Friday Night Tiki lights

[mwatson71]

Fished Tiki lights 3/10/18 from about 7:30p-10:00. Two reds, first was about 14", second was about 17". Almost every light was being fished from the dock so there was not a lot to choose from. I am a believer that, although the waters are public, the person paying the for the lights has the right of first refusal to use them. I will say that there was one set of overhead lights that covered soooooo much water that I was tempted to stay and fish the outside bounds of the lights as it seemed they were also outside of the person's casting reach. And then the guy on the dock got out a popping cork and chucked it as far out as he could as if to say "my lights, move along" so I did so without so much as making a single cast.

The few lights that were unattended were full of tiny bait fish. Really full. Thousands of tiny, about an inch long, what looked like glass minnows, in bait balls circling int he lights. I saw a pair of lights with big shadows cruising through and busting the surface but I couldn't get a bite from them. I was throwing TTF swim shad, 1/8 glow. I managed a few bites in the underwater lights but the only two I caught were caught in water with overhead lights. I also threw a DSL in dark with a chartreuse tail with no luck.

The drive down was windier than it actually felt on the water. The protection from the homes along the canals blocked most of the wind. I really thought I would do better than I did last night but I think the number of people actually out fishing their lights was a big reason I didn't. I saw fish being caught so they were out there. I may try again mid-week when maybe not so many people out and may go later. I also managed to splash a little of the water into my mouth accidentally on the paddle back in and I think the salinity is a little low, or at least it tasted that way.

Not a great report but hopefully informative.

[kickingback]

Very good report. Any report about fishing is good in my book! Thanks for sharing! I may be going next week to Tiki.

[Reef Donkey]

Thanks for the report. One thing I've learned is sometimes its better to sit out the holiday weekends including spring break. I learned that fishing the 4th of July one year. The better the weather, the greater the boater and jet ski traffic. However can always go really late at night when most are asleep. Good luck and tight lines!

[Dandydon]

Good detail in your report. One of your big decisions in nighttime fishing is whether to work the underwater lights or the surface lights. Both harbor fish, but which is better?
In my long experience the surface lights usually produce more catches, but often those lights are not fishable because the owner is fishing from his dock or pier.
The underwater lights are usually available & in play. I grew up night-fishing from a 17-foot Jon-boat with 3 halogen lights powered by car batteries for all-night action. We used to anchor up near a reef during tide movement & just wait for the trout, redfish & sandtrout to show up. We mostly limited out.
Now in our kayaks, we have to go find the good canal lights. It's deliciously different from daytime fishing because the lights are magical fish magnets, sometimes circled by baitfish & gamefish, a swirling pool of pleasure. I love it during our hottest months.

Hope to see some of you night warriors this May in our NIGHTTIME TOURNEY. Shoffer & I are working out the details. Soon I'll start a proper thread on that topic. See you on the water. Tight night lines!




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