Reds and Specks by Starlight

Melton's Best Night of Fishing

EDITOR'S NOTE: This week, Captain Jamie Melton of Foley, Alabama, will teach us why he believes the back bays in any coastal area are best by starlight and why you can catch more speckled trout, redfish and flounder after dark.

Question: Tell me about the best night of fishing you've had this year.

Answer: One of the best night-fishing trips I've had took place in May of 2001. A client and I went out at night and began to fish around the lights. On 25 casts, we caught 20 speckled trout that weighed 2- to 3-pounds each.

Question: What made that night of speckled-trout fishing so good?

Answer: Night fishing, in general, is always a pleasure because you're often the only boat on the water. On the night, my client and I fished, the wind was extremely calm, the temperature was comfortable, and we could see the speckled trout striking on the surface under almost every light. On most casts, we couldn't close the bales on our spinning reels before the speckled trout took our baits. The fish we caught were 17- to 19-inches long, with several over 20-inches long.

Question: What type of tide do you need to catch fish at night?

Answer: The fish bite best on any type of moving tide. So, any tide is better than no tide at all. I believe an angler will catch smaller fish on an outgoing tide than he will catch on an incoming tide. The trophy fish I've caught have almost always come on an incoming tide.

For more information, contact Captain Jamie Melton at 309 East Verbena, Foley, AL 36535, or (251) 955-5713.

TOMORROW: FISHING ARTIFICIAL LURES AT NIGHT