A strategic choice
Nighttime is an excellent time to go out and stalk the sea bass for two main reasons:
- The return to calm
The calm being back on the banks of the estuaries or on the beaches and other rocky coasts, the predators do not hesitate to come and feed a few centimeters from the shore to pick all the preys that are offered to them. Moreover, fishing in the dark is really a particular activity, the atmosphere, the silence, a sense in lessâeuros¦ The sensations are completely different and almost intensified by the context.
- The awakening of a particular fauna
At night, a whole fauna, relatively discreet during the day, becomes active: shrimps and crabs come out of their hiding places and the sea bass, especially the big ones, know it perfectly and intend to take advantage of it.
Because of these two particular parameters, at night it is quite possible to catch a 70 cm specimen right at its feet. Indeed, the bass approach a few centimeters from the banks deserted by fishermen and walkers to pick up their food.
At the right place, at the right time
At night, you can prospect exactly the same spots as in the daytime, but you should not hesitate to animate your lure right into your feet. A vein of water, a border of oyster park, a spot of seaweed, a rock outcropping in the middle of the current, even at 1 meter from the edge must be exploited.
The logic is always the same, you have to identify for each spot which is the right time according to the tide moment and the water height. Then plan a course including productive spots at different and complementary times and you will be able to make very nice trips.
Your weapon: a soft Texan lure
Because you'll be fishing areas that are often clogged with algae, using a Texas-style soft lure (i.e., with a hook hidden inside the lure) is an excellent strategic choice. Indeed, even if fishing with swimmers is profitable, you will spend your time removing the algae caught in your hooks and thus your lure will be effective only half the timeâ?¦
Take it slow
Given the darkness, the bass will rely on the information transmitted by its lateral line (not its sight) to locate your lure and attack it. Thus, you must fish slowly! Depending on the spots, pulling, flying, line fishing are possible, but I particularly like scratch fishing, because it is quite possible to make long pauses and it imitates perfectly the behavior of crustaceans so appreciated by the bass...
Security
In order to leave safely, the minimum equipment is a good headlamp (spare batteries too...), a cell phone, a pair of pliers (to cut a possible hook), possibly a waders and a life jacket if you plan to enter the waterâeuros¦ But above all it is very important to have spotted the places by day and at the corresponding water height!
You can now start, but I warn you this practice becomes quickly addictive...
