Usually, when we think of boating, we picture throwing the ropes on a nice, sunny day or maybe an overcast one if we are in search of those crafty fish that tend to easily spot a glistening hook. However, how about those times that lend themselves to nighttime boating, like a sunset cruise or catching a fireworks show from a great vantage point on the water? There’s also night fishing and sleeping over on the boat to awake right where you need to be to get on those fish!

So, what’s the difference between boating during the day and boating at night? As the dynamic during the day and night vary greatly on land, night and day can be very different animals at sea. Now that we have opened this proverbial can of worms, let’s neatly tie up some info on those “animals” with some fishing line…

While fishing at night can greatly differ from fishing in the daylight hours, it can also be productive. Some of the best fish to catch at night include snook, once you know where to find them and which live bait they are biting; mahi-mahi, which you might find around a weed line in the daytime, you are apt to run into around reefs where a lot of bait fish hang; and anyone who has seen the movie “Jaws” knows that sharks – although more apt to during dawn and dusk – certainly come out to feed at night as well! Tarpon, although a bit better to fish for come daylight, are fun to fish around piers and under bridges at night – places they like to seek shelter and have a little dinner of their own.

If you do boat at night, adhere to all the night boating laws in effect and try to be prepared for pretty much anything because even the weather can be very different on the water at night than it is on land.