Surf Fishing At Night [Read This Guide Carefully Before Starting]
A lot of people relish surf fishing at night more than daytime fishing because it aids in concentration and also yields more if done properly. However, you have to be more careful too because the fishing activity is taking place in a darker environment, making it quite risky.
Read on to know more about night surf fishing, the reasons behind it, what are its benefits and tips for success, how to choose the right lures and lastly, its tips and safety precautions below.
General Overview of surf fishing
Surf fishing is an athletic activity that involves catching fish lying at the shore boundary or swimming in the surf waves. The act of surf fishing is not too complex but requires some necessary skills and techniques.
Many people believe surf fishing means going far into the sea to catch fish and are scared about this activity due to that reason. However, surf fishing is not really like that. They can be done at the shore of a beach or river without needing to travel far into the sea.
There are countless pieces of equipment to make your surf fishing activity more comfortable. These are pieces of equipment like surf rods, waders, spinning reels, fishing tools, lures and lines. Moreover, the pieces of equipment have various types, styles, designs, and sizes. For excellent surf fishing, you have to choose the right piece of equipment that match your height and provides comfort while fishing.
Why surf fishing at night? [6 Smart Reasons]
1) You tend to catch more fish
Fishing at night gives you more significant opportunities to catch an ample number of fish. This happens because fishes at night enjoy staying near the shoreline. After all, they have more things to feed on, and those spots seem cooler to them. Therefore, surf fishing at night will enable you to catch these fishes easily without much hard work.
2) You will surf under better weather
Another reason why fishing at night seems more comfortable to people is that you won't be experiencing harsh sunburns beaming on your body. This will aid higher productivity and you won't be stressed out easily. If you go surf fishing during the daytime, you get exhausted easily, which might result in a lower fish turnout.
3) The competition is lesser
At night, you will surely have the fishing spot to yourself with lesser fishers or anglers to compete with you. This enables you to try out different shorelines, catch bigger fishes, and get a better turnout.
On the other hand, surf fishing during the daytime will most likely limit your catch as there will be other fishers from different angles sharing the place with you.
4) A better nature view
Another advantage of surf fishing at night is that during the night, you will possibly see more beautiful natural phenomena such as the lovely sky, full moon, spectacular fish species, and much more. You can even take your camera along or make a video of these natural occurrences, which will be awesome to watch.
5) You will catch bIGGER fish
This is one of the primary reason why you should surf at night. During nocturnal surf fishing, you tend to catch bigger fishes than in the daytime because naturally by this time of the day, bigger fish species in the water will appear more frequently.
6) There is less disturbance
Surf fishing in the night is always quite reticent and peaceful. In fact, it can be quite meditating as well. There is less disturbance from other surf anglers, and this will enhance your concentration, giving you a better opportunity to catch more and larger fishes.
8 Tips for successful fishing at night
1) Use high quality and the right pieces of equipment
This is an important tip that will enhance and aid your night fishing. You should consider using the right tools and pieces of equipment that won’t draw or set you back. If you have the proper fish finder rig, surf rods, surf belts, and other necessary fishing tools, you will able to catch a magnanimous number of fish quickly and conveniently.
Using old, rusty, or faulty pieces of equipment will affect your productivity, and you won’t relish your night fishing session at all.
It is easier nowadays to get high-quality fishing equipment as you can always order them from online stores.
2) Choose a nice spot
For a successful night fishing, you should pick a spot or location that won’t disappoint. It should be a place that you believe has fish influx. You can survey the shore areas during daytime to have a little glance at the fish activity and to pick a better spot for the night. If you fail to consider this crucial tip, you might waste your night without catching anything.
Apart from surveying the shorelines during the daytime, you can also ask the people nearby or draw stall employees to guide and show you the spots that provide higher productivity for anglers. Let that spot be your choice at night!
3) Be safety conscious
Another main tip to have successful night fishing is to be safety conscious. You have to keep track of the tides and watch out for dangerous fish species like shark and whales. You should not be carried away when fishing at night. Also, you should wear wader belts that will stop water from entering your waders and protect you even if you accidentally fall into the water.
4) Know the weather updates
Knowing weather updates will help you to determine better when to strike and make your night fish catch activity safer. Weather conditions such as high wind speed or high tide speed will make it quite strenuous and challenging to make a successful night fishing result.
5) Ensure you take essential materials with you
Night fishing essentials such as good flashlight or headlamp should not be left back for any reason. You should get a high-quality headlamp that will enable you to see fishes hiding at tight shorelines, and that will help you to keep track of everything going on.
6) Maintain quietness
Another arch tip or technique to have successful night fishing is to maintain quietness that won’t scare away fishes. This enhances your concentration, which will also assist you to have a higher fishing productivity at night.
7) Make sure you go with someone or a group of friends
This is another essential tip when surf fishing during the night. You should consider going with a few friends to keep you company.
Your friends might even assist you with a few things that will aid and quicken your night fishing activity. In case of any emergency or trouble, they will be able to be your backup as well.
8) Make use of dark lures
Colors also matters for you to have successful night fishing. If your lure is black in color, you will have a better chance to catch bigger fish that might have spotted another vibrant color from below the water.
How to choose bait or lures for surf fishing?
There are various fishing baits or lures that can enhance the quality of your surf fishing. You should make sure that the fishing lure you have selected is durable, not too heavy, and made from a reliable company.
To help you out, here is a list of the best surf fishing lures you should get for yourself.
The lures mentioned above are the best ones, and you should consider them for better surf fishing. Besides choosing a fishing lure, you also have to consider the ability of the equipment to withstand the caustic nature of seawater.
Another thing you should consider when choosing fishing lures is its colours. The colour of fishing lures has a massive effect on the productivity you will get when using it. If you prefer surf fishing in the daytime, then you can select lighter lure colours. If you are surf fishing mainly at night, then you should consider using a black lure. This will enable you to catch more fish during the surf fishing activity.
Safety precautions when surf fishing
Although surf fishing is an exciting activity to engage in, one should take note of some safety precautions.
Firstly, you must be familiar with the location or spot you select for your surf fishing activity. This will help you to work based on your understanding of the topography of the location. This will assist you in doing your surf fishing activity more successfully and conveniently.
Another safety precaution you should consider is to make use of high-quality headlamps or any form of adequate lighting that will enable you to spot any dangerous or strange occurrence easily. Sometimes, snakes, sharks, or poisonous insects will surface; it is the quality of your lighting that will help you to spot them easily.
Furthermore, when surf fishing at night, you should be conscious of your security. You might have the right pieces of equipment and high-quality headlamps with you, but still, you must be extremely alert in case of danger. While the surf fishing activity is going on, keep track of the river tide in case they become heavy. You should use wader belts as they will prevent you from drowning even if you accidentally fall into the river.
Last but not least, you should go with a group of friends or family members to the shoreline. This is a crucial safety precaution. The people will help you in case of any danger or problem. Also, they will be there to assist you with the fishing activity, increasing your productivity level. They may also help spot fishes that can appear oblivious to you.
Conclusion
Surf fishing is really an adventurous, amazing, and spectacular activity to engage in. However, it warrants a little more planning, skill, and precautions. When this activity is done correctly, it tends to be very rewarding, yielding more catch compared to daytime fishing.
Lastly, surf fishing at night offers you a lot of opportunities and chances to fish to your uttermost desire, but still, you have to be careful. In as much you take to the tips and safety precautions mentioned above, excellent surf fishing is guaranteed for you!
