Big Bream at night?

[Gruman Man]

I can catch a bunch of gills at night under lights, but I am lucky if I get one as big as my hand. I fly fish and have tried a variety of flys, with the same results. Anyone fish this way???? I need some help. Do not want to go another summer with my biggest gill being less than 1/2lb.

[dixieangler]

I don't usually fly fish for bream at night but I think small dark patterns (especially black) might be more effective like Zug Bugs, Prince Nymphs, Improved Black Gnats, leech patterns, black Wooly Buggers, Clousers, and so on. Even dark micro-jigs on the fly rod. I have had better luck with the Improved Black Gnat wet fly toward night-time. Best of luck.

[Oyster]

Hi Gruman Man,

It has been my experience, when fly fishing for bream, that the bite stops with the setting sun. Maybe they go deep, maybe they just stop feeding, I don’t know, but they sure stop hitting flies with any regularity. This seems to hold true even during the peak of the spawn, when during the day a bream can be caught on almost every cast out of a hot bed. Wet when the sun goes down the bite turns off like someone flipped a switch. So, don’t feel bad about not catching them on flies after dark, that’s just the nature of the fish.

[deathb4disco]

It has been my experience, when fly fishing for bream, that the bite stops with the setting sun. Maybe they go deep, maybe they just stop feeding, I don’t know, but they sure stop hitting flies with any regularity. This seems to hold true even during the peak of the spawn, when during the day a bream can be caught on almost every cast out of a hot bed. Wet when the sun goes down the bite turns off like someone flipped a switch. So, don’t feel bad about not catching them on flies after dark, that’s just the nature of the fish.

Ditto.

[flycaster]

You didn't tell us where you are fishing. A private pond, river, lake????
It could very well be that there aren't any big ones where you are fishing.
If it is a pond, the fish may be stunted because of over population.

[blairarnold]

I never have done any night fishing for bream and very little for anything else, but I've always noticed that they seem to quit biting at dusk when I'm fishing in the daytime. I don't know if they pick up later, but I never have heard my nightstalking crappie friends mention catching more than an occasional bream.

[crappiefarmer]

Sunfish?? Saying that, my brother caught a few one night fishing a canal in the summer. Never heard of anyone going after them at night. CF

[beenfishin?]

I haven't bream fished at night, but I used to bass fish at night. One night I was using a small bass popper and ended up catching about 20 nice gills.

[SpeckChaser]

Live in NW Fla. I don't think they stop feeding after dark. I have had a lot of success using "glow in the dark" popping bugs and fishing really shallow water (1 to 2 ft) on almost moonless nights. Most of the ones I catch at night are good size (3/4 to 1 lb). Shellcracker will also nail a popping bug after dark. Never had much luck using live bait for bream after sunset. IMO they move from deeper water to the shallow shoreline to feed on flying insects that end up in the water. Usually catch a few "Green Carp" too.