Full Moon Fishing at Night in the Gulf

[DEMON]

I've trout fished before on a full moon night. Same techniques as day with results about the same. I picked up some glow in the dark gel from the craft store and coated a couple of Cajun Thunders on the top. Works well with the light of the moon. You can track it just fine. If you get some clouds covering the moon you can use one of the small led head lamps (not a real bright one) to illuminate the glow in the dark paint. Keep the light in the boat to a minimum with the exception of your anchor light. Use a small red led light covered on top to tie knots and such. If you keep the light low your eyes will adjust to the dark. A couple of Thermacells will take care of the bugs.

Before you leave the dock, make sure you know how to turn the light down on your electronics. The daytime settings will blind you at night. Have a Q-beam and a backup to light channel markers. Be prepared for fog! It can make it some slow going back to the dock. You will have to trust your GPS to navigate so make sure you have a good track.

[SS-342]

I've trout fished before on a full moon night. Same techniques as day with results about the same. I picked up some glow in the dark gel from the craft store and coated a couple of Cajun Thunders on the top. Works well with the light of the moon. You can track it just fine. If you get some clouds covering the moon you can use one of the small led head lamps (not a real bright one) to illuminate the glow in the dark paint. Keep the light in the boat to a minimum with the exception of your anchor light. Use a small red led light covered on top to tie knots and such. If you keep the light low your eyes will adjust to the dark. A couple of Thermacells will take care of the bugs.

Before you leave the dock, make sure you know how to turn the light down on your electronics. The daytime settings will blind you at night. Have a Q-beam and a backup to light channel markers. Be prepared for fog! It can make it some slow going back to the dock. You will have to trust your GPS to navigate so make sure you have a good track.

Excellent advice DEMON! I believe you have been there done that before! Thanks.

Might want to cover the dials with red cellophane like some folks use on busted tail lights.

[Dubble Trubble]

My late wife Barbara and I did it one full moon back in 2007. Did not get much fishing done!

We put in at Econfina around 2 am and left about daylight. It was a beautiful night....

Dubble

[doomtrpr_z71]

I use a green headlamp for my nighttime stuff, granted its in a cotton field but it seems to work a little better than red while still maintaining night vision.

[SS-342]

My late wife Barbara and I did it one full moon back in 2007. Did not get much fishing done!

We put in at Econfina around 2 am and left about daylight. It was a beautiful night....

Dubble

Dubble, you are a mess! I wondered about the same thing but at my age, I'd probably FISH!

[SS-342]

I use a green headlamp for my nighttime stuff, granted its in a cotton field but it seems to work a little better than red while still maintaining night vision.

Interesting….we used red light on the submarine. On extended trips that was the only way I knew if it was daylight or night time.

[doomtrpr_z71]

I use a green headlamp for my nighttime stuff, granted its in a cotton field but it seems to work a little better than red while still maintaining night vision.

Interesting….we used red light on the submarine. On extended trips that was the only way I knew if it was daylight or night time.

I normally used red at night but I had to do predawn cotton work and had to use green and but it worked awesome. This thread does have me wanting to give nighttime flats fishing a shot, maybe during scallop season.

[leonreno]

Be cool if we could plan a Bigbendfishing.net full moon fishing extravaganza, might make first timers feel a little safer with company around.

[MudDucker]

My late wife Barbara and I did it one full moon back in 2007. Did not get much fishing done!

We put in at Econfina around 2 am and left about daylight. It was a beautiful night....

Dubble

Dubble, you are a mess! I wondered about the same thing but at my age, I'd probably FISH!

Yea, like the old joke. Man comes home and wife is dressed very sexily. She tells him, tie me up and do what you want. So he ties her up and leaves for a night fishing with the boys.

[Pirate]

We fish a lot in the keys at night in July. The reefs are so close its a 15 minute run. We always slayed the mangrove snapper and were never out past midnight. You can catch an assortment, but snapper are the big draw. The only time I have fished at night inshore was when the daytime tides were really bad. Inshore navigation is a little suspect at the best.

[RHTFISH]

Be cool if we could plan a Bigbendfishing.net full moon fishing extravaganza, might make first timers feel a little safer with company around.

Sounds like fun! Another thing is being especially careful at night throwing topwater with treble hooks! Got to have confidence in fishing partners!

