As boring as topic can be, make it a habit to go through this section as a checklist before embarking an a night fishing excursion. I am guilty of forgetting some essentials from time to time – make sure you don’t!

Early morning, evening, and night fishing can be extremely fulfilling (in terms of FUN you have and amount of big fish you CATCH). It all depends on how prepared you are for trip. Here are some tips to make sure that you have an amazing experience, and catch a ton of big fish.

Before I begin, I wanted to give you a chance to take your night fishing to next level. “The Evening Secret” is best kept “secret” in all of fishing. If you want to put on a fish-catching show, check it out here: http://www.eveningsecretfishing.com/specialsecret/Night_Fishing_Preparation.php

Equipment Checks & Stuff You Must Consider

Go through each tackle box you are going to take and locate every item you need, making sure everything is in proper place. It is important to be even more organized than normal because with night fishing you must rely on your sense of touch and sound to find what you are looking for. The more organized your gear and tackle is, easier it is for you to find what you need. It is so frustrating to not be able to find your pliers, hooks, extra line, etc. in dark! You must have visual knowledge of where these things are!

Make sure to bring several light sources on your trip. Have some extra flashlights and a good high candle power beam. Don’t forget to bring extra batteries!

Pre-tie enough leaders and rigs to last entire trip. This will save you tons of time, and you’ll be glad you took this extra step of preparation!

If you don’t have a first aid kit, get one! If you have one, double check it! You are more prone to injury at night, and be prepared to handle little cuts and bruises – especially if you are on a boat!

L.E.D. headlamps are very effective. If at all possible, have one on hand. The headlight helps with unhooking (and much more) – they are convenient than a handheld light. There are some L.E.D. headlights that put out great light, and batteries last a long time. Also, tying on lures can almost be impossible in total darkness without help of a headlamp that keeps both hands free. The less time an angler spends changing lures and retying in dark, more time angler will spend fishing.

Because fish caught tend to be bigger at night it would pay to step up a line class. This puts you more in control of fight and will save time in getting fish to boat.

Boat Preparation (if you fish off of a boat, be prepared to be prepared!)

Night fishing from a boat can be very productive and safe if you have right equipment, you are organized, stick to a set plan, and are confident about area you intend to fish. If you are going out on a boat, make sure it is in good working order! This goes without saying, but it is so important I will say it anyway You don’t want to get stuck out there at night. Really, you should always check your boat no matter what time you go out fishing. However, you want to be especially sure to double, triple, and quadruple check everything if you are going on an evening trip!

Bluegills are popular game to go for because they are plentiful across continent. Another reason they are popular is because they go for a variety of natural bait and artificial bait. They usually opt for areas with clear water and reasonable weed growth.

** Quick Tip: No matter what kind of fish you go for, and no matter what conditions you fish (ice fishing included), 1947 “Evening Secret” will bring fish to you, it really is an impressive tool that every fisherman worth his salt should own.

Typically they like water from 50 degrees up to 90, and can even be taken through ice! But, best time to get them is when water is around 70 degrees. It is then that they become aggressive because they are ready to spawn. You can find nests from about 2 – 12 feet deep.

When it is warmer, fish early and/or late in day, especially if you are in shallow water. Bigger bluegills can be found in deeper water, and can be up to 20 feet below surface. When fishing lily pads, approach it as if you were going for bass. Work points, pockets and indentations where there is open water.

Make sure to fish with small hooks and bait. They have small mouths and have a hard time taking in larger bait.

Great baits to use are pieces of earthworm, crickets, grasshoppers, grubs, wax worms, minnows, leeches, and even sandwich meat. If you go artificial route, use tiny jigs and spinner baits.