NORTHWEST

Oregon – Brookings, Winchester Bay, Charleston, Agate, Applegate, Emigrant, Howard Prairie, Hyatt; rockfish, lingcod, sturgeon, crab, mussel, rainbow – here

Central Oregon – Crooked River, Deschutes River, Hood River, Metolius River, Prineville Reservoir, Taylor Lake, Prineville Youth Fishing Pond; largemouth, smallmouth, trout, steelhead – here

WEST

Bay Area – Anderson, Berryessa, Camanche, Chabot, Calero, Chesbro, Del Valle, Los Vaqueros, McAlpine, Parkway, Eel, Mad, Russian, Sacramento, Smith, Trinity, Monterey, Pacifica, San Francisco; bass including largemouth, trout, striper, catfish, steelhead to 22 lbs, Dungeness, sand dabs, perch, rubberlip – here

Southern California – Hesperia Lake, Diamond Valley, Casitas Lake, Irvine Lake, Santa Ana River, Silverwood, many more; trout, black bass, largemouth bass, shad, striper, panfish, catfish – here

ATLANTIC

Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland – James, Appomattox, Chickahominy Rivers, Chesapeake, Outer Banks; trout, puppy drum, blue-cat, speckled trout, rockfish – here

Florida – St. Johns, Wekiva, Sebastian Inlet, offshore, Indian River Lagoon, Central Florida; bass, crappie, catfish, flounder, redfish, mangrove snapper, bluefish, black drum – here

Florida – more here

South Carolina – Lake Greenwood, Lake Murray, June Creek, Colonel Creek; catfish, crappie, largemouth bass – here

Delaware – here

SOUTH

Texas – Lake Brownwood, Lake Coleman, O.H. Ivie Reservoir, Lake Proctor; yellow catfish, black bass, striper, crappie, channel catfish, blue catfish – here

Now here is a great way to help the kids beat cabin fever, get some fresh air and learn about one of North America’s great winter pastimes.

This Illinois workshop, hosted by Coon Creek Casters on Feb 5, 2011, focuses on helping kids learn about ice fishing.  Children 5 to 15 are invited to participate.

Ice fishing has been around for centuries but only in recent years has the specialty product market for ice fishing equipment exploded.  Easy-to-set-up wind-proof shelters, efficient heaters, and other amenities have made this chilly sport potentially even more comfortable, pleasurable, and rewarding than ever for participants.

SOUTHEAST

Treasure Coast, FL – Indian River County, St. Lucie County, Martin County, Vero Beach, Lake Okeechobee; trout, redfish, bluefish, pompano, black drum. (here)

South Indin River, FL – Bear Point, Harbor Beach, Round Island; pompano, Spanish macherel, jack crevalle, black drum, sheepshead, bluefish. (here)

SOUTHEAST

Florida – Banana River, Mosquito Lagoon; redfish, speckled trout, pompano – here

Treasure Coast – Indian River County, St. Lucie County, Martin County, Lake Okeechobee; pompano, black drum, bluefish, sea bass, triggerfish, trout, triggerfish more – here

SOUTHWEST

New Mexico – Cimarron River, Costilla Creek, Red River, Rio Grande, Rio Hondo, Black River, Brantley Reservoir, Chama River, San Juan River, Jemez River, others; trout, rainbows, catfish – here

WEST

Bay Area – Berryessa, Bon Tempe/Lagunitas, Camanche, Chabot, Clear, Contra Loma, Pyramid, Quarry Lakes, others; catfish, trout, bass, sturgeon, steelhead, more – here

SOUTH

Louisiana – Chaney Lake, Lake Claiborne, Lake D’Arbonne, others; crappie, catfish, more – here

MIDWEST

Ohio – Vermilion River, Conneaut Creek, Cleveland Metroparks, Wallace, Shadow, Ledge, Judge, Ranger, Western Lake Erie; walleye, rainbow trout, steelhead, bluegill, yellow perch – here

NORTHWEST

OR – Brookings, Wichester Bay, Charleston, Agate, Emigrant, Howard Prairie, Hyatt, Diamond, Expo, Lake of the Woods, Willow Lake, Selmac, Rogue. Umpqua, Cowuille, Elk/Sixes; steelhead, sandshrimp, rainbow trout, lingcod.  (Report here.)