[FUTCHCAIRO]

I HAVE DONE MUCH FISHING AT NIGHT ON THE MOON. I HAVE ALWAYS USED BIG SPINNER PLUGS, BIG POPPER PLUGS AND HAVE ALWAYS HAD GOOD LUCK. I THROW THE LURE OUT AS FAR AS I CAN AND WORK IT BACK TO THE BOAT AS FAST AS I CAN REEL THE LINE IN. IT HAS BEEN A WHILE SINCE I HAVE DONE ANY NIGHT FISHING DUE TO MY BAD HEALTH, I AM GETTING WELL FAST AND HOPE TO GET AT LEAST ONE TRIP DOWN TO ST. MARKS LIGHTHOUSE AND EAST OF THERE ON THE JUNE MOON . ONE OF THE BETTER PLUGS TO USE ON THE FULL MOON IS A HEDDON SPOOK, RED HEAD AND WHITE BODY WITH SILVER FLEC., ANOTHER IS A DALTON SPECIAL WITH THE SPINNER ON THE TAIL, WHITE WITH RED FACE AND SILVER FLEC. THE SECRET TO MOONLIGHT FISHING IS FAST, FAST, FAST, REEL THE PLUG IN AS FAST AS YOU CAN. BE CAREFUL AND USE A GAFF OR NET, THERE ARE SOME PRETTY BIG BULL SHARKS THAT LIKE THOSE SAME PLUGS AT NIGHT ALSO. I HAVE CAUGHT JUST ABOUT EVERY SPECIES OF FISH THERE IS IN THE BIG BEND AND ALSO DOWN AROUND BOKEELIA AND FT. MEYERS. ONE NIGHT A FRIEND OF MINE AND I WERE PLUGGIN IN TAMPA BAY AROUND CORTNEY CAMBELL CAUSEWAY AND WE HOOKED INTO SOMETHING THAT WAS REALLY STRONG, FOUGHT THAT THING FOR 3 HOURS AND FINALLY BEACHED THE BOAT DOWN ALMOST TO RUSKIN AND KEPT FIGHTING THAT FISH. WE FAUGHT THAT FISH FOR A TOTAL OF 4 1/2 HOURS AND BEACHED BEACHED HER, IT WAS A JEW FISH, OTHERWISE KNOW AS GIANT GROUPER, THAT FISH WEIGHED IN AT 355# , WE GOT ONE OF ROLANDS SHRIMP BOAT ON THE RADIO AND THEY CAME BY AND PICKED HER UP, PAID US .05 CENTS A POUND FOR HER, THAT GAVE US ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY GAS TO GET BACK OVER TO THE CAUSEWAY AND FILL UP THE PICK-UP. MOST PEOPLE TODAY DO NOT KNOW WHAT FISHING USE TO BE LIKE, IT WAS NOTHING TO GO OUT DOWN AT BOKEELIA OR FT. MEYERS AND CATCH A HUNDRED TROUT OR REDS, GROUPER, OR MOST ANYOTHER KIND OF FISH IN 4-5 HOURS . IT DIDN'T SEEM TO MATTER WHAT TIME OF DAY OR NIGHT IT WAS, BACK THEN IT WAS NOTHING FOR A COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN TO CATCH A COUPLE OF TONS OF REDS, OR TROUT IN ONE NIGHTS FISHING. THEN THE COMMERCIAL PEOPLE FOUND OUT BY USING PLANES THEY COULD SPOT SCHOOLS OF REDS OFF SHORE, THEY WOULD CALL IN THE NET BOATS AND WIPE OUT A SCHOOL OF FISH IN A MATTER OF HOURS. THAT IS THE REASON WE HAVE LOST MOST OF OUR GAME FISH , PLUS THE FACT THAT THERE ARE AT LEAST A MILLION PEOPLE FISHING THAT WE DID NOT HAVE BACK IN THE 30'S AND 40'S.
PA
SEMPER FI

[SS-342]

Pa, you are a living, walking testament to another era. Thank you so much for your comments. I enjoy every one!

Hope you get that last fishing trip many time over. Good to hear you are doing better. Keep on "plugging" along.

[Pirate]

This man has walked the walk!