Night Fishing

[Pav]

I've been browsing the Guensey thread and Old Man Daves and companies night trips.

I'm intersted to know / learn more. I had considered this myself but would like to know what to expect. Other than the safety aspect (I'd plan to tandem with a buddy taking turns to sit on a kayak, lights on the kayak, and a night stick on the spearos bouy, and a light left on the shore as a marker.)

I've got a couple of standard dive lights that I've used for hunting under ledges for lobster before during the daylight. What is the chance of spotting fish at night? I know Bass tend to feed inshore at dusk. How do they react to lights? On a full moon do you need a light? Are you hunting in the shallows of the reef or freediving to depths still?

I had considered rigging up a powerful light below a tyre innertube and anchoring it to illuminate an area where I see fish during the day? or are you better hunting with your flash light?

interested to here your night expereinces + tales, especially in UK waters.

 

[petex]

i use myself car battery with 100w car halogen
i have light for 4+hour
battery is on a trashbox and wires are coming to the lamp inside
of a plastic...hm i dont know the right word but i have8 meters of that plastis thing with wire and the box is inside car inner tyre i dont have needs to go deeper here in finland fishes are here nightime 0-6m no need to go deeper

 

[Old Man Dave]

You might have missed this one as it was on the Dorset Thread as a reply to a similar question.


"Night diving is great, no make that, an amazing experience. In a way it's a bit too easy - if you can find the fish.
You can touch bass and mullet so dispatching then fron 6 inches range is that simple. Sole and red mullet are mainly nocternal and again if you see them they just sit there. As for squid, again you can touch them.
Personally I find at this time of year there's no point going daytime. Almost no fish, cold, poor vis.
At night I don't aim to make big catches, just to enjoy the sensation and to add a few bonus fish for the table at a barren time of year.
Gearwise I am using a £20 technisub cheapo torch with £30 worth of rechargable batteries. It is more than adaquate and can last 2 hours plus. On a clear night you can illuminate the bottom in 15ft from the surface and see fish. I also use a £10 head torch (waterproof to 30metres deep). I switch this on just to see when stringing fish etc.
However, what's been a revelation is the number and size of prime fish in 10ft of water or less. You never see them here in daylight.
Give it a go. Even if you don't catch big fish it is an amazing experience."


Can't say I'm an expert at night diving but can say that since I (we) started last year it's been great fun and can't wait to start again. At the moment there are not many fish about as it's that time of year (all off breeding). However when they return no doubt I'll be day and night diving. Don't tell the missus.:chatup

Dave

 

[Huan]

a night stick on the spearos bouy, and a light left on the shore as a marker.)

I wouldn't like to try and steal your fish! I assume you mean light stick?rofl

 

[Pav]

light stick!

Night fishing - What conditions do you dive in at night? If Viz is 1 meter would you still go out? Unsure as to how far you can expect to see with the torch?

I expected the light to spook these fish. Shore fishermen get stressed when lights are shined on the water near where they are fishing. I can't wait to try this but until the spring all i can do is tease some info / techniques from you

 

[portinfer]

Pav - I wouldn't use a bouy. I would minimise everything to the most

It is amazing how hard things get without light. I have tried with a float but it gets tangled and so on. Your buddy on the kayak will be able to spot you.

Also maybe rig the gun with a half wrap so all you need to do is push the spear in - or better yet use a shaft and hand spear for flat fish.

Def. take a head and hand torch - more light the merrier - get a truck battery and make a wooden boom either side of the kayak with downlighters ... Or maybe paint the kayak with glow in the dark paint and your suit ...

Good luck - Ed

 

[smee]

The fish over here may react differently to your local area but I found hunting with a flashlight way more effective then rigging a floodlight to illuminate an area. With a flashlight you are basiclly hidden behind the glare of the lamp so anything looking at you will not be able to make out your outline. With the floodlight both you & the target are illuminated. On night dives I also hang a glow stick from the float next to my stringer & catch bag for light so I can let go of the flashlight & use both hands to bag my catch. This is especially helpfull when trying to string octopus or spiney lobster.

 

[sickbugs]

for night dives, i find it important to have as little equipment as needed, for me, this means light, stringer and gun... and sometimes i still wish there was a way i could do it with less, thats why i love the full moon nights, such great vis, makes everything a lot easier

 

[cesare]

hey pav...I have done several night dives with almost every stage of the moon. Full moon helps, not too much though. nights dives and day nights are completely diferent, you would see a lot of diferent species that you wont see at day. Also fish behaves diferently, as old man dave says, you can almost touch them. but anyway I would recomend you that you should go first and experience the night dive as simple as you can, it would be even best without a speargun so you can feel comfortable in the new habitat.
I

 

[cesare]

I usually use two flashlight one attached to my mask and other one in my left hand that way if I catch a fish I can use both hands and just use the one in my mask. But this is what works for me, try to speek with soemone around your area and see what he use. Its an amazing experience don´t let your dream fade away..

 

[Mr. X]

I came across this thread on night fishing from last year: [ame="http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?t=64006"]Night Diving in UK[/ame]
Portinfers post #4 makes interesting reading. ('Might also want to check out Amphibious' current whistle thread -- could be useful at night?)

 

[Spaniard]

Is it legal to spearfish at night in the UK?

 

[Mr. X]

See the link above.

 

[Pav]

Great work Mr X! that was the thread I could remember but couldn't find. I can't wait to do my first night dive!!

 

[Jez]

Just ordered an Omer Moonlight Elite as a starting point (and a wrist compass, it hadn't occured to me to get one before - silly billy).

Pav I need a new dive buddy since Pekka went back to Finland this week. Was planning on trying night diving too, maybe along Budleigh beach (not the reef, it has a drastic current and I wouldn't be able to tell how strong it would be until the town's lights disappear behind the cliffs!). I reckon all the fish come in off the reef at night near in to the beach, its like 3-4m deep real close in so you wouldn't have to go too far. Maybe when its warmed up and there's some fish about we could plan a trip, don't think diving at night on your own is a good idea.

Going to test the water on Teusday in Torquay, havn't been in for a while and I'm feeling lucky.

 

[Pav]

Jez, thats a cool invitation. I'm buzzing with the idea of a night dive! I used to work over your way and know the sidmouth stretch. Couple of spots I'd like to try over your way but I'll pm them to you, as its your local coast and your perogative to share them, not mine!

 

[Mr. X]

Hi Jez,
I have the Omer Elite. With the stainless steel & glass head, it seems a sturdy piece of kit. Although less powerful, I found the UK mini Q40 mask torch handy. I tend to leave the mask torch turned on. The more powerful Elite switch is auto-off, so I just use when needed. www.7dayshop.com is a good source of batteries, rechargeables & chargers - although the batteries have lasted longer than I expected so I haven't needed to change mine yet. (The Q40s & bigger UK torches often turn up on ebay; usually from retiring scuba divers selling off their kit.)