What are you Night Bite Tactics

[fly]

I just hit different points that I've caught fish off of back when I was a cut bait guy. I'm throwing flies that are weightless on a slow sinking fly line. I let it set for a second when it lands, and then I'll start my retrieve. When I retrieve it, it will go down to around a foot or so deep. What are your guys thoughts on this ? How do fish the night bite ? And do you have any recommendations that I might be able to apply to fly fishing ?

[johnr]

Fly, my night trips for stripers usually start with a look at the maps. I like to find isolated shallow areas with direct access to deep water. I'm talking about extended points, underwater points, shoals, etc. I'm mostly looking in the lower lake..

From there, it's just a matter of choosing a location. Mainly I base this off of wind direction and where the moon is. I like calm, glassy water. I also like it to be shaded from the moon. These factors narrow down my options quickly. Once I've got a couple of solid prospects, I go check them out. If there is bait, I'll drop anchor and fish it for a while. I'm staying as long as fish are popping.

Mostly I keep it simple and cast thundersticks or bombers, making sure to draw that v-wake on the surface.

At times, it is necessary to have something that runs sub surface. I like a shad rap or rattle trap for this.

A lot of times I like to park the boat right on the bank, cast parallel to the banks and sometimes cast out to deep water. These deep water casts will produce many fish.