Night Fishing

Cabin fever is getting the best of me lately. I should know better, but I can’t wait until the opener. I would like to learn a new technique for Walleye fishing this year, night fishing. In my experiences, before day break and after sunset the Walleye bite shut down. What method do you use when fishing at night?

Sandbar

Hey Sand Bar!

Are you talking about ice or this spring?

Looks like on ice. In my short experiance with fishing the Croix at night…I would say use a small teardrop with the larger hook and a crappie minnow. Fish for crappies!

I’ve never had ANY luck with eyes on the Croix after sunset. Although I’ve heard that in soft water times, you can get into some by the Hudson dam.

It will be interesting to see how some of the “old timers” respond to your post.

Hey Brian,
Thanks for the post. I am looking for techniques used on soft water. Bye the way….what happened to Beach Brian?

Sandbar

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Bye the way….what happened to Beach Brian?

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I think he got kid-napped. notice how this so called BrianK didn’t refer to himself as one of the “old timers”. i’m sure Beach Brian would consider himself to be older than most all timers.

Good question Sandbar. I have found the same thing on the Croix. They just seem to stop bitting at night. Granted I havebt spent alot of time investigating the night bite there.

One night bite I have found is lighted bobber fishing for crappies and eyes. I had been throwing them out on the down stream side of a sand point. The water runs less than 5′ and there is a backwater to one side of the point. It almost seems like the fish might be moving up out of the main channel and feeding in the shallow waters at night.
This spot produces very little during the day but once the sun goes down it comes alive.

You’ve heard of Dr Jeckel and Mr. Hyde?

I have found the same thing. As soon as it starts to get dark, the bite will shut down. Took me a few years to figure out that it takes about 2 hours for the bite to get going again. And when the bite does take off, those fish are shallow. (Shallow for the Croix is anything from 5-15) Also look for fish suspending off sharp breaks taking shallow running baits.

Jon J.

Hey Jon:

How late do you usually fish on the Croix. I had my first experience with night fishing up north. It’s really different fishing at 1AM and still catching fish.

i work midniights so staying up shouldn’t be a problem.

Thanks Mike and Jon! Anyone have a good website for getting a divorce! My wife liked it better when the eyes just didn’t bite after dark!.

I would not consider myself a big night time fisherman on the Croix. We used to do an all nighter a few times every summer. Or camp out on an island and shore fish through the night. I have not done that in a while.

But I can attest to that pattern on the Croix where the bite shuts down for at least an hour after sunset. Weird deal, but it is a consistent pattern.

The best areas to fish are shoreline flats area. Catfish bar, Afton Park and the Sand beach area at Prescott will all produce at certain times of the year. These areas have a lot of water in that say 8-12 foot range. I like to long line #7 shad raps. Nothing fancy, just trolling right behind the boat.

Jon J.

I do a lot of night catfishing on the St Croix. Last summer we picked up a couple of nice walleyes (25″ and 23″) fishing at night using bullheads. Picked them up on a sand flat next to some deep water holes. They are out there and I think they just don’t get fished at night. On the St Croix it is a great way to get away from the traffic.

Night fishing on the Croix is often great at times. Late May to early June for the most part. Jon is right though, it takes and hour or two before it really gets going again. Many nights i don’t hit the water till around 8pm or so.
The key is to find shallow rock structure, 2-8ft(wingdams, points), anchor, and cast shallow rattilin stickbaits or shad raps. After an hour or so, when the fish stop, pick up and move to another location. The key is to find a couple good points, where the wind has been all day. Another trick i use on the Croix (exspecially in dirty water) is glow-in-the-dark cranks, for some reason the eyes lov’em at night.

Has, thanks for the pointers. One question, where are wingdamns on the St. Croix?

Thanks,
StillwaterKid

Love to fish the Croix after dark, or maybe I just hate the traffic during the day. Pull shallow cranks right up next to the rocks. I put lights on the flags on my boards, and run them as close to shore as I can get. My favorite crank is the old shallow jrTS, chartreuse is my best color. I usually run it about 100ft behind the board. Kind of a pain gong around the docks and anchored boats. Some nights the bite starts right at dusk, other times it doesn’t turn on until after mid night. the fish really come up in the column after dark, even above the deep stucture, (I’ve caught fish at night 2-4ft down over the sunken island). Nothing more serene than the Croix after dark, even when the fish are off. [email protected]

I’ve had some peaceful nights (a few) out on the Croix and I agree……….fish or no fish……….it’s just plain gorgeous and it has a very tranquil feel to it! My trolling results weren’t that great……….in fact…………. pathetic might be the appropriate word, but sometimes in those conditions, I just don’t care! After reading this post though, I do think my success ratio will improve! GreatPlains……..I’ll have to hook up with you for one of these night trips! It’d be great!!!

StillwaterKid, Has can give you better specifics but I know there’s wingdams down in the Afton channel.

Thanks everyone for your help. I am looking forward to trying some the night fishing techniques mentioned. Opener is right around the corner, 101 days…..I think the winter is getting the best of me!

Sandbar