I call Part 2 - Creature comforts for several reasons. You have to realize that night fishing usually lasts all night (10 hours), therefore, think about what it takes for you to remain comfortable on a boat (or bank) from cain't till can...(ie., see) Several ideas come to mind. Food/drinks, medicine (as prescribed), comfortable/warm clothes, comfortable boat seats, bug repellent, extra poles, enough anchors/rope to secure the boat on both ends. I will discuss each of these areas in more detail.

I try to get on the water about an hour before dark. Don't know why, but shortly after dark, I get hungry and eat. Then about normal bedtime, I eat again, then about 2pm, same song, third verse. If I didn't bring enough food to feed a small platoon, by the end of the night, I find I have run out of food. Normally, I try to bring enough food and snacks for myself/boat buddys for three meals and snacks...Remember typically you sleep at night, therefore do not eat. You just can't hit the lake after dinner and make it till the next morning, no matter how tough you think you are..that cool night lake air will zap the energy right out of you...So just bring plenty of food/drinks/cigs/tobacco/candy bars whatever else you require in the daytime and you will be happy. And happy fishermen makes for better focus/concentration.

If you require medicine, bring it...no need to end up at the hospital because you forgot your meds. Also, an emergency first aid kit is a good thing to keep in the boat.

Comfortable clothes (loose) are a must, as are some warm clothes. There are very few places colder than sitting on a lake at night even on a 70 degree night. I usually take a small backpack with a lined shirt-jac, gloves, pullover beanie, neck gaiter, extra warm socks (I take wool socks), and wind gear. I hope the night is comfortable and I don't ever have to unzip the backpack...but I usually do. If the temps are below 55 at night, I will take some insulated coveralls, as well. Leave your work boots at home and bring some comfortable shoes/crocs, etc. A warm and happy fisherman can really focus on catching fish.

Comfortable boat seats...when you are night fishing are a blessing...and after a night of fishing, you will know if yours are comfortable or not...I like fishing a bigger boat at night...man a place to snooze for 30 minutes is a real blessing...just a place to lay down and straighten out the old back is a wonderful thing about 3am.

Bug repellent...100% deet, Nam approved...don't cheat yourself...enough said...You may not need it, but when you do...town is a long way away.

I always bring 4 or 5 poles for night fishing. I pre-rig them, three for minnows one with a slip cork and single hook, one with a crappie rig bottom weighted, and one tightline with a splitshot and single hook. The fourth pole will have a black type jig 1/8th or larger on bottom and a crappie hook on top. The 5th pole will be my jig pole. I use the crappie rig to locate the crappie, then use the others depending on what type of bite is going on...I usually have enough poles that i don't have to retie too often...a blessing to my old eyes. hopefully, you will be catching fast enough that you only have to use one pole at a time...three is really more than you can realistically keep up with, unless there is no bite at all...

I usually tie up to stumps at night, so i need several short ropes (yes, an extra is helpful)...with boat cleats to tie off on...If I am dropping anchor, I drop one about 50 ft in front of my hole and back up to one side of my hole (about 25 ft off) and pitch an anchor then back off to the other side of my hole and pitch the third anchor...then center the boat over the hole tie the anchor lines off and start fishing. It is easier to be set up before dark (lights and all) than to get setup after dark.

Well this wraps up the creature comforts section of night fishing. There are some other considerations that are individual in nature, I have not addressed here. If i have left anything out, or if you just have questions...feel free to PM me or just ask the question on this thread...Remember, someone else may have the same question. If you have thoughts that may be better, please share them with the readers..This is by no means, an exhaustive list of night fishing dos/don'ts, rather it is a basic guide to ensure you are minimally prepared to remain warm, comfortable, and prepared for a night on the lake....Ketchn the hogs.

PS., night fishing is an endeavor best shared with buddies, and NOT alone...Depending on where you will be night fishing, a 22Mag with ratshot and/or some hollow points may be necessary...got a couple of night fishing holes like that...just try to keep the ratshot in the cylinder for the first four rounds and don't shoot into the boat unless it is absolutely necessary, hate to shoot a hole in the bottom of the boat with a hollow point. Take extra ammo, you may need it, if you get in a bind.