WEST

CA – Smith River, Napa River, California Delta, Lake Berryessa, Clear Lake; steelhead, striper, sturgeon. (Report here.)

MID ATLANTIC

PA – Presque Isle Bay, Lake Pleasant, Lake Edinboro, Allegheny River, Chapman Reservoir, Allegheny River, Kahle Lake, Lake Justus, French Creek (Venango, Crawford Counties), Pymatuning Reservoir, Conneaut Lake, Woodcock Lake, Lake Wilhelm, Shenango Reservoir, Lake Arthur, Harbor Acre Lakes, Raccoon Lake, Hereford Manor Lakes, Allegheny River, others; bluegill, steelhead, trout, muskie, crappies, perch, bass, northern pike, panfish, largemouth bass, walleyes. (Report here.)

SOUTHEAST

FL – Flagler Beach, New Smyrna Beach, Daytona Beach Shores, Tomoka Basin, Halifax River, Ponce Inlet, Matanzas Inlet, St. Johns River; redfish, grouper, sea bass, amberjack, cobia, shrimp, flounder, trout. (Report here.)

NC – Topsail Island, Wrightsville Beach, Carolina/Kure Beach, Offshore Wilmington, Lower Brunswick County, Cape Fear River; red drum, black bass, wahoo, grouper, king mackerel, speckled trout, Sheepshead. (Report here.)

MORE

Treasure Coast

Myrtle Beach

Tennessee

San Jose

Whether fishing inland waters of rivers of lakes, or fishing the deep sea, many anglers enjoy and even prefer the experience of night fishing.  It is common to fish at night for stripers, bass, crappie, and more.

Night fishing typically involves a boat, so that the angler or anglers can move out of shallow areas along the shore and banks, and find larger concentrations of fish in deeper water.

Night fishing can be very rewarding, but there are many things you need to consider in preparation for night fishing.

Weather

With night fishing, safety is a primary concern. As with any boating experience, be sure to check the weather conditions ahead of time to make sure they are conducive to boating. This is especially important at night, when darkness can limit your ability to detect incoming weather patterns you might otherwise be able to notice by watching the sky during daylight hours.

Float plan

It is important to plan where you’re going to be fishing. If it’s in unfamiliar waters, take a dry run during the daylight, using your GPS navigation and also a secondary navigation source to make sure you are clear about where you’re heading. It is also important to let a trusted friend or associate know about the details of your float plan, including the marina or launch ramps that you anticipate will be involved.  Agree on a time you will check in with them to let them know you’ve made it safely to shore.

GPS navigation

Even in familiar waters, it is easy to become disoriented in the darkness. It is extremely important for your own safety to make sure you have a working GPS unit, and preferably a backup GPS unit, so that you can find your way safely to your fishing spot and back.

Bug repellent

You may be on the water for a few hours, or perhaps longer.  Forgetting your bug spray could make for a very uncomfortable experience.

Live bait

In the darkness, fish will be attracted by two things: smell and sound. The smell of live bait can help your fishing efforts. If you are deep sea fishing, you might want to put out a chum to attract the type of fish you want to catch.

Vigilance

It is very important to keep an eye out for other boats that may be night fishing in the area. It is not uncommon for night fishing accidents to occur. This can be due to pilot negligence, lack or proper lighting, or inability to navigate unfamiliar waters safely. You as the operator of your vessel are always responsible for avoiding collisions and accidents.

Lights

Other boats need to see you, so make sure all your running lights are in working order and are turned on.  Other lights around the boat can be helpful as well, such as gunnel lights, cabin, and cockpit lights. Before you set out on your night fishing adventure, you may want to do a dry run in the darkness near shore, checking your lights to be sure you have adequate lighting.  You will also want to have working flashlights, and potentially a lamp you can attach

Boat and boat motor

Because it may be difficult to get help at night if you break down, it is important to make sure your boat is in working order.

