Many of us who already fish know that the best time to fish is at night! The predators are on the hunt and so are you. Fishing from a kayak at night could yield tremendous results. When you find the right spot, fish will be almost jumping into your kayak.
But before we head out there to take advantage of night fishing from a kayak, there are a few things that you need to know before heading out.
Check Your Local Laws for Kayaking at Night
The first thing you should check into is the rules and regulations for kayak fishing at night. In most bodies of water, the US Coast Guard oversees regulations that pertain to kayaks. Most likely these rules will apply to you, but it is always best to check with your local government agency or even your kayak dealer who may be aware of the local laws.
US Coast Guard Regulations for Nighttime Kayaking
Navigational Lights
- The required navigation lights must be displayed between sunset and sunrise and during periods of restricted visibility.
- A sailing vessel, or one under oars, of less than 7 meters in length shall if practical exhibit red and green sidelights, and a stern light visible from at least one mile away. However if she does not, she can have ready at hand an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light which shall be exhibited in sufficient time to prevent collision.
- Reference:
- Title 33 CFR 83.25 Sailing vessels and vessels under oars.
Visual Distress Signals
- Vessels, specifically kayaks, canoes, and SUPs, operating between sunset and sunrise on coastal waters must carry one of the following:
- Flares (a.k.a. Pyrotechnics). Must have at least 3 Night, 3 day/night, or a combination.
- Electronic Distress Light for Boats. Must have one (1).
- Reference:
- Title 33 CFR 175.110 Requirements
- Title 33 CFR 175.115 Exemptions
- Title 33 CFR 175.130 Accepted Signals
- Title 46 CFR 161.013 Electronic Distress Light For Boats
- Title 46 CFR 160.072 Distress Signals For Boats, Orange Flag
- Pyrotechnics Table 175.150 – Quantity 3 Night or 3 Day/Night combination
Benefits to Kayak Fishing at Night
Kayak Fishing is already awesome! But have you ever thought about what it would be like to fish at night? If you haven’t yet had the chance to fish at night, then you better get to it! You’re missing out on some amazing benefits.
- Fish Bite!! – Let’s start with the most important one. The fish are biting. Especially when the nights are warm, bait fish tend to dive down deeper during the day to find cooler water, but at night they come out bringing the predator fish with them, scanning the reef for their next meal. That’s where you come in, enticing their eyes with a succulent bait that is too good to pass up. Fish On!
- Avoid Crowds and Enjoy the Peaceful Side of Fishing – On a crowded summers day, you can find respite from the crowd just by going fishing when everyone is leaving. Even on the most crowded of days, there are relatively few people left after sunset and that’s perfect for you.
The noise from all the waterside revelers finally quiets to a peaceful evening where every stroke of the paddle can be heard moving through the water. The eyes become less relied upon and the other senses come alive. It truly is a nice time to be on the water. - Avoid Heat – You want to be doing what the fish are doing and that’s avoiding the heat. Stay in. Rest. Take a nap. Get ready to come out as the weather cools to a more pleasant temperature and the sun isn’t threatening to roast you alive.
- Fits into any schedule – If you’re working a 9-5, you may find it hard to get some time out on the water. There isn’t much daylight left after work and weekends you have other obligations you need to get done.
Well, if fishing at night is no longer an issue for you, suddenly a whole block of time opens up. Getting 3 hrs in night fishing could produce some great results!
Tips for Going Out at Night
I’ve only gone night fishing a couple of times on my kayak, mostly because I have two little kids at home and it’s hard to get away. I have learned a few things during those trips that will make your first time kayak fishing go much smoother than my first time.
SAFETY
Always the number one thing to consider anytime you go out kayak fishing, safety is as important as bringing your fishing pole. Being safe will ensure your return.
- Wear your PFD – If you tend to just bring your PFD with you on your kayak but not wear it, DO NOT BE THAT GUY (OR GAL)! It is more important than ever to wear a PFD at night, the potential for danger is just too high.
You can outfit your PFD with a waterproof flashlight and reflective strips to make you more visible to other boaters - Safety in Numbers – When you go kayak fishing at night, try bringing a friend a long with you. Even if they just stay on shore and wait for you, they can act as a beacon to show you the way home.
Having a friend go night fishing with you helps ensure your safety and gives you an extra pair of eyes and hands in case anything does go wrong.
Utilize walkie talkies so that is possible to communicate with your partner, whether they be on land or out there kayak fishing with you. You may think it’s over kill, but being able to communicate by walkie talkie could be the difference between life and death depending on the situation. - Plan Route and Create Float Plan – Plan your route ahead of time and create a float plan that you could give to someone else, your wife, friend, etc. A float plan is just a sketch of where you’ll be going with a map showing where you plan on traveling to. Include the time you expect to be back and address if you can. The more information the better.
VISIBILITY
Visibility at night is very important not only for yourself but for other boaters as well. Many boaters are just chugging along at night, totally oblivious to what’s just out of the cone of light provided by their ship’s lighting system. You definitely see them, but they probably don’t see you. With a few additions to your boat, you can make yourself seen for miles.
- Lights – In most bodies of water, it is the law to have lights on your kayak if you are paddling at night. It is especially important if you’ll be in an area with other motor boats nearby. Here are a few must haves for any nighttime fishing expedition.
