Pick the Right Night
Fish on the nights when the bass are feeding most heavily. According to the Inside Line fishing website, bass start to feed quite frantically once the water temperature drops below 62 degrees F in the fall, instinctively bulking up for winter. Between 62 and 54 degrees F, they continue to feed frantically. Once the temperature drops below 54 degrees F, however, bass metabolism slows somewhat and they bite more slowly. If you can, fish on a night with a full or nearly full moon and clear sky. Bass seem to bite more aggressively in cold weather when there is light.
Go Big
Use large, bulky, rattling baits. At night, bass rely more on sound and movement to cue them in to the location of their prey. Long, fat worm lures, bulky crank baits and large spinner baits move a lot of water, according to Inside Line, getting the attention of the big bass you want to catch.
Be Careful
Cast out and reel your line in slowly, with a natural stop-and-start motion to make it more convincing. Although bass may be adept at using their other senses, they can still have a hard time finding your bait at night if you move it too quickly. You should also exercise care to move your boat slowly and quietly. During the day, the fish may tune out the sounds of boats on a high-traffic lake to some degree, but in the quiet of night, your engine can spook the bass much more easily.
