Tackle Tactics » Tips-Techniques » Pro-Lure-Fishing-Tips » Night Fishing with Soft Plastics

Night Fishing with Soft Plastics

By Sean Bekkers

It's no secret that you can catch fish on plastics at night; a lot of keen anglers have been doing it for years. During the winter months the graveyard hours are my favourite time to chase fish on plastics, with my best fish having been taken while the water is black and when there is little to no sunlight. As with flicking a plastic during the daylight hours, there are a few little tricks that can help you get a bend in your rod when fishing in the darkness.

Does Colour Matter?

Now this is going to sound funny, but does colour really matter at night? I'm no expert and I have no idea what spectrum a fish can see in, especially at night, however what I can tell you from my experience is that when fishing a completely dark bank or deep gutter it hasn't been very important. When fishing artificially lit jetties and pylons however, I do believe that picking the right colours is a key to being successful. Although I love throwing around the crazy colours, I find that in ambient lit situation a colour that is going to give a silhouette against the light works best. Favourites for me include Gold Rush, Mood Ring, AYU and my new favourite Hot Snakes, with any of these a good place to start.

The next consideration when throwing a plastic at night is what sort of movement and vibrations is the lure going to give off whilst you're retrieving it. When working a plastic deep in the dead of night my first choices are ZMan SwimmerZ and FrogZ as these give off plenty of movement and vibrations. Working anything with a paddle tail or curl tail will give you some sort of vibration. Also going a little larger than your daytime favourites can make a difference. 

Scent Up

I'm possibly stating the obvious, however using scents like Pro-Cure Super Gel can also a make a huge difference. Most fish are built to sniff out a quick meal, so by generously lathering your plastic in a scent will definitely assist in triggering a bite. Bloodworm and Mullet flavours in the Pro-Cure Super Gel are a couple of my go-to flavours.

The retrieve is going to come down to where you're fishing and the amount of current running. When I'm fishing an area that is lit I like to twitch the plastic quicker to mimic a baitfish being chased along the surface and ducking back for cover.

My all-time favourite retrieve at night, in the pitch black, is to use a slightly heavier weighted jighead than normal, put in a long cast, let it hit the bottom and then slow roll (slow wind), with an occasional hop, back to the boat or bank. You really need to slow the action right down and leave the plastic in their face for as long as possible. A plastic with plenty of vibration, slowing down to give the fish time to find the lure and using scents on your plastic will all help the fish to hone in on your presentation. Let's face it, it's dark down there!

Ambient lights, such as street lights hitting the foreshore or overhanging jetties, tend to attract a huge amount of bait and as always try to match the hatch. If I'm casting into the pylons I tend to choose plastics that mimic small fish and prawns. ZMan 3.5" EZ ShrimpZ and 3" Scented ShrimpZ or 3" MinnowZ work a treat.

Where to Cast

As my boat is usually in the water at 2am, I've spent countless hours at my local jetty watching bait getting punished and they seem to get hassled from two main areas, straight under the jetty and on the edges of where the light fades back to black. So, I usually keep this in the back of my head when approaching an area that I'm going to fish. I'll hang well back from the light and put a long cast in toward the structure. If I'm using a prawn pattern I'll twitch it just off the pylon and if it's a little minnow pattern I'll slow roll it like Nemo who strayed too far from the reef. More often than not... Nemo gets hammered!

Whether you're on the bank or in a boat doesn't really matter, these little tricks have helped me to land plenty of fish on plastics at night over the years, from both the bank and boat. If you're in a boat though a sounder can be your best friend. Waterways in residential areas and even the city are an awesome place to start throwing plastic. As you can image the cityscape at night is just one big light magnet, however do rule out heading down to your local stretch of water as you should be able to find some light hitting the water. From the bank at night look for the drains heading into the deeper water and even try your favourite day spots as they could possibly become your favourite night spots as well.

Gear List:

TT Lures HeadlockZ HD jigheads

ZMan 3" MinnowZ
ZMan 4" SwimmerZ
ZMan 6" SwimmerZ
ZMan 3" Scented ShrimpZ
ZMan 3.5" EZ ShrimpZ
ZMan 2.75" Finesse FrogZ
ZMan 4" Hard Leg FrogZ

Mullet Pro-Cure Super Gel Scent
Bloodworm Pro-Cure Super Gel Scent