Fishing the lights

[YakRunabout]

I went out last night to fish at some lights hoping to find the large bait balls that I have seen reported recently. I found no bait balls and just a few swirls of bait fish at a small number of lights. Perhaps the water has cooled too much for them? It was 64 degrees. But this was not an issue since the bigger fish were around anyways.

I had 3 rods rigged with the 3 lures pictured below. I have been using 5” jerk bait a bit this winter and have seen fish at the lights scared off by these, so I was trying to go smaller as well as to imitate the glass minnow appearance. I never did use the suspending twitchbait last night because the treble hooks were torn apart when I retrieved the lure from a bad snag earlier that evening. Instead I used a swimming mullet. All 3 of these lures caught fish - the cocahoe, swimming mullet and splinter.

On first entering the lights I was disappointed since there was no bait and no fish at the first half dozen lights. On my way out of that first channel I saw some surface action at one of the two lights up ahead so I was encouraged. I eased forward, not wanting to get too close. I cast the mullet across the light pool and slowly reeled it across. I got a good hook up – I am reeling it in, it is darting around and all the other fish scatter – then it is off the hook . . .

After a few choice words I move to an adjacent light to work that area and to see if the fish return to the first. A short time later I return and see some shadows, though not the action of before. I cast the cocahoe across the pool as before and have another good hook-up, fish zipping around – then off the hook again. So this is how the night is going to be!!

So I move on – Approaching the next light I see a bit of surface action and some nice shadows moving in the lights. So I cast across as before – another hook up that is running hard and all around. I get a 17” rat red to the boat. Finally –

Now many of the lights have many large fish swimming around, hitting the surface occasionally on something that I could not see. They were not skittish about the lures going through them, but also not real interested in them, though I would get one hooked up from time to time.

A bit later I noticed that the fish were moving away from the larger lures, so at the next set of lights I threw the Johnson Splinter first and got a strike that felt pretty hefty and that raced all around the channel. Into the boat came a redfish at near 23”.

A short time after this things changed – the water was still. It seems the tide movement had peaked and along with that the fish disappeared. I went by some other lights but saw no fish. I check my watch – 11:00PM – time to head home anyway. For the evening - I had 2 trout before sunset, one close to 18” the other nearly 20”. At the lights I ended up with 4 trout (2 keeper size) and the 2 reds, one a rat. I had as many hook ups as fish to the boat. A most enjoyable evening of stalking the fish that I could see there right in front of me. The large moon accompanied by Jupiter was an added benefit.

[spots-n-dots]

Thanks for the detailed report. A few tips from someone that has 365 access to lighted canal home:
I have found over the years that the chartreuse tail can be a big turn off sometimes. Go with an opening night or s more nstursl tuxedo color
For hard baits I like a couple. mirrolure makes a pencil thin version of the mirror dine. The mirrominnow. That in the clear glass minnow is a favorite.
My #1 go to ANYTIME of year under the lights is the morrorlure TNT26. Almost nobody fishing saltwater throws this lure and I love it. about 1 3/4 inch long but it is a trout machine.

[YakRunabout]

spots n dots - Thanks for the feedback. This is maybe my 5th time at the lights and so am still learning what works. I was trying a couple of new lures last night to see how they did. I was looking for something smaller than that mirrolure but did not see any at Academy the day I was there. I will try your recommendations and hopefully improve on the strikes. As it was I caught a few fish, came home with a nice red and had a great time.

[Drifting Yak]

Great post Ken....And glad you got into the fish....So what happened to that sandwich?

[YakRunabout]

The sandwich got tossed into the water and it attracted a flock of laughing gulls.

FYI - I was exploring some and trolling before nightfall. I had two lines out. So I decided to eat the rest of my sandwich before it gets dark and I am fishing the lights and all the action there (ha ha). I have had no fish action to this point. So after a few bites into the sandwich one of the reels starts clicking. I put the sandwich down on the chair of my kayak and bring in a nice trout at close to 20". The trouble was it was all tangled up in the second line that I had been trolling. So after dealing with the fish I had to untangle the line. Once underway again I found that the sandwich had found its way to the floor of the kayak. I wasn't that hungry - it went to the gulls.

It wasn't until later that I saw that the sandwich had made it into the fish picture. A Buc-ee's italian sub. All I can say is that when on the kayak you have to improvise.

[Yaklash]

Great report there, YakRunabout. Love the part about the sandwich

This is not to question what you are doing, but merely adding a couple of tips. When fishing the lights, if you can see fish being scared off by your bait, you are fishing in some really bright water. The only trout I have caught in the brightest part of the water are schoolies. An approach that, IMO, should always be tried at any given light - in addition to what you are already trying - is fishing around the edges of the light and even into the darkness outside of the light. This is where the larger trout and reds will be. I have had better success in these darker waters by slowly bumping a dark lure across the bottom; Morning Glory or Red Shad in particular. While the kids are catching schoolies, I'm catching fewer, but bigger fish that way.

