Most people work during the day, say from 8 am until 5 or 6 pm. Once the working day is over, often around 5 or 6 p.m., it's good to be able to take a breather from time to time at the water's edge. The time available is quite limited, and we need to optimize this window if we want to take advantage of it to go fishing before nightfall. There are several options open to us, and almost everyone can find something to suit them.
In town, by the sea, in the countryside or in the mountains, everyone can find a river, body of water, coast or bank to fish near their place of work, or even on the journey between home and their place of work. Choose fishing spots that are familiar to you, and avoid risky explorations or going off on adventures during these short fishing sessions.
Lure fishing from the shore
The first point to make is that logistics and preparation need to be simplified as much as possible. I'll just mention lure fishing. It is indeed very difficult to fish with baits on fast evening shots. You have to think about how to get them and, above all, how to keep them. It's not easy, and if you don't go home after work, it's a real hassle and can waste a lot of time. A pity if you want to make the most of this time for fishing. Not to mention that the logistics are more complex, especially if you need a cool place to store bait, groundbait...
In short, lure fishing is clearly better suited to a quick evening's catch after work: a lightweight, space-saving rod already set up in the trunk, a few lures, some line, a pair of pliers, all in a small bag and you're done. The whole thing fits directly into the trunk of your car or scooter, or even into a backpack if you're cycling to work! There's no need to return home, so you can go straight to a fishing spot after work.
Forget about kayak, boat or float tube trips, which require a lot of preparation beforehand... To make the most of your fishing time, there are 3 fishing strategies.
Light fishing
As close as you can get to your work, this may not be the best or most fruitful spot. Nevertheless, the aim is to catch a few fish after work.
It doesn't matter how big the catch, it's all about having fun and taking a breather. That's the philosophy behind streetfishing and rockfishing. Get your hands on urban fish bites or harbour structures, take a few photos and go home. A lure fishing rod with Medium Light power and a length of 2.10 m allows you to fish with a wide range of lures. A fast tip action allows you to use small swimming fish, metal lures or soft lures. A 4-section or 3-section rod is ideal for easy storage in the trunk of your car or on public transport. By fishing light with small lures, you favour quantity over quality and multiply the number of hits. Modest-sized predators are quick to respond. Pleasant surprises are not uncommon. A big fish can't be ruled out.
Without any hang-ups, it's possible to catch a few carnivorous fish in the middle of the city in full view of passers-by, on spots sometimes neglected by the anglers themselves. A pair of street shoes, a rod, a few lures and your everyday clothes are all you need to stroll the quays and live out your passion on a daily basis. You'll often find small fish, and sometimes big ones too. If you're looking for specimens, it's possible to adopt a different fishing strategy.
Wear and tear fishing
Do you know of a good spot that's known to harbor some big but difficult predators? Take advantage of the proximity of your workplace to this spot to go there regularly and multiply your sessions. This way, you're sure to catch some big, even very big, fish on a regular basis.
It's not the kind of light, itinerant fishing I've been talking about, but more a kind of wear-and-tear fishing on a very limited area. The evening strike is a privileged moment for fishing large predators. It's a question of fishing a spot with insistence until a big fish chases or comes to the spot.
It takes mental strength to fish just a hundred square metres for hours on end. Touches are rare, sometimes just one out of 3 or 4 1 or 2-hour outings, but it's worth it! If you're on the spot regularly, you're much more likely not to miss certain peaks of activity, which never last very long.
From a material point of view, there's nothing like using the lure you trust the most! With patience, the long-awaited bite will reward your efforts and time. Finally, if authorized, you can also fish at night after work. No race against the clock, no race against the setting sun, this is the third fishing strategy.
Night fishing
Where authorized, or at sea, night fishing is often a good time for certain species that are not very active during the day. Species that are active at night include pike-perch (beware of freshwater fishing regulations!) and cephalopods such as squid and cuttlefish. This is particularly true in winter, when night falls fast and you leave work in the late hours. Night fishing allows you to take advantage of a fairly wide window of opportunity that is not dictated by the sun. Make sure you don't get home too late, though, especially if you're working the next day! In addition to your rod and a few lures, you'll need something to keep you going: warm clothing or a wetsuit, a headlamp...
For squid fishing, all you need is a Medium rod equipped with a 2500 reel fitted with 20 lb braid and just 2 or 3 jigs. Even beginners will quickly catch a few cephalopods after work.
For night pike-perch, use a 2.10m Medium Heavy rod, a size 3000 reel again fitted with braid and phosphorescent soft lures! These luminescent lures are highly visible in the dark and encourage night-active predators to attack. This is also true for stalking marine predators such as bass, horse mackerel and rock fish. Try them with glow lures at night after work...
Striking a balance
In addition to the pleasure of being at the water's edge and fishing, it's also important to realize that it brings many benefits to everyday life. Breathing during the week allows you to rest mentally and physically, and ultimately to be better rested. The road to the weekend is much easier.
On the other hand, don't leave everyday life completely to one side: household chores, meals, children... And the same goes for work: leave on time and when your chores are done, stay professional all day and don't get distracted by your fish dreams! Fishing a lot is great, but be careful not to put your passion before everything else...
