to hone in on and attack. It also goes through weeds pretty well, which helps at night where weedlines are little harder to see. Again, go with black and blue or a dark color and use a bulky trailer, like a Gary Yamamoto Zako. The bigger the profile, the better.

3. Jigs

Just like in the daytime, bass will change where they are located in the strike zone. Sometimes they will be on the bottom and there is no better bottom bait for night fishing than a big, bulky jig. Something heavy, like a 3/4 ounce black and blue, with a craw-style trailer with large flapping arms. Anything to make a disruption on the bottom. Give it some solid pops with your rod tip and find a jig with a good rattle built into it.

4. Big Worm

Giant 10-15 inch curly tail worms are killer baits for fishing at night. This presents a nice big meal for a hungry bass that can be flipped around docks or other structure. Drag it on the bottom or give it some hops. Texas-rig it with a glass bead between the weight and the hook. This will give it a little bit of noise when you’re shaking your rod tip and can attract bass from farther away.