Client with a big 31” Canyon Ferry night walleye that crushed a jig/paddle tail combo
From Dusk til’ Dawn N By Trevor Johnson Kit’s Tackle Sportfishing www.kitstackle.com
o, this isn’t an article about a Quinton Tarantino horror movie; but it can sure feel like it fishing into the late hours of the night. I have had some real life Davey Jones Locker experiences out there. Now you are thinking to yourself, where the heck is Trev going with this?!?! Well folks, as we get into the HOT summer months and water temps start to raise, a lot of the big predatory fish become nocturnal. Just like a big spring bear or a late November whitetail buck. The good news is big walleye and brown trout both have excellent vision and predatory skills at night. I want to share with you a few of the tactics we have used to regularly catch these July and August fish at night. And as an added bonus, you will have a lot less company! Before we get into the tactics I would like to mention a few things about safety. Fishing at night isn’t
as easy as fishing in the day, believe me. You need to be on top of your game and fully alert about all your surroundings. When we do guide trips on summer nights fishing for walleye and browns, I never let my guard down for even a moment, especially with clients that depend on me for safety. Traveling both to and from spots should be done in a conscious slow manner and also use your GPS for reference.
KIT’S TACKLE SPORTFISHING
Having a GPS on your graph is nice because you can make a safe travel line in the daylight and use it at night. Remember though; never rely solely on electronics alone. Have both your bow and stern lights turned on at all times during the night; giving away your secret location isn’t worth an accident! A clear pair of safety glasses is also a must; jigs and cranks can come flying out of a fish’s mouth AND ALWAYS, ALWAYS WATCH THE WEATHER!! We got caught on the south end of Canyon Ferry last year in huge unexpected wind and lightning storm… the guy with me put on two life jackets..lol!!
The first and most fun method we use to target these summer fish is casting jigs or cranks to shore. In a previous article I talked about creating a
buffer zone between you and the shore. You just want to slowly contour the shore and cast within a couple inches of it. We use headlamps to see better if there is no moon or if it is cloudy. We have found
that huge walleye are not even the slightest bit shy of light, but for big browns..no lights! I have had 30” walleye follow my plug right to the boat and I can see them in my headlamp and after stopping my plug..POW!! Most hits will come within the first ten yards from shore though.
Our two favorite baits are jigs w/BIG PADDLE TAILS (essentially a swimbait) and crankbaits (my favorite for casting to shore is the Rapala shad rap). For the paddle tails we mainly use a 1/4-3/8 ounce jig head with a big obnoxious paddletail. Our favorite is the Keitech Fat Swing Impact in the 5.8” and 6.8’’ lengths. During the day we use the 2.8-3.8’’ but we bulk it way up at night! Even though they are proficient night feeders they can’t detect prey as well as during the day. When that big paddle tail motors by we think they can’t help but smack at it out of instinct! We cast the jig to shore and let it sink to the bottom and then do a slow lift and fall retrieve to the boat. Just a heads up, they don’t nibble when they smack a big swimbait at night. They about rip the rod out of your hand! IT TAKES PATIENCE, BUT IT IS REWARDING AND FUN!!
Shoco Ranch Stay in one of our creekside cabins on the ranch, or our Lodge in Augusta.
A dream come true for the fly rodder and angler that thrives on small stream fishing.
406-562-3553 VRBO/865691
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Book your summer fly fishing trip with us today! Great trips for both beginner and expert anglers alike www.kitstackle.com Outfitter #33318
Trevor Johnson 406.459.2841
10 | Hunting & Fishing News
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