....on surface plugs after dark? I have done well this week on white dannies worked right on, or just below the surface. I have also caught a couple small on slow dragged yellow polaris poppers after dark. My largest fish last year was caught on a blurple Yo-Zuri surface cruiser at 2 am.

It seems like most people say not to bother with topwater baits at night, but I haven't seen much of a drop off from swimmers, in fact I think on dark nights, the large are less weary and may be more likely to hit surface baits. Of course my practice is limited to times I run out of eels.

What is your opinion?

That's my standard technique. Mostly Dannies. White or black worked along the surface and leaving a wake.

when most people talk about not using topwater lures after dark, they're talking about pencils, poppers and spooks worked in the traditional way. surface swimmers are a pretty standard night time technique. slow dragging a pencil is really the same as fishing a floating needle, so catching on that isn't really that different than standard night time tactics either.

I agree with Clogston. Fish will hit topwater, but my experience is that the bigger fish will stay away from something being ripped across the surface and making a commotion. I've caught fish with poppers when it got dark, but they've generally been smaller. When I've switched to surface swimmers or shallow swimming plugs and darters, I've caught bigger fish. This year I'm going to put in a lot more time throwing needles at night.

I know of a 52# fish that took a reverse atom with a skin on it in the dead of a Nov night.

I may be wrong, but I have always assumed that bass feed on top in the day light and grub the bottom at night. (in most cases) That being said, I prefer to avoid plugs that cruise the surface unless the water is less than 10 feet deep.. any deeper and I am using sinking needles or deep diving swimers.

I fished atom poppers at night with a dropper for years. usually black and white dropper. I liked the atoms cause they would sink slowly. In the day tiem you work them agressively on top (a whole art in itself) but at night i like to let it sink just below the surface then a small tug to get it to break the surface and call attention to my fly.

Anyway , it works great.

Funny thing is that many times I would catch fish all night and have guys come over and ask what I was using. When i held up a popper they would say "Oh , poppers don't work at night" (this after seeing me catchong with it when they were skunked) . I could never figure out what they were thinking .

Black pencils used to be murder off the race when the wind was blowing onshore hard.

My basic belief is that the biggest fish will most always be on the bottom. If you're taking good fish on top, chances are larger stuff is underneath. Keep things honest by probing deep for bigger stuff, even if you're doing well near the surface.

I know of a 52# fish that took a reverse atom with a skin on it in the dead of a Nov night.

Hmmmm, a skin?

That's almost an eel....

It's not scientific, but from my expierence over the years bigger bass seem to want artificals under the surface, even an inch or so , after dark.

Hmmmm, a skin?

That's almost an eel....

Shhhhhhh. That's what us holier than thou types use when we're slumming. Of course we always change back to a nice custom plug to hang on our expensive reels before we walk out with our noses held high. Appearances count, you know.

It's not scientific, but from my expierence over the years bigger bass seem to want artificals under the surface, even an inch or so , after dark.

I would agree with that, and extend it to most gamefish day or night. The percentage of hookups on bigger fish dramatically increases when the offering stays in the zone to which the fish feels the safest while feeding.

EB got me going on darters some time ago and I saw a big pick up in strikes. Yo zuri crystal minnows work awesome when the bass are on sand eels. I think when you fish a popper or a spook real slow or a danny wobbling in the current you can raise a strike especially in shallow water. Lots of good info on this thread so read it more than once. I'm learning something from everyone.

I would agree with that, and extend it to most gamefish day or night. The percentage of hookups on bigger fish dramatically increases when the offering stays in the zone to which the fish feels the safest while feeding.

Good post, but perhaps an over-simplification. Injured baitfish go to the top. Big fish like easy meals. Many times I have seen large (20-40 lbs) bass come up during the day in 15-18 feet of water to crush a danny plug struggling on top, while ignoring deeper running artificals. The opposite is a much less common an occurence in my experience unless fishing in hard tide or deeper water. If you are feeding fish bait, deeper is certainly better. If you are fooling fish with plugs, then triggering their attack instinct becomes the primary factor, and surface plugs often are better at this than deeper running artificals. It is true, however, that fishing deep with artificals from shore in rocky water is sufficently difficult that most of us don't try it. The fact that eels sink is a major factor in their effectiveness.

My most productive night time lure is the Black Mambo Minnow fished ever so slowly on the surface. They kicked butt last night!!!!