| Norm (Doc) Klayman introduced me to night | | | | slack line, so you've got to pay attention. |
| fishing with worms and jigs and black lights on Bull | | | | Sometimes all I feel is a tick or a bump similar to |
| Shoals Lake back in the 1980s. It is still my | | | | a worm bite. Sometimes the line just goes |
| favorite way to beguile bass when the rest of | | | | completely slack. Quite often, however, I get this |
| the normal world is sleeping, but it isn't the only | | | | slight wiggling sensation. It's weird: unlike any other |
| way to fish at night. | | | | bite. |
| In fact, just about every type of bait used during | | | | Now, I'll admit this is my favorite way to fish |
| the day has its night time devotees-except | | | | crankbaits at night because I'm basically a finesse |
| crankbaits. | | | | fisherman. I find simply casting something out and |
| I'm not particularly fond of crankbait fishing in | | | | cranking it back a bit boring and far too much |
| general, but I do love night fishing and | | | | work for someone who fishes all the time. But it |
| experimenting with different baits and techniques, | | | | is far from the only crankbait method that will |
| so a few years ago I got to wondering why not | | | | work at night. |
| crankbaits? | | | | After using big crankbaits at night for a few |
| Since bass have little trouble spotting a dark | | | | months, I mentioned it to Dave Stewart, who is |
| worm slithering through the ebony depths at | | | | probably the best bass guide on Kentucky Lake. |
| night, surely they can see a crankbait wiggling and | | | | "Funny you should mention that," he said. "I |
| bumping about. If buzzbaits speeding across the | | | | haven't used crankbaits at night since I moved |
| surface bring bass up at night, surely the average | | | | here, but I used to win a lot of night tournament |
| crankbait doesn't move too fast? | | | | with crankbaits when I lived in Frankfort, KY. I |
| A lot of people use spinnerbaits at night too. Why | | | | didn't throw big ones, though. Won every |
| do crankbaits seem to be about the only bait | | | | tournament throwing a #7, black/silver Shadrap |
| type allowed to rest? Why is it one can easily find | | | | on shallow points. But I had it digging bottom as |
| black versions of every bait type, except | | | | much as possible." |
| crankbaits? | | | | Dave said most of his strikes were hard, but I |
| Maybe there was a practical reason for the | | | | assume that was because he was using a smaller |
| crankbait's exclusion from the dark hours. I | | | | bait that must be retrieved faster to dig bottom. |
| started asking other night fishermen if they'd | | | | Whether you're fishing during the day or at night, |
| ever tried crankbaits at night. The common | | | | all crankbaits work better if they're digging |
| answers were: "I just never thought of it," or | | | | bottom. |
| "I've just never tried it." | | | | Recently I read a report of other Kentucky Lake |
| Not one fisherman gave me a practical reason, so | | | | fishermen catching big smallmouth on the pea |
| off into the night I went with hard baits attached. | | | | gravel points and main lake banks at night with |
| If you've just never thought of it, or you've just | | | | Magnum Wiggle Warts in crawfish patterns. |
| never tried it, maybe you should. Bass most | | | | Obviously, a few other fishermen have been |
| definitely will hit crankbaits at night-big bass. | | | | asking themselves "why not crankbaits at night." |
| My favorite method is to fish big, deep-diving | | | | No telling were it might lead or what it might |
| crankbaits in relatively shallow water. It is a | | | | produce. |
| method I learned from David Fritz one day on | | | | The possibilities of crankbait choices and |
| Kentucky Lake many years ago. I retrieve them | | | | techniques for night fishing at this point are only |
| very slowly with frequent, short pauses. I'm | | | | limited by the imagination of fishermen. It is things |
| constantly bumping bottom with this retrieve, and | | | | like these that keep bass fishermen coming back |
| I only pause a second or two, but it takes almost | | | | with renewed enthusiasm, decade after decade. It |
| as long to complete a retrieve and make another | | | | is, above all else, a thinking man's sport. Now I'm |
| cast as it does with a worm. | | | | wondering if anyone has ever tried suspended |
| The strikes come during the short pauses, on a | | | | jerkbaits at night? |