Spring has sprung and the dawg days are upon us. Fish have vacated the shallows and living in those 300 foot shady depths of Richland where they’re tough to catch. Time to stuff the rig back in the moth balls and stay indoors for the summer, not! Allow me to let you in on one of the best kept secrets in north Texas, night fishing RC style. Everybody knows about our excellent moonlight crappie fishing on Chambers, but man oh man the things swimming our shallows after dark will make you forget Letterman. For the past two years I’ve been sneaking out after dark on Chambers anytime I get a chance, and I’ve yet to have a unproductive trip. The same fish that are so spooky and difficult to catch with those bright sunny summer skies during the day get almost kamikaze like after dark. Heck one night last June a buddy and I caught over 25 fish up to almost 8 lbs on one point. So now you’re sold but you’re not real experienced at night fishing, let me give you a few safety tips and some pointers. First it is a state law ($76 ticket last time I got one) that anytime, and I repeat anytime whether you’re running or anchored, that you’re on the water at night you must have your anchor light on (white light on the back). Next always wear your life vest and kill switch at night. I know Chambers probably better than all but 2 or 3 people in the world and I ALWAYS wear mine. It is incredibly easy to get disoriented on the water at night, so be careful and carry a compass. one of the good things about night fishing is that darkness serves as excellent cover so you don’t have to fish the real heavy cover in the Richland arm to get bit. As a matter of fact I prefer to stay on the open parts of the lake or in the Chambers arm. You could idle out of Clearview, Chambers Creek or Midway marinas and start fishing the points and have some of the best fishing of your life. In night fishing stick to one of two types of areas, first points, try main lake points first and if you don’t get bit try secondary points. If that doesn’t produce for you use funnel points to find fish coming from deeper water to shallow to feed. As for baits I like a black half ounce spinner bait, a noisy topwater if baitfish are flicking about or a worm like a 611 JAWTEC bogus wiggler or 711 ribbed wiggler that tend to move a lot water when you work them. Most dedicated night fisherman will tell you that the bite is best on a dark moon phase, followed closely by a full moon. I would suggest to make your first few ventures into the night on a cloudless full moon, the ability to see will greatly off set the few less bites you get. ~I will also tell you that in the heat of the summer usually the first two to three hours after sundown are by far the slowest. The best action usually doesn’t occur until well after midnight, so don’t get in any hurry to get on the water unless just to familiarize yourself with the areas you plan to fish. If you really want to make it easy on yourself call me at BROWN DOG GUIDE SERVICE (214) 327 6020 and I’ll take you. Good luck and good fishing. — Ken Smith

– Texas Saltwater Fishing Guide