LIP GRIPPER


WALK-THE-DOG-STYLE TOPWATER PLUGS. PHOTO: ROB CHOI


ROB CHOI TARGETS GATOR TROUT WITH


AUSTIN ACKER PULLS BIG BASS FROM EXPOSED STRUCTURE WITH


NOISY TOPWATER LURES. PHOTO: AUSTIN ACKER


FIND NOCTURNAL SNOOK UNDER DOCK


LIGHTS AND BRIDGE PILINGS. PHOTO: JASON STOCK


[M U LTI-S P ECI E S]


NIGHT STALKERS L


ike a fat man on a bender, big fish love a late night snack. In fact, many trophy species are more active at night and easier to fool in the dark. Learn to fish by moonlight and you could catch the fish of a lifetime—even if you have to sacrifice some sleep.


GATOR HUNTER


Ocean Kayak pro Rob Choi (www.angling- addict.com) fishes night and day for big trout on the backwaters of southeastern Virginia. “At night the fish are more likely to hit a topwater lure,” Choi says. His favorite lure is a noisy, walk-the-dog-style plug. He has found that specks are more likely to hunt the shallows after dark. “Don’t be afraid to throw your lure close to the bank, especially at high tide.”


Choi’s most important night-fishing gad- get is a high-quality headlamp. “I look for a lamp with a red light, too,” he says. The red light doesn’t affect his night vision and won’t disturb the fish either. Choi reminds anglers to leash rods, pliers and other valuables to the kayak. “I can’t see my stuff in the dark, so it is easier to knock something expensive overboard.”


SNOOK PRO


Captain Jason Stock (www.jmsnookykayak- charters.com) of Tampa, Florida, can’t get enough snook fishing. After putting his clients


36…KAYAK ANGLER


FISH IN THE DARK FOR TROPHY GATORS, LINESIDERS AND BUCKETMOUTHS BY RIC BURNLEY


on fish all day, he often switches gears and targets snook at night, too. “Snook are more aggressive at night,” he explains, “that’s when I catch the biggest fish.” To find nocturnal snook, Stock searches


the same mangrove banks, points, oyster bars and docks that hold the fish during the day. He works a shallow-diving hard plastic that will entice hungry snook waiting for a meal to pass overhead. In deeper water with swift current, he uses a one- to two-ounce bucktail. The popular day-time lures work at night, too, but a model with darker colors and a larger profile gives the fish a better target. Many of Stock’s honey holes are on busy waterways; he stresses extra caution when navigating at night. “Have your head on a swivel,” he says, “especially when crossing a channel or fishing under a bridge.” Stock recommends a white navigation light with a bright beam that shines above the angler’s head, not in his eyes.


BASS NINJA


Bass pros know that the biggest bucketmouths come out at night. Austin Acker, a guide with Froggy Waters Outdoors (www.froggywa- ters.com) in Durham, North Carolina, hunts Appalachian rivers after dark, but he says the same tactics work anywhere bass live. Acker likes a lure with good vibes. When the fish won’t touch a buzz bait, he switches to a


Petzl Tikka R+: Rechargeable battery and three power output settings ensure optimal burn time. Reactive lighting sensor dims and brightens lamp depending on distance to target. Red LED protects night vision. www.petzl.com


YakAttack VISICarbon Pro: Super light and super bright, this


navigation lamp collapses to fit in a storage bag and includes an orange signal flag for day-time visibility. www.yakattack.us


YakGear LuminaLED Flood Light: Light up the night with 1,250 lumens capable of illuminating objects up to 120 feet away. Lamp rotates 360 degrees and pivots 100 degrees. www.yak-gear.com


Jitterbug that he can work slowly and pause. “That’s when the fish usually strike.” Acker likes to make noise at night, too. “I always carry a pealess signal whistle,” he adds, “other boats may not see me but they can hear me.”


DIGITAL EXTRA: Click here for more tips on targeting your favorite species at night.


NIGHT LIGHTS


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