# Night Wade fishing



## Mstpaul48

I usually have fished around sportsman or north shoreline but was wondering if anyone had tips for first time night wade fisherman at this time of year.


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## TU MO KASSTS

a good head lamp. finding a night with good moonlight will make things much easier. know how to cast without being able to see your lure (or you'll ratsnest like a sonofagun). know the bottom in the area you're going to fish (you don't want to hit a dropoff and swamp your waders). buddy system. nerves of steel because things tend to bump into you at night. mosquito repellent.


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## Solodaddio

Fiber the next day! Shuffle & don't forget to shuffle


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## Nightrider

Mann sat and thought about it for a bit and just thinking about night wade fishing makes me nervous. Guess it would pay to really know the area your in. And definitely a buddy


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## iamatt

Only thing spookier to me than wading at night is dropping shark baits at night. :ac550:

Like other guy say, you get bumped by things. Head lamp, know how to cast or use spinning rod. Don't back step those stingrays like to follow you. Move slow and savor the different environment. That first blowup on a bait you can't see then feel the rod bow up is worth it.


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## Stumpgrinder

North shorelines , R months , full moon. 

Not for the faint of heart. Keep a light burning in the boat so you don't lose it.

Never, ever ever alone. Not ever . Never


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## Mstpaul48

Any reason for going north shoreline other than wind?


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## Stumpgrinder

Mstpaul48 said:


> Any reason for going north shoreline other than wind?


Mud


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## FishingMudGuy

iamatt said:


> Only thing spookier to me than wading at night is dropping shark baits at night. :ac550:
> 
> Like other guy say, you get bumped by things. Head lamp, know how to cast or use spinning rod. Don't back step those stingrays like to follow you. Move slow and savor the different environment. *That first blowup on a bait you can't see then feel the rod bow up is worth it.*


Yes, that's a great feeling. :dance:


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## jesco

Top waters at night with a strong moon overhead is hard to beat.


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## tigerhead

I went wade fishing on a full moon night off of Sportsman's Rd years ago. Back then a lot of people wore the big white styrofoam hats for tackle boxes. They were pretty nice during the day because they would insulate your head from the sun. Anyway, I get about thigh deep 100 yds down the shoreline and all of the sudden something almost took my head off. I look and all I see is the a** end of a pelican going out to the bay. Not two seconds later WHOOSH! another pelican missed my head by a foot or so. When the third one buzzed me I finally realized they were seeing that white hat glowing in the moonlight and thought it was another pelican they were following. Thankfully that hat would float, because I ended up running my stringer through it and towing it behind me. Like someone said, not for the faint hearted!


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## SolarScreenGuy

Made a night wade under full moon at the mouth of the Trinity River back in the 80's. It was early fall and water crystal clear. You could see your feet by moonlight up to thigh deep. Found a small reef covered up with reds so me and the guys had a blast catching them up to 30". Never will forget that trip. Use to fish near Dollar Reef at night and caught some nice trout on occasion. My night wading trips are over now. I just think it's too risky.

www.solarscreenguys.com


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## OnedayScratch

tigerhead said:


> I went wade fishing on a full moon night off of Sportsman's Rd years ago. Back then a lot of people wore the big white styrofoam hats for tackle boxes. They were pretty nice during the day because they would insulate your head from the sun. Anyway, I get about thigh deep 100 yds down the shoreline and all of the sudden something almost took my head off. I look and all I see is the a** end of a pelican going out to the bay. Not two seconds later WHOOSH! another pelican missed my head by a foot or so. When the third one buzzed me I finally realized they were seeing that white hat glowing in the moonlight and thought it was another pelican they were following. Thankfully that hat would float, because I ended up running my stringer through it and towing it behind me. Like someone said, not for the faint hearted!


That's funny right there.

Night wading was my first introduction to wade fishing. Love it. Haven't done it in awhile but I'm up. Think I'm a little more cautious now than then though.

Buddy system for sure unless you absolutely know the waters. Even if you do, just be careful. I went one evening and a storm popped up. I was about a 1/4 mile from where I got in and always used a light on shore for reference. It was out. I kept going bypassing my put in spot and found a drain. Just about drowned...no pfd.

I finally got to shore and cut through a tank battery when the sky opened up. I was soaked, miserable but alive. Walked about a mile and knocked on some guys door at 1:00 in the morning hoping not to get shot. Told him what happened and he took me back to my truck. Come to find out, where I got out was probably 200 yards from where my truck was.


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## Ethan Martin

Moonlight. Heddon Zara Spook, or any loud topwater. If you have a full moon youll be able to see plenty.


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## reba3825

stumpgrinder said:


> north shorelines , r months , full moon.
> 
> Not for the faint of heart. Keep a light burning in the boat so you don't lose it.
> 
> Never, ever ever alone. Not ever . Never


x2 x3 x1000. Never never never!!!!!!!!!


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## trophytroutman

jesco said:


> Top waters at night with a strong moon overhead is hard to beat.


This!!!!


