bats

[fishin in the dark]

Hi guys i was just wondering if u guys have ever had bats hit ur line while ur night fishing. It really makes me mad :cursing: cuz i use bells and ur just sitting around waiting for the bells to go off and when u finally hear uhm it just bats :crying: . Any tips or trick that you guys could give me would be greatly apreciated.

[Butchy]

That does sound a little annoying, but one of those bats can eat about 1500 mosquitos and hour. So for me, I'm glad when they're buzzing around. I don't use bells though, I've got bait clickers.

butchy

[Netmanjack]

I fish with light sticks and got use to the rod tip going from side to side on a bat hit.I don't know what difference you can find with a bell? must be one though. I had a first last night fishing for bullhead bait, a small bat actually got hung up in my line!:eek: he finally came loose, but not till he got me snagged lol

[sam9266]

Ive had the same problem around here and havnt found a solution yet. I think the bats are actually hitting bugs that have landed and are resting on the section of line out of the water. Ive had them grab the actual line before and it does make the bells ring pretty good and leaves you wondering if it was a fish hit or a bat hit. I dont know if braided line is just easier for bugs to land on than mono line but I have noticed that the problem became a lot more noticable after I switched to all braided lines.. just an observation.

Good Luck... Sam

[Southernraised84]

I havent had that problem yet and I use bells as well. Are you bank fishing or sitting in a boat?

[sam9266]

I am boat fishing myself but have had it happen while bank fishing below our dam as well. The reason I said I beleive they are just hitting at bugs on the line is because I was watching a mayfly sitting on my line one night about 10' from the rod end when a bat hit it and my line and made the rod jump like a fish hit. If I hadnt seen the bat I would have thought it was a missed catfish strike for sure.

Take care.... Sam

[sal_jr]

I never had such a thing happen and Bats are all over the maple river where I fish. If it did happen I likely thought it was a strike. lol

Sal

[three_rivers]

Just as there flying towards you throw your ball cap up in the air with the end open. They'll fly right into it catching them like a baseball mitt. I don't know why unless they think its prey. It works!!

[brian sax]

i have bats fly around me when im fishing, little suckers fly all around my line and close to my head, but i think they are cool little creatures.

[muskie_hunter]

Ohio river at night + lantern = BATS!

[Desperado]

I fish with glow sticks on the rods and no other light. I have seen bats and if they are hitting the line it doesn't affect my fishing. But with lots of lights they will love you. ;)

[fishin in the dark]

thanks for the help guys guess i'll just have to watch the way my pole sway from now on

[flaboy]

Sam, could be that the braded lines are too fine for them to echo locate? or maby the big bat in the sky is just laughin at us grabbin a empty line! LOL

[duxsrus]

We usually fish with 6 lines out the back of the boat with two blacklights lighting them up and you can just sit there and watch the bats bounce back and forth across the lines all night long. When using a blacklight, a bat hit makes the line sway, where-as a fish hit pulls it snug. So it is pretty easy to tell the difference.

[yellowcat]

I have bats hitting my line alot also but since I fish with reels with bait clickers and not bells it's easy to tell the difference between bats and fish. The bats just pull the line out for a second where as the fish pull steady and don't stop. I just love the sound. :D

[jim]

Here is an easy solution that I have found works 100% of the time.Go fishing for bats and it seems catfish are all the time hitting my lines.Its hard to tell the difference between a catfish bite and a bat hit though.Actually its hard to tell the difference between a Gar hit and a Bat hit also.So I just fish for Gar and Bats and those darn catfish keep getting on my line and making me jump up and grab the rod when I'm hoping its a bat.

[lunkerman]

I do the same as some of the others. I use a 1.5 inch glowstick instead of a bell. I've had them come about 6" from my face. :)

[flathead willie]

I just tolerate them. Anything that eats Skeeters is a friend of mine! That's why I don't shoot ducks anymore. I know The Great Sprit has a plan for everything, but I don't know what the hell He was thinking when he made Skeeters and Chiggers! :cursing:

[malaki]

the bats were all over the boat tonight, i shut the lights off and moved but they followed us everywhere.

[fishfanatic]

The small lake where I fish has lots of bats, I mean they're all over the place at night. I've had them chase after a bait as I'm casting it.

[centralcalcat]

No bats out here, but lots of birds with the same problem.

[ASASIN]

I actually learned a fishing trick from the bats hitting my line. One night while fishing for trout on Lake Taneycomo I kept having a bat hit my line and everytime he did, I'd catch a fish. Actually caught fish 5 out of 6 times that the bat did this!!!!!!!! I employed that tactic to catfishing as well and it works!!!!!!!!!!! I just bump my line on the bottom or pluck my string like a banjo when the fish are biting a little slower than normal. It does work very well, seems to disperse the scent into the water better. God bless.