Night fishing tournaments

There are many regions that host night fishing tournaments, including those below and many more.  Night fishing tournaments typically involve a prize for the winning catch or catches, along with an entry fee to cover the costs of the tournament.

• Lake Piru Night Fishing Tournament (CA)
• Eufaula Cove (OK); bass fishing tournament
• Key West Summer Swordfish Tournament (FL)

Night Fishing Charters

Night fishing charters are common with deep sea fishing, and many are available along the East and West Coast of the United States as well as Mexico at virtually all times of the year. One can find many areas along the coast in Florida, California, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, and Maryland where chartered night fishing tours are available.

While many anglers enjoy the competition involved in night fishing tournaments, or the company involved when it comes to fishing with others as part of a night fishing charter, other anglers prefer to enjoy the peace and tranquility that can come from night fishing on their own.

Michigan – Ice fishing; steelhead, lake trout; Gull Lake, Grand River at Grand Rapids; Grand River at Lansing; Lake Lansing; Park Lake, Muskrat Lake; crappie, bluegills, pike. (report here)

Oklahoma – Lake of the Arbuckles, Blue River, Broken Bow, Eufaula, Hugo, Konawa, Pine Creek; white bass, crappie, channel catfish, largemouth, smallmouth, spotted bass. (report here)

Florida – Indian River Country, St. Lucie County, Martin County, Lake Okeechobee; bass, trout, redfish, bluefish, sheepshead, pompano, black drum, Spanish Mackerel (report here)

Mid Atlantic

• PA Northwest: ice fishing, steelhead, perch, gizzard shad, crappie, bluegill; Sixteen Mile Creek; Elk Creek, Presque Isle Bay, Pymatuning Lake, Lake Wilhelm, Chautauqua Lake, Burtis Bay

• NJ: Cost of fishing to rise Jan 1; reports on blackfish, tog, and ling; white perch in the Toms River. (more here)

• MD: Lower Shore fishing requires license starting Jan 1. (more here)

Southeast

• FL: Kissimmee, Winter Haven, Lake Winterset, Crooked Lake; speckled perch, bass; benefit bass tournament. (more here)

• FL Palm Beach: St. Lucie County, Martin County, North Palm Beach, South Palm Beach, Lake Okeechobee; largemouth bass, bluegill, Vermillion snapper, Spanish Macherel, pompano, sandperch, grouper, more. (more here)

Northwest

• WA: Chinook, sturgeon, smelt, more; Columbia River Basin, North Fork Lewis, more (more here)

• OR: Lingcod, flatfish, yelloweye rockfish; crabbing, steelhead, chinook; Winchester Bay, Charlseton, Agate, Applegate, Emigrant, Howard Prairie, Hyatt, Diamond, Expo, Lake of the Woods, Lost Creek, Willow Lake, Lost Creek, Selmac, Lemolo, Medco, Rogue (more here)

• OR (Bandon Western): Empire Lakes, Chetco River, Elk River, Sixes River, Millicoma River, Coos Bay; steelhead, black rock doc, Dungeness Crab, ling cod. (more here)

West

• CA (Bay Area): BerryEssa, Camanche, Chabot, Contra Loma, Del Valle, Lafayette, Los Vaqueros, Quarry akes, San Luis Reservoir, Shadow Cliffs, Eel, Napa, Russian, Sacramento; salmon, rainbow trout, bass, stripers, shaker stripers, steelhead, crab, sturgeon. (more here)

Fishing reports for 12/29

California, Florida, upper Midwest, and Texas all checking in with fishing reports:

1 – New Melones, San Luis, McSwain, McClure – Modesto, CA area Fishing report here (12/29)

2 – Naples, Estero Bay, Ten Thousand Islands – Naples, CA area here (12/29)

3 – Chain O’Lakes, Fox River, Delavan, Geneva, Powerton, Lakefront, Little Bay, Madison Lakes, Eagle River, Northwest Indiana here (12/29)

4 – Lake Conroe, TX here (12/28)