- 360° white light elevated from deck of kayak. YakAttack makes a great light for kayakers complete with visibility flag.
- Green light for the right hand side of your kayak and red light for left hand side of kayak. This lets boaters know which direction you are going. If you’re not ready to invest in these you could use red and green glow sticks instead.
- Headlamp – Here’s my favorite. This one was built for us.
- Bright flash light or deck lamp – This would be to help illuminate your kayak for tying lures or to signal other boaters who may be getting dangerously close. I like using a deck lamp over headlamp when I need to tie lures because it keeps all the bugs further away from my face.
- Night Vision and Navigation
We’ve discussed the need for personal lights to illuminate your kayak and they can also help illuminate the water too. I like to try and use as little light as possible and instead train my eyes to see better at night. But once in a while, a flashlight or deck light shining on the water does come in handy.
I do want to mention navigation. If fishing on large bodies of water, a form of navigation is a must. If your fish finder is equipped with it, make sure you bring it along. If all you have is a compass, make sure you bring that and know how to use it. Having a trusty navigation system will keep you from getting lost.
An added benefit to bringing a fishfinder with navigation is that you can also be scanning the seafloor ar you travel, giving you another set of eyes as you paddle at night.
KNOW YOUR LOCATION
When you go nighttime kayak fishing, don’t go to a spot you’ve never been before. Go to a spot that you know well. At night, it is very hard to get your bearing and you do not want to be in an unfamiliar location when that happens.
Hazards such as submerged rocks and down trees will be more easily avoided if you know the spot you’re fishing in. You will understand where any rapids are or where the waves usually break. There are so many advantages to knowing where you’re going. Until you become more experienced, follow this advice as a rule of thumb.
If you are fishing at night in a river or near shore and you know there are a lot of low growing branches, wear safety glasses, you’ll save an eye.
BE COURTEOUS
A lot of good fishing happens at night in boat harbors. There tend to be lots of lights that attract bugs that attract baitfish that attract predators. But lots of times those boat harbors can be filled with angry boat captains. And nothing wakes them quicker than the thump of a lure on their fresh gel coat.
Your best practice is stealth. Second best is being careful with your casts. Third is to accept your fate and apologize. Most of the boat captains are fellow anglers, so they get it. But there are those guys that are just plain old salty. Apologize and paddle away.
START ON A FULL MOON
If you’re nervous about going kayak fishing at night for your first time, try going out on a full moon. A full moon’s light is powerful enough to illuminate almost everything for you taking a lot of the x-factor out of the equation.
It is also quite common to experience a very good night fishing, because even the fish need some light to hunt by, making them much more active.
SPARE POWER
Having some source of backup power for your lights, gps, fishfinder, whatever takes power would be wise. You would not want your safety lights to go out because of a dead battery, leaving you vulnerable out on the water.
Be sure you test all of you’re electronic gear before you launch to ensure its operation.
FISH ARE ATTRACTED TO LIGHT
Fish love light. As we mentioned before, lights attract bugs which in turn attract the baitfish which then attract the predators. These are wonderful places to fish. It is important for the light to e one that is bright and on almost every night. This attracts regular customers to this feeding frenzy.
A light that gets turned on every once in a while, like a flashlight on your kayak or even one on a building that is not regularly in use will not attract as many fish.
When you find these lights, make sure you are not hoarding in on another fisherman’s turf. If you are, paddle on to another light.
Using lights to aid your fishing can yield tremendous results. Be on the lookout next time you are fishing at night.
How to Prepare for Night Fishing
Alright! You’re finally going to try it! The t.ime has come to launch for your first night fishing expedition. Launching at night is a little different than launching during the day. There are a few things to consider to make for a smoother launch.
- Launch When it’s Still Daylight – If you have a chance to launch while its still day light, you can prep your kayak, get it launched and paddle to your fishing spot all while it’s still easy to see.
Launching while there is still some daylight allows you to get a good read of your surroundings so that you’ll have a much better chance of success getting back to your launch zone. - Bring Extra Poles – Having extra poles will allow you to have multiple rods rigged and ready to go before it gets dark. It is a lot harder fidgeting with gear and tying lines on a dark kayak. By having poles pre-rigged, you eliminate the difficulty of having to do that out on the water.
Another benefit is that you can bring less fishing gear with you. This leaves more room for safety equipment and first aid supplies. I usually go out with 4 fully rigged rods, a net, fishfinder with gps, my PFD with pliers, scissors, extra lures, jig heads in the pockets and all of my safety gear. - Jig Heads and Lures – For some reason, a simple jig head with a rubber grubber works really well at night. They are easy to rig, no extra weights and swivels needed. Just tie the Jig Head on, attach a lure and your fishing.
And they fish, they go bananas over them! - Bring a Net – Having a net to bring in your fish is a lot easier than relying on a lip grab at night. It is easy to miss and end up losing your fish or ending up in the water yourself. A net does not cost much and can easily be transported in one of your rod holders.
Enjoy the Thrill of Kayak Fishing at Night
You’re ready for it. You are one of the few that are ready and willing to go kayak fishing at night. It is a thrilling experience, your senses are heightened and you are in tune with your surroundings like never before. Embrace it and embark where few others go.
Kayak fishing at night will make you feel alive. Have fun! ALOHA!