Thread: How do I overcome the uneasiness when fishing at night?

I dont mind catfishing till 11-12am. But anytime after that I feel uneasy about my surrounding. I usually fish when no one is there and things start coming out. Any suggestions.
It is the animals usually Mountain Lions. It just feels strange. I mean I dont realize things are there till 12am or after that. I mean there are bats, mule deer, cougars, and etc. It makes me nervous when I cant understand the noises they make and then all of the sudden things go quiet. There is one monster I am worried about his name is PITX5 and he just made fun of me, I am afraid he might stick something up my azz.
Should I bring my .38 special even though its illegal or get a .22 LR

Get a lantern and a radio. The lantern will scare away most things and the radio will cover any "bumps" in the night.

Just try to relax, unless you have bears in the area, you are at the top of the food chain haha.

Well, I completely understand how you feel. I work alone at night in the oil field at site locations sometime 20 miles from the nearest paved road. I also fish and hunt alone, sometimes at night. I don't know what part of the country you live in so it would be hard to get really specific. So, I'll share some things that helped me in the dark. It's really amazing how the dark can affect a person. I never would have thought about it until I started working in it. First I found some confidence boosters. LIght, get you a headlamp from wal-mart and keep extra batteries. Buy a good one. Also, get a big heavy mag light and extra batteries. Second, keep fire making materials with your person (matches, lighter). I keep two flares in my toolbox. Third, I don't know if you can carry a firearm where you fish. If you can, get a pistol. Hey, these are strange times we live in, plus you have to consider if wild animals could pose a threat. There are mountain lion here where I live in Texas. I can't carry a gun at my job, I have two really big sharp knives with me at all times. I also have a club I made, it's crude but it will do the job. Last, play the what if game. Ask yourself about possible scenerios that could happen in the dark. Calculate the risk and have what you need before hand. Train your mind for the dark, don't get caught untrained and at the mercy of your surroundings. You will gain confidence. And the final thing that I did that helped, I kept going into the dark. Keep going fishing at night. Don't stop. After you develop your routine you will start to feel better in the dark. And who knows, it may come in handy one day. Good luck and tight lines to you.

Go investigate bumps in the night with a flashlight. After seeing that its always a opossum or a armadillo.. you'll think its always that.

How about going out there about 4:00 AM to 5:00AM is that o.k with you or what. Good luck on your fishing too.

Research the area that you fish in. It's usually easy to relax when you take a look at the typical animal life, and when you realize that most wild animals will not approach strange noises to investigate. Bobcats and bears are the two most common type of large predatory mammal that I have run into, and even then it's been from 100 yards at closest. In the event that you are fishing up North and might expect to see a Kodiak (Grizzly) bear, I would suggest more caution than if you are fishing down South and will see mostly Black bears...or none at all.

Make yourself an outdoors pack, and carry it with you EVERY time you go into the woods (no matter what time of day). This will add some peace of mind, and it might even save you in many worst-case scenarios. A simple pack might be composed of....

-Flashlight and batteries
-Waterproof matches
-Snake bite kit (used to treat snakebite wounds and extract some of the poison, this is a MUST for any outdoorsman)
-Knife and/or small hatchet
-Solar blanket (very thin and light with one surface coated with a reflective material, this can be used for a variety of purposes in a survival situation)
-Change of socks, long underwear (thermals)
-Compass and map relevant to your area

A bare-bones kit like this will fit into a very small bag, and shouldn't weigh too much at all. Previous suggestions to carry a firearm are VERY well-founded, but I always prefer a shotgun when trekking into foreign woods. Of course, this isn't always legal, but in the event of bear or alligator trouble I like my chances a lot more behind the barrel of a good shotgun. In either case, take with you a minimal amount of ammunition and your carrying case. Too much ammo will really begin to inconvenience you down the trail, and if you leave your gun open to the elements you risk sullying it with grime and rain.

If you are driving, as I often have to, then you'll have parked your car away from your fishing spot most likely. This is usually my largest source of anxiety, and you can use common city-sense to help deter any trouble. Never leave too much sitting visibly in your car...even trash or a pile of coats can entice a break-in if the bastard is desperate enough. NEVER leave a gun, gun case, or ammunition visable in your car while you are away: crooks find this IRRESISTABLE and will bust in just to check things out. If possible, park your car nearest the Parks & Wildlife office of your spot, or - if you are not in a state/county park - nearest the best lighting and any other vehicles in your area.

Lastly, I know it sounds silly, but don't overdo it with the booze. If the fish are biting badly, it's easy to knock back eight or ten beers without really tallying them in your head. You feel fine while sitting, but standing up becomes a problem. Anyway, too much sauce will put you in a more vulnerable possition for trouble every time, no matter what you're doing.

please don't take any offense to this but what exactly is it you feel un-easy about, if you're willing to fish until 12AM why not stay a little longer, there are things you can do, firstly lanterns can help, Coleman makes some good versions, also go fishing with friends, if you still feel uneasy then stick to fishing in the day, i hope you didn't take any offense to this.
http://www.coleman.com/coleman/home.asp
If you have problems with animals then normally a lantern will keep them off, Ive fished in the Canadian Rockies and because of the bear threat took my 30.30 just in-case, but otherwise i don't see the need, i find if you don't do any thing to them they will leave you alone.

Try and bring a friend when you go fishing and make sure you are faster than he/she is. That way all you have to do is outrun them not the monsters. Sorry, I could not resist. Try large flashlights or lanterns and a radio.

GET A GUN AND USE A FUCKING LIGHT!!!!