From the archives: Field & Stream become an out of doors column posted in The Frederick News-Post inside the Fifties and written with the aid of the late Lefty Kreh, international-famed outdoorsman and fly fisher. Kreh, who was a Frederick local, commenced his out of doors columnist profession at The News-Post. This column was posted Aug. 7, 1959, and has been edited for space.
The night time was warm, with no breeze, and as black as an automobile tire. Bullfrogs croaked a deep-toned tune like an oboe, crickets rubbed their legs together and sounded each bit like castanets, even as night birds sang a solo. The master musician turned into directing his nighttime choir, and it changed into the soothing track.
Somewhere out in the darkness, a massive bass chased a swimming frog, and the splashing he made jerked us returned to the venture handy. We had left home at midnight, hoping to trap a number of these hot climate bass that appeared to have lockjaw in the course of the day.
Knowing that lighting tends to scare fish, we had rigged our lures before we left home. Flip Kennedy made a cast out on the darkish waters and started retrieving his Jitterbug. The lure began returned with its aspect-to-facet wobbling motion and “bobble-bobble” entice-speak.
Halfway returned to the reel, we heard Flip grunt, “I got him.” For some time, I became in doubt just who had who. After a few minutes of arguing who would personal the plug, Flip eventually received and beached the fish.
Cautiously, I became on my pencil flashlight as Flip held up a pleasant two-pound largemouth. A short while later, we both had one son and had been grinning from ear to ear. This night time fishing has thrills sunlight hours anglers by no means experience.
We fished till daytime, and the fish cooperated all the while. When we left the last farm pond, sunrise changed into lighting fixtures the brand new day; we could pay attention to a bass searching the weed beds for a final snack earlier than retiring.
This wasn’t our first strive at night fishing; however, it’d be a new enjoyment for many nearby anglers. And what an experience! Night fishing within the summer for bass with synthetic lures is a miles more exciting game than sunlight hours casting. Add to it the reality; in warm weather, the bass doesn’t feed properly within the vivid warm daylight. At night, it’s a one of a kind story; the water cools off, an amazing deal of insect and water life begins to prowl, and the bass, like enemy submarines, makes their underwater forays in the dark against and military of food.
Other clever anglers fish Maryland waters after darkish at some point in the hottest part of the summertime. Night fishing isn’t a guarantee of a stranger — but you’ll seldom come domestic without fish if you follow some easy guidelines. Like every other sort of angling, you don’t go out and throw a trap inside the water.
Here’s how: A minimal use of the flashlight, a heat summertime night time without a wind, only a few lures, a rod and reel, and a pencil flashlight. It’s no longer like daylight fishing, in which it takes a strong % mule to hold the necessary tackle and gear wanted.
In rivers, the shallow spots around islands, grass beds, and rock ledges are usually exceptional regions to fish. In farm ponds and quarries, there appear to be no “hot spots.” In these waters, in which no modern-day exists, the fish appear to roam. Some of the very first-class basses I’ve seen stuck from such places have been taken at the floor within the innermost element.
Lures: The Jitterbug has in no way been a standout floor trap for me in the daylight hours — even though I’ve used it a remarkable deal at night, it’s a distinct story — it reigns preferrred in my e-book. The double propeller sorts just like the Devil’s Horse are tops, too, also darters, but plunkers and poppers have in no way been the type to me.
The herbal inclination is to apply the most effective surface lures that make numerous noise the angler can pay attention to. Don’t be misled — for some of the better fish takers are those who swim below. One of the excellent is the black eel, and its imitation, the plastic types. Double-jointed plugs and the big River Runts are all top. I don’t recognize why bass hit them — or how they can see them. The aspect that pastimes me is they do.
Don’t be in a hurry with the retrieve, and must a bass strike at a surface entice and no longer hit — don’t do an element but wait. After a long half to a full minute, pass the trap about afoot. Usually, the bass has been mendacity underneath it wanting to peer its flow. As it struggles, he’ll come roaring up and take it. That lengthy traumatic wait is one of the nightlight thrills of night fishing.
