What to Take Night Fishing

Whether you have a busy work schedule or you prefer the cooler air of the dead of night, it’s undeniable that night fishing can be a relaxing, enjoyable, and highly fruitful hobby. If you’re more familiar with day fishing, however, it can be overwhelming to try and figure out the right equipment to take out at night.

Safety gear and strategic lighting are the most important items for night fishing, as they will ensure fisher safety while increasing the chances of a successful catch. Other items, such as night-specific lures and tackles, can enhance the enjoyability of the night fishing experience.

Here at STKR Concepts, we are proud to supply night fishing enthusiasts with the best lighting on the market. Read on to make yourself an expert in night fishing equipment, and ensure that you have a foolproof packing list.

What Should I Bring for Night Fishing?

The most important equipment for night fishing is the appropriate safety gear and strategic lighting. To make things easier, we have listed examples of these below.

Safety Gear

If you do not prepare adequately by bringing the right safety gear, night fishing can quickly become dangerous. It’s often difficult to see potential hazards in the dark and, no matter how familiar you are with the area, it is essential to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

Floatation Device(s)

You should wear a life jacket every time you go fishing, but it becomes even more imperative at night. If you were to fall into the water, the darkness can make the situation quickly spiral out of control. 

Additionally, a throwable floatation device (like a buoy) should be kept in a convenient location.

Visual and Auditory Warning Devices

In the dark, an approaching boat may not notice your presence until it’s too late. Therefore,  you must bring a horn or something similar (which will also help to get the attention of others in distress). 

The only problem is that there may not be any nearby boats to hear an auditory signal. Therefore, a visual distress signal (like a flare or flashlight w/SOS) is another safety essential.

Fire Extinguisher

When we’re out on the water we tend to forget about the dangers of fire, but a boat fire can spread quickly and leave destruction in its wake. Therefore, it is essential to take a fire extinguisher when night fishing in a boat. 

Before setting off, you must ensure:

• You know how to use the fire extinguisher
• It’s not out of date/is still in working order
• It is in a convenient location and can be grabbed easily in the event of a fire

Anchor

If you think you’re losing control of a potentially dangerous situation, your first precaution should be to put your anchor down to keep the boat in a safe location.

Using the anchor to stop the boat can also help attract more fish because the motion of a boat can sometimes scare them away.

Strategic Lighting

Here at STKR Concepts, we specialize in the manufacture of LED lights for camping, hiking, and indeed night fishing. It’s a no-brainer that the right lighting is an absolute necessity for night fishing, but the many options on the market can be overwhelming. 

That’s why we want to make finding lighting for your night fishing as easy as possible!

What Colored Lights Should You Use? 

Fishing lights usually come in either green or white and, where possible, you should use green lights to attract fish at night. They appear to attract the widest range of fish in both saltwater and freshwater. If you use green light underwater, you can greatly increase your chances of going home with a prize-worthy catch! 

What Sort of Lights Do You Need?

STKR Concepts boasts every type of light you might need for a successful night fishing experience.

Over here, we know that your lights should be bright enough for good visibility, but not so bright that they’ll scare off surrounding fish. That is why you should not use all of your lights unless they’re needed for visibility or other practical reasons. 

Regardless, you should keep the following convenient to you when needed:

• Flashlight – try to bring one that’s powerful, but still small and lightweight enough to fit in your pocket. Make sure to bring spare batteries too – you never know when they’re going to run out! Alternatively, we stock rechargeable batteries. 
• Headlamp – this is useful because it keeps your hands free, and it will light up whatever is directly in your line of sight. 

Lumens and Why They’re Important

It can be confusing but, in layman’s terms, lumens are what give bulbs their brightness and they’re measured by the amount of visible light that they emit. 

Still confused! Well, you’re in luck – we have very considerably put together an article all about lumens! 

The only thing you need to know is that different bulbs produce different amounts of brightness and the number of lumens can range from as low as 100 and as high as 5000. For example, our FLEXIT Headlamp Pro 6.5 is 650 lumens and also boasts a red night vision mode, making it ideal for night fishing. 

Extras

While safety equipment and lighting are by far the most important things to take night fishing, there are other items that aren’t necessarily essential but will make the whole experience more enjoyable. 

Consider taking the following:

• Sensitive rigs – extra-sensitive lines/rods can compensate for the lack of visibility by making you aware of even the slightest movement in the water, increasing your chances of a catch. 
• GPS – this is a lot easier to use than a compass and is built into most smartphones.
• Snacks – it can be a long night on the water, and you’re going to want to keep your energy levels up during the quiet periods. Your future self will thank you for packing sandwiches and coffee!
• Suitable bait – after dark, many fish rely on their sense of smell over sight. If this is your first time going night fishing, you may need to consider changing your bait. 

General Night Fishing Tips

Even with all the right gear, you won’t do well at night fishing if you don’t know what you’re doing. Consider following our top tips so your experience is stress-free and successful.

Arrive Before Dark

This is probably one of the most important things to do; if you wait until it’s already dark you risk having to navigate potentially dangerous situations with very low visibility. 

Getting to your fishing location in the early evening leaves you with plenty of time to scout out the area, as well as to set up your equipment.

Be Prepared to Stay All Night

When night fishing, you probably won’t find success at first. Generally, fish start to appear in large numbers at around 3 AM. 

Until then, you’ll need to be patient! Consider rigging a motion-activated alarm to your tackle, so you won’t risk sleeping through a catch. 

Stay as Quiet as Possible

Try to prepare most of your equipment ahead of time, so you aren’t loudly fumbling while trying to catch a fish. Any noise or harsh movement – including moving equipment around or even the boat’s engine – can scare away the nearby baitfish.

Pay Attention to the Environment

How successful your night fishing is will depend on a number of natural factors, including:

• Weather conditions 
• Which season it is 
• The moon phase (did you know that almost three-quarters of world record fish have been caught within three days of a full moon?)

Overall, night fishing can be a highly exciting experience and we are proud to supply you with high-quality equipment. Good luck!