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## Outearly

I've been following this thread, and thought I would give a night wade a try. Just got back to the house after about an 1.5 hour West Bay wade. Really fun and interesting, slightly spooky. Picked up a keeper red on a full sized spook. Weird to latch on and not be able to see anything. 

Getting him netted, unhooked, on the stringer was quite a show if anyone could have seen me. 

Great fun!


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## Flippin' Crazee

I wade a lot at night, usually by myself because most people are spooked at night on a wade. I've been spooked a few times in the spring when big jack fish are cruising the shallows with the trout. Those suckers will push a wake straight at you and turn when they notice you occasionally splashing you. All you can think is SHARK! I catch 'em on tops, 51MR's and paddletail plastics. If anyone wants to hook up with me and try it out shoot me a PM. I went last weekend and did pretty good so I'm gonna try to go again tomorrow night, depending on the weather.


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## Flippin' Crazee

BTW, I paddle a kayak to where I'm fishing and then get out and wade. I have an extra yak if someone wants to try it out.


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## FishingMudGuy

I went by myself on Wednesday night. No kayak; just walked into the water. There was no moon and the tide was moving slow. Caught one 22" trout on a She Dog at about 10pm. I would be up for a night wade Flippin' Crazee.


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## jesco

Flippin' Crazee said:


> BTW, I paddle a kayak to where I'm fishing and then get out and wade. I have an extra yak if someone wants to try it out.


 Old thread. Sorry. But this here is a very generous offer. Green.


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## markmc2

iamatt said:


> ...That first blowup on a bait you can't see then feel the rod bow up is worth it.


you can always close your eyes fishing during the day... ;-)


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## JASPER

Those are some good stories. I wade fish at night in Rockport just south of the Copano Bay Bridge across from Goose Island. One night while wading by somebodies pier lights I had a little rattle snake swim up to me so I slapped it with my rod and accidentally hooked the little booger with my glow in dark cocahoe. Didn't know what to do so I fished it 3 or 4 times nothing would bite it so I smashed his head with my pliers, jerk it off my hook and tossed it as far as I could and figured it was time to head back to the house. I did how ever have a full stringer of nice trout. I love wading at night

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk


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## Mr. Saltwater

Coolest thing I've ever seen wading at night was green phosphorescent organisms glowing so bright as passing fish disturbed them that you could see the silhouette of the fish. Stood out with so much contrast you could make out the size and type of fish. Mesmerizing...especially when a school of Reds put on a light show tearing into bait. Wish I could have caught that on camera!!


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## Flippin' Crazee

FishingMudGuy said:


> I went by myself on Wednesday night. No kayak; just walked into the water. There was no moon and the tide was moving slow. Caught one 22" trout on a She Dog at about 10pm. I would be up for a night wade Flippin' Crazee.


 If you were able to catch one on a top water then chances are there were more in the area. Next time you go if you catch one on a top and no more, switch over to a dark colored paddle tail and keep plugging away. I work a paddle tail pretty fast at night to maximize vibration and usually do pretty good.

When we had those 40mph winds last month, I launched around 6:00pm with the guys fishing from the bank calling me CRAZEE, and paddled into a West Bay south shoreline bayou. I anchored up along a high bank with the plans to stay all night because I wasn't comfortable paddling in those winds in the dark. I sat sideways in my kayak and had one of the best nights I have ever had! I guess the winds had the redfish pushed up in the bayou and as soon as it got dark it was on! Schools of reds came by me every 10 mins with birds working them all night long. It was an amazing night. I ended up quitting due to my muscles being knotted up from catching and releasing so many reds. I couldn't get bit with a 5" straight tail so I downsized to a 3" texas roach paddletail and that was the ticket.

Get out there and try it. There is nothing like having the bay to yourself, not dealing with homeowners who don't want you to fish their lights and catching fish in the complete darkness. I love it!


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## charlie23

you are one brave, adventurous son of a gun John


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## Mstpaul48

Well I finally got my chance to try this out for the first time and no luck. Just happy to get my boots wet and try this out at night. Went alone (foolish dumb young pride or whatever you want to call it) but made sure that it was just a spot within eye sight of houses and an area I've known about my entire life. Fished with a dark top water and rarely saw any action on the water so glad that i was more likely at the wrong place/wrong time. Loved it and had a blast even without catching anything also can't beat staying cool and avoiding the sun. Thanks for all the info will end up trying again the next couple nights and hope to get some tight lines


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## imfishintoday

*Calcasieu night wading*

In our younger days we would night wade at Calcasieu and the Cajuns would look at us like we were crazy.

Now I think those Cajuns were right. At times when we fished the Steam Engine and Washout we were a few hundred yards from the ship channel. We now know that the 60 ft deep ship channel is like a freeway for bull sharks and they do feed at night.

The one think that scared me the most was getting hit by a boat cutting through the water not expecting waders at night.

We always use artificial so no problems with hardheads or stingrays. We might go one more time but will get up at 2 Am and stay till it gets hot. NO MORE ALL NIGHTERS !


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## Tightlines1984

What colors do u use for top waters and paddle tails when doing a night wade?


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