Topwater at night is a beautiful thing. Black jitterbugs are the way to go.
I definitely agree with bobsdream about the headlamp--that's the way to go. I used to go out in the kayak with no light at all (private lake in PA), but started wearing the headlamp after I landed an unexpected walleye and cut my finger on its teeth trying to lip it like a bass.
It's a different world out there in the dark. Look for really quiet nights; moonlight is fantastic, but not necessary. Get used to using your ears. Listen to your plug splish and splash and ploop (don't forget a good long pause). Big, loud strikes in the pitch darkness are pure adrenaline. It's particularly fun from a kayak (nothing like a beaver suddenly splashing his tail right behind you to make you almost jump out of the boat) but great from shore, too. Especially in the hot summer, they come in to the shallows close to shore when it cools down. I've caught good size bass in darkness in places close to shore that are too busy with daytime human activity to fish effectively during the day. Also, they can't see you very well either, so they are easier to sneak up on.
In sum, after dark bass fishing is fantastic, I highly recommend it. You can catch good bass all night long on a calm summer night if you learn how to work a topwater plug with your ears.
Good luck!
Posted Tue Jun 02, 2009 7:56 pm