I have been fishing around around DI since 2002 and the most exciting time to fish is summer time in the dark! We Fish from my 22ft Pontoon or more recently from our Malibu Kayaks.
It is dark but its surprising after your eyes get used to the dark how well you can really see. It normally is very quiet and with very little wind you hear everything fish feeding, fish + bait jumping, birds even dolphin venting -right next to your kayak, get your attention oh-yea it does!!!
Did I mention catching fish? Top water walk the dog fishing is great- to hear and feel the fish hit is very exciting to say the least
I have tried going out after dark 9pm +++ but the AM is when it is the best
REMBER SAFETY FIRST never go out alone in the dark the boogey man may get you
Not sure if this is what he is referring to Fryer but I have fished lights that are permanently mounted on docks, have one relatively close to a landing that I have been thinking about fishing may hit it up soon
Bragging may not bring happiness,
but no man having caught a large fish,
goes home through the alley.
-Anonymous
This sounds like it’s my kind of game. I usually go at the crack of dawn anyway… what type of waters do you fish with topwater? Mud flats? Edge of grasses? High tide? Low tide? Does it matter if the moon is out or full even?
And what about the light? I guess you mount it behind you so it’s not blinding… how high off the boat?
You have to have a light on it in any period of darkness or diminished light. powered or not. If it is powered and longer then 16ft I think you have to have all required stuff like flares and red and green nav lights but EVERY kayak has to have a white light if you are out on the dark. $495 fine if ya don’t. Sold a guy a FH and told him and he said they wouldn’t catch him… 2 weeks later he came back in to buy a visi=pole because he got caught 10 minutes after sunset
Spoke with a friend at DNR, he is a CPL, he advised me you DO NOT have to have a mounted light, you have to have a flash light or some sort of signaling device “readily accessible” meaning not a sealed hatch. So yes you have to have one, but no it doesn’t have to be on at all times. Sorry for the confusing on my part nikon, I thought you meant you had to have it on at all times.
Bragging may not bring happiness,
but no man having caught a large fish,
goes home through the alley.
-Anonymous
I was under the impression it had to be on at all times like a powerboat… On the DNR site they really do not differentiate between a boat and a kayak and it says: “Navigation Lights must be on between official sunset and sunrise.” Key word here is ON… I have talked to DNR before coming in after sunset and have always been told I was lucky I had my light on… To each his own though…
personally if I am out in a yak at night I want to be seen so my light will be on at all times, I will also have a flash light of the tactical variety, to flash at those power boaters who ignore the light. I’d rather be right and keep the light on than be dead and right because some powerboat ran me over because the light was readily accessible…
Dave is correct on needing one light, Hey yakman they run from 40 to 85 pending the brand. I got a visipole from Time Out sport in MP for around 65 it is worth every penny, thing works great.
I’ve never fished in the dark from my kayak, but I have done quite a bit of duck hunting from it, paddling around creeks and swamps at 4:00 AM. For that, I wear a head-lamp. I don’t know if that counts as a boat light, but they are perfect for finding your way and digging around in a shell bag, etc…
The light is supposed to be visible from 360 degrees so I would guess the DNR officer pulling you over would make the call. The visi-pole I have sits up above my head and can be seen 360, I also have a head lamp for seeing what I am doing. Before i got that I used a 12-hour glow stick and tied it to the top of a rod. The visi-pole is probably the best investment I have made in safety ever for fishing in a kayak. I am a minimalist and take the bare minimum when I go kayak fishing but even if I know I won;t be out after dark I always have my visi-pole in the yak with me…
If I had a light, I would hit up that high tide in that am haha, got me wanting to catch a few fish, guess the flood tide tomorrow night will have to suffice
Bragging may not bring happiness,
but no man having caught a large fish,
goes home through the alley.
-Anonymous
I saw a light online that mounted to the top of your hat and was 360. Sounded ideal as no matter which way you turned, it wouldn’t be in your eyes.
Dave, I’m afraid with all the talk about lights, my earlier question got left behind so I’ll repeat it here: what type of waters do you fish with topwater at night? Mud flats? Edge of grasses? High tide? Low tide? Does it matter if the moon is out or full even?
If you need someone to partner along one morning, give me a holler.