Also, bait moving from the dark towards the light is the most natural presentation in that scenario. Think about it - the lights attract the bait, which attracts the fish. Bigger fish will sit at that edge and face the darkness, looking for bait coming to the light. They see the silhouette and then rise up or turn and follow for the kill.

[Squidward]

Great report, I'm hoping to get out soon and hit the lights. I've been fishing the lights for a few years now and have lost more trout than I wish to think about. That just adds some motivation to get out and try again though!

I need to start earlier like you talked about and troll some of those channels that's a nice fat trout you got there.

Ill attach some pictures of what I've had a lot of success with but I general go with whites or something that glows in the dark. I always wear a head lamp and every few casts I just recharge my glow in the dark baits and I have had some really good luck with them.

[Squidward]

Great report there, YakRunabout. Love the part about the sandwich

This is not to question what you are doing, but merely adding a couple of tips. When fishing the lights, if you can see fish being scared off by your bait, you are fishing in some really bright water. The only trout I have caught in the brightest part of the water are schoolies. An approach that, IMO, should always be tried at any given light - in addition to what you are already trying - is fishing around the edges of the light and even into the darkness outside of the light. This is where the larger trout and reds will be. I have had better success in these darker waters by slowly bumping a dark lure across the bottom; Morning Glory or Red Shad in particular. While the kids are catching schoolies, I'm catching fewer, but bigger fish that way.

Also, bait moving from the dark towards the light is the most natural presentation in that scenario. Think about it - the lights attract the bait, which attracts the fish. Bigger fish will sit at that edge and face the darkness, looking for bait coming to the light. They see the silhouette and then rise up or turn and follow for the kill.

Good tips here. Try and cast past or over the light and reel back through. NEVER cast right into the light it will spook the fish.

[YakRunabout]

Thanks for the good feedback, guys. I am relatively new at fishing the bays, etc., beginning about a year ago, so welcome any suggestions on lures or techniques, etc. I write the reports to show what I did and the results, not as a guide on how to do things. I have been reading this site and appreciate the education that it provides.

I do try to work the edges of the lights and to not cast into the light area, but that is a challenge at times when working from a floating platform at the mercy of the currents and winds, so the path of the lure is not always ideal. I have found another challenge at the lights is casting in the dark. It seems a large part of casting is visual and so when that aspect is gone in the dark I have less control. I am still working this aspect and so I think I just need to get out more to practice.

A related casting complication this last trip is the Johnson Splinter lure that I used for the first time. At only 1/8 oz it is a bit light for the rods that I have and so I could not "feel" it very well at the rod tip. I only used it since I was trying to downsize the lure to get closer to the bait size to see if that had an impact. It may not be necessary to have this small of a lure in the area, but it caught a 23" red, so I am likely to use it again. A comment on this lure - the original treble hook was pretty small so I changed it out for a slightly larger version.

Again - thanks for the feedback and recommendations, it is all an education.

[Rowan]

Nice red! Kayaking floodlights and canal green lights is one of my favorite ways to fish.

If you're going to keep at it I'd recommend picking up a Rapala husky in glass minnow. It's a spot-on imitation of what the trout and reds are busting. They make a 1/8 oz size and 1/4 oz size. I use the HJ-8 (1/4 oz) and I've caught countless trout on it. You can work this one fast and erratic if they are chasing, or suspend and twitch if they want it slower.

The Yo-Zuri 3Ds minnow is also another proven hard bait for the lights. For soft lures, look at the TTF glo shad. They make 2" and 3" versions I believe.

[FATBOYFISHING]

Ive been fishing the lights for awhile now and I can tell you the smaller the bait the better. The bait that im using is a minnow probably about an inch if not less. I use my ultra light rod and I have caught some big red and trout with this little lure. I wish I could tell you the name of the lure but I really cant remember. I know they can be found at walmart for about 1.50 for three in a white color

[kcross]

Dont forget the yo-zuri 3d minnow ghost color. That is a killer bait under the Causeway at night.

[MachewTexas]

Great photos on the post, and thanks for the tips. I like the look of that husky.

[SurfRunner]

Ive been fishing the lights for awhile now and I can tell you the smaller the bait the better. The bait that im using is a minnow probably about an inch if not less. I use my ultra light rod and I have caught some big red and trout with this little lure. I wish I could tell you the name of the lure but I really cant remember. I know they can be found at walmart for about 1.50 for three in a white color

Totally agree! I fly fish and use small flies tied on a number 6 hook. I have no problems with the bigger fish eating it.

[Yakety_Yak]

Great stuff, Ken!!

[txvike]

Thanks very much for the report and to all who replied. I only fish lights about 5% of my fishing time but in this thread there is great info. Every once in awhile when a thread like this gets a lot of replies with great info, I say to myself 'Thar's gold in them thar hills!' Love this site.