Choosing a bass lure at night is still a matter of testing what works at your mark. Colour is one part of the decision, alongside lure size, depth, action, water clarity and the conditions.
White and bright lures are options we like to explore, but they are not a guarantee of catches. Keep a few contrasting presentations available and record what happens over several sessions rather than judging a colour from one fish or one blank.
Shopping for a night session now? Browse our soft-plastic bass lures, or scroll down for our white surface, soft-plastic and sub-surface picks.
Choosing colours after dark
White and pearl
White is a useful starting point in a night-fishing selection. Try it in a lure type you already know how to work, then compare it with other colours at the same mark. Avoid assuming that a white lure must be retrieved quickly: experiment with presentation as well as colour.
Dark colours
A dark lure offers a contrasting option to white. If you carry both, you can compare them rather than relying on a fixed rule about which must work on a particular moon phase.
Chartreuse and pink
Bright colours such as chartreuse and pink offer further alternatives. Their appearance in the tackle box does not establish how visible or effective they will be underwater at night. Test them in your local conditions and note the results.
Moonlight, tides and local conditions
Include moonlight, cloud cover, tide stage and water clarity in your catch notes. Do not treat a bright moon, a particular compass direction or a fixed number of hours around high water as a universal instruction.
A familiar mark and a manageable presentation are better foundations for a session than changing every part of your approach at once. If you alter the lure colour, keep notes on what else changed too.
Prepare before darkness
- Choose familiar ground and check the forecast, tide times, access and route back.
- Fish with a companion where possible and carry a working headtorch.
- Prepare rigs and check knots before you need them in the dark.
- Keep your lure selection organised so you can find what you need.
- Change your plan if the conditions or access are unsuitable.
White surface-lure options
Compare the size and weight of each lure with your tackle and the water you want to cover. These links select the listed white finishes; check availability on the product page.
- Small surface lure, 100mm 11g, White
- Medium surface lure, 125mm 19g, White Sparkle
- Large surface lure, 140mm 26g, White
- Surface popper, 90mm 23g, White Flash
White soft-plastic options
- 5-inch handmade Cornish worm sets, White, weighted
- Soft shad sets, 18g, White Mix
- 6-inch handmade Cornish stick sets, White, weightless
- Spindle paddletail sets: check the available colours and rigging options
For more options to compare, browse our soft-plastic bass lure collection.
Sub-surface options
- Shallow shoreline runner, 120mm 16g, White
- Shallow diver, 110mm 15g, White
- Gliding shallow diver, 125mm 20g: compare currently available colours
UV finishes: keep an open mind
We regard UV finishes at night as something to experiment with, not a proven shortcut. A UV finish should not be assumed to glow in the dark. Compare product specifications and your own results before deciding whether it earns a place in your selection.
For a deeper-running option, compare the specifications and available finishes of our 90mm 29g deep-diving lure.
Watch a night-fishing video
For another angler's approach, watch lure fishing at night from Beneath the Waves Fishing Jersey.
Build your selection around the conditions you can fish safely, then use your catch notes to refine it. No lure colour replaces time spent learning your local marks.