# Night Fishing Whites on Livingston



## JakeBrake (Jan 28, 2009)

I know in years past of some people that claimed success at night fishing with green flourescent lights (among other types) on Lake Livingston with minnows for Whites.

Has anyone done this recently? Is there a good or bad time of year? Baits that work better than others? submerged vs. floating lights? Any advice or information?


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## OrangeS30 (Jun 21, 2009)

We used to fish the pier at the state park at night under the lights. When the lights were actually working, we did good. We used minnows at times but the best was a Rat-L-Trap with a pet spoon trail. Sometimes they would hit the trap, but mostly they would nail the spoon.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

The way the temps are going a night trip would be a good idea. It should work if you set up where the whites have been working. I hope you give it a go and report cause it sounds like a good thing to try.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

As a teen in West Texas (last century) every one considered sand bass (whites) to be a summer time night fish. No electronics. Just two Colman lanterns hung off the bow and stern and plenty of "red horse minners". We just went out to the deep part of North Concho or Nasworthy lakes and anchored. Fished straight down near the bottom.
I'm sure the same would work here in the 21st century. Of course you will have to contend with those pesky four pound blue cats, killer Gous and yellow bass taking all the minnows.


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## Whistling Dixie (May 24, 2009)

Jake,
We tried it a while back on the northeast corner of Pine Island and didn't catch anything. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong but what puzzles me is we trolled the area before dark and caught several whites just before the sun set. I'm planning to get out there and try again later in the summer. My wife bought one of those flourescent lights with the spotlight on the bottom, wow that thing is bright. I threw it out in 23 feet of water and could see it from the top even when it was at the bottom. Maybe that's my problem, I may need to have the light closer to the surface. I remember back 20 years ago when we used the floating car headlights, that seemed to work well, I wonder if Ira still has those? Maybe I should make some.


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## Meadowlark (Jul 19, 2008)

Sunbeam,

Wouldn't slabs work at night under lights also? Maybe scaled down in size some.

If I can get my nerve up, gonna try it just for fun. That heat today was brutal.


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## Sunbeam (Feb 24, 2009)

A GPS would be helpful to find the right spots in the dark. It would be a must to get back to the ramp on a moonless night. I lived at Beacon Bay from 07/00 to 04/03 and did a lot of night catfishing. Those shore lights all look the same from the island or the hump. Several times I found a boat full of folks at the gas dock when I open at daylight. Most had been on the lake all night and did not have a clue where they were.
All of my experience with whites under lights is with the light shinning on the water. Not floating or under water. I have a friend who has a home on the San Jac just above where it dumps into the bay above I-10. They catch whites mixed with trout off his dock every spring. He has several big lights on poles above the dock. You see the trout hitting the top but you never see the whites 'til they nail a rat-l-trap or speck rig.
One good thing about the old fashion pump up Colmans other than the light is the ability to flash fry every skitter and willow gnat that gets close.
Hope to see a glowing report soon.


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## redman35 (Jul 1, 2008)

I have a 6ft green light i used to night fish at livingston and it was awsome. We finished with live minnows and straight down.


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## Fishin' Soldier (Dec 25, 2007)

Catch a bunch of shad and use some live shad. If they die, fish them by hooking through the eyes with some small spit shot and jig them slowly. Should kill them under the lights...


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## JakeBrake (Jan 28, 2009)

Whistling Dixie said:


> Jake,
> We tried it a while back on the northeast corner of Pine Island and didn't catch anything. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong but what puzzles me is we trolled the area before dark and caught several whites just before the sun set. I'm planning to get out there and try again later in the summer. My wife bought one of those flourescent lights with the spotlight on the bottom, wow that thing is bright. I threw it out in 23 feet of water and could see it from the top even when it was at the bottom. Maybe that's my problem, I may need to have the light closer to the surface. I remember back 20 years ago when we used the floating car headlights, that seemed to work well, I wonder if Ira still has those? Maybe I should make some.


Robbie!!! Well hello long lost brother!!! Next time y'all go let me know. We live right there in Coldspring, and I have a park pass for the state parks... it's 10 minutes and we're on the water! I'm gonna try this night fishing quite possibly this weekend. My old GPS is not working anymore, and the one on my cell phone only uses roads... I'll just have to hope for the best...

Thanks for all the tips and advice fellas!!!!

Jake


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## bueyescowboy (Apr 10, 2005)

i have never caught white bass at night with luck. one night i wascoming in from white bass fishing and I seen some lights under the water on a dock, so I pulled up close and did some jigging with a slab and got a nice white bass. About that time some guy came on his porch shining a 100,000,000 watt light in my eyes. Now i was anchored about 20 ft off the dock. So i ask him what was his problem. he kept shining his light at me. Finally he said he didn't want nobody by his dock. hey no problem.....I pulled up my anchor and pulled out my 100,000,000 watt light, and shined him back as i moved off.
I hope he'll do that again someday because the next morning as soon as tra opened they got my call. Next time polk county police will be called out, and i ll be making the call. because it is what I know....as long as that boat is on the water ( and not touching someone's property) I am property of tra.....let him explain that to polk county.
I think the people where just renting the place. which i did tell them if they where renting the place they might go ahead and pack early.
Lets say my boat was sitting by their dock several more days, and i made note of their boat. But I never see it down. it might be best in his case....I patiently wait.........
let me go on to father explain that I live behind penwaugh, I have boats by my dock 24 hr a day. black bass during the day and bow hunters at night..... anyway that still gets my goat....i think i ll go by their dock again next time I am down just in case they think i have left....he he


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## Corey270 (May 18, 2009)

bueyescowboy said:


> i have never caught white bass at night with luck. one night i wascoming in from white bass fishing and I seen some lights under the water on a dock, so I pulled up close and did some jigging with a slab and got a nice white bass. About that time some guy came on his porch shining a 100,000,000 watt light in my eyes. Now i was anchored about 20 ft off the dock. So i ask him what was his problem. he kept shining his light at me. Finally he said he didn't want nobody by his dock. hey no problem.....I pulled up my anchor and pulled out my 100,000,000 watt light, and shined him back as i moved off.
> I hope he'll do that again someday because the next morning as soon as tra opened they got my call. Next time polk county police will be called out, and i ll be making the call. because it is what I know....as long as that boat is on the water ( and not touching someone's property) I am property of tra.....let him explain that to polk county.
> I think the people where just renting the place. which i did tell them if they where renting the place they might go ahead and pack early.
> Lets say my boat was sitting by their dock several more days, and i made note of their boat. But I never see it down. it might be best in his case....I patiently wait.........
> let me go on to father explain that I live behind penwaugh, I have boats by my dock 24 hr a day. black bass during the day and bow hunters at night..... anyway that still gets my goat....i think i ll go by their dock again next time I am down just in case they think i have left....he he


People do the same thing on Conroe. I can understand where they are coming from (concerned about people stealing their property) but its not a private lake and people are free to fish where they want to on it. The way I see it, if you dont want people fishing near your dock then dont have a house on the lake...


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## fishy (Jun 20, 2005)

Night fishing is great no boats, lots of fish. just have to have the right equipment and the right conditions.


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## shadslinger (Aug 21, 2005)

fishy, have you fished Livingston at night?


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## fishinganimal (Mar 30, 2006)

Its my opinion that to catch fish at night you must attract the bait. That is the way it is on the coast. No bait very little fish. Nothing like the feeding frenzie when the bait is busting the surface. Lights from above also attract the bugs which bounce on and off the water which brings in smaller fish to hit them creating the frenzie.


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