I’m looking to get out on Murray just before dark on Friday or Saturday for some night trolling. Has anyone had any luck with this lately? I usually pull a few umbrella rigs with white or chartreuse baits and maybe a single plug or two during the day but I’ve heard at night it’s a different story as colors go. Any tips on other colors I should go with? I have a bunch of small green, yellow, and blue glow sticks that I use for my rod tips when catfishing at night. I know this sounds like a child’s idea but I thought about slipping them into some translucent flukes on the umbrellas to see what happens. Any advice (or ridicule) is welcome.
Mabey it wasn’t as stupid as you thought?? Somebody’s sittin at their dinning room table right now trying to figure out how to shove a glow stick in a swim bait and make it stay!!!
I think I have the mechanics worked out with this juvenile glow stick venture. I’m guessing by the lack of interest I’m doing more harm than help so if and when I try it I’ll probably run one rig with glowsticks and one or two more without them. I’ll post results on the off chance that this actually works.
There are still alot of fish to be caught below 20’ or so. That being said I think most have put up the trolling gear. Looking forward to your report. Maybe something I would like to do in the summer.
I dont know what it is about colder water and night fishing but I have just never done that well. Will be on the fish heavy in the fall/winter in the evenings and as soon as the sun goes down its like they stopping chewing. Steelytom fishes a ton at night and he seems to have the same results at night when the fish come up to the top 20’ of the water column.
@murraymaker- yeah I thought I noticed that trend recently (the fish shutting down near dark) but hoping it was just mental on my part. Reading everyone’s old posts seems to confirm what you are saying too.
@yakangler- ill post a pic or two when I get a chance. I wouldn’t get excited over this idea just yet. Seems like it’s not really the right time for trying this. Also my gut tells me this is just a homemade gimmick. I’m guessing if it was productive, it would be common knowledge. I can see ole’Roland Martin throwing a few of these in as a freebie with the purchase of a new set of “helicopter lures.” But it’s in my head now and I have to give it a shot.
quote:I can see ole'Roland Martin throwing a few of these in as a freebie with the purchase of a new set of "helicopter lures." But it's in my head now and I have to give it a shot.
Thanks for the input, guys
Roland Martin would’ve thrown his mama in a pack of lures if it would have made them sell better.
I have caught them as late as december trolling. I would fish the big water outside koon landing or crystal lake but good luck trolling is tough this year.
I did real well trolling at night in the spring when they were shallow around points, but the night trolling with DR’s in the summer was a bust for me this year catching 0-3 fish per trip. I gave it up after a few trips. They just seemed to go deep so early and even the times I would mark fish before they went real deep, they just didn’t seem to bite as well as years in the past.
I haven’t really ever tried it this late, but I think it would defiantely be worth a try if you head up the lake a bit.
I have caught them night trolling at 50-60’ on pitch black nights near a new moon, so I wouldn’t be too discouraged if you don’t find a way to get your glow stick to attach. The moon wont even start to rise this weekend until about midnight. Along with your u-rig I would also try something like a Stretch 25 type plug.
This time of year it’s probably not a bad idea to also check out some relatively shallow water and just flatline troll something like a floating FS18 Rapala as well. When I do that, I usually will just tie one on directly to the line and on the other, put about an ounce of lead about 8’ ahead of it just to get it down a little more.