PSS..Night fishing (all night) is like a hard day of fishing, only without the sunburn. It is best to start out by fishing for three or four hours after dark and going home or preferably back to camp...Until you figure out some good night holes,(a trial and error process,) fishing for a few hours and going in is a preferred method.

I would be interested to know your methods or thoughts on lighting... both for attracting fish and for needed lighting for re-tieing or finding the snacks :-)
Thanks for the information and sharing!
Tight lines!
Jim

I will go pull up my thread entitled Night time crappie fishing Part 1...look for it in a few minutes up on top of this one.

Yep, see it now... Have a houseboat on RayBob and recently bought a 10 ft Pelican Bass Raider. If the wind will ever stop howling, I plan on taking it out and do a little night Ketchn :-)When the weather starts to get warmer, and if you do, how do you keep your minners lively and your catch alive and free from snake attack?

nice read

Crapicat, I'm just going to leave night fishin to you youngsters....I'll just have to dream about you guys stayin up as I get my beauty sleep!
Thinkin I need to get out soon, daylight is burnin!

We use a floating minnow bucket in the small boat...in the large boat, we are set up with an old insulated cooler that works well, when some ice is added.

22Mag pistol with ratshot (from Cabelas) for the snakes. You don't keep your catch alive, you keep them fresh in an ice chest (with ice)...I freeze plastic milk jugs filled with water...come fishing time I pull a couple out and bust them up...then you have a low cost source of ice....plus the more you fill the freezer, the less the freezer motor has to run....thereby saving electricity, as well.

Hey Okiebob, good to hear from you...I see you guys have recovered from your trip, and are back to normal again...

Yea, normally, we get to enjoy the cool nights of summer (and low winds) and avoid the daytime heat (and higher winds)...and catch a limit of fish with few, if any folks around watching or aggravating us...Plus, I don't feel the need to add an umbrella to my rig...but that is just me...

one question ....
is it ok to ketch slab daddy turtles at night ?
ROFLMAO .....

Most lakes have access points inside parks with a closing time of 9-10pm. So there's no coming in and launching in the middle of the night and staying until daybreak. Like you mentioned, it's easier to launch and setup before dark.

It's getting harder for me to stay out all night and still function proprely the next day so I' ll take the half-night guided tour where you take us out fishing at 7:30pm and we head in about 12:30am!

I bet we can figure that Ketchn adventure out before very long...hmmm, may even bag a turtle or two...Personally a snake on the hook is more exciting than turtles!!

One other tip.....
A hot cup of fresh brewed coffee sure taste good
in the middle of the night,especially on those chilly
adventures.You can visit a local truck stop
like a petro,and pick up a 12V drip coffee maker.They work great and plugs into a cigarette lighter outlet!
I havent graduated from my coleman lanterns just yet
except that I use a propane one on a extension mast
attached to a 20# bottle.You can also attach a hose and a heater to the mast in the case that it gets really cold.

I sat on a new nite spot last nite. Put out my green lights & three rods. I was in 10 fow in a secondary cove off a main lake cove. I was directly out from the docks that are producing spawning fish in the mornings. I could hear fish hitting the top of the water till about 10:30 and could see a few shad and minnows cruizing thru my lites, but my HB did not show any fish swimming thru????
I only lost about 7-8 minnows and had 1 solid bite that didn't result in a hoop up.
I idled back to the house around midnite and only marked 3 fish along the way.
I'm determined to find some nite fish and will continue my efforts & search. It was too windy to fish in my normal spot and that dock has been demo'd so the light is no longer there. It was the only light above water in this cove, which I believe was a major part of why it was a good spot from early spring thru fall.
Thanks for all the info & tips Crapicat.!!

Pontoon for nite fishing.

Good post most of these things are things a person who has never night fished might not think of. Things change when its dark everything gets harder best to be prepared as possible.