Question about fishing canals at night

[Shannon Foye]

Last Saturday and Sunday, I fished off a dock at night in canal in Sea Isle. I had two underwater lights and two overhead 1000 watt lights. On Saturday night, the water was high and there were trout hitting bait fish everywhere under the overhead lights. On Sunday night, the water was lower and despite sitting out there for several hours, I don't think that I saw one trout under the lights.

Is it normal to have a ton of trout under the lights one night but have them completely disappear the next? . . . Or where there abnormal tidal conditions last weekend that could explain the nearly complete lack of trout on Sunday night? Thanks

[WestEndAngler]

There were reds stacked up in the lights Sunday night... I never have much luck under the both lights combined I prefer either overhead or underwater lights... Trout are spooky, increased boat traffic after Saturday's rain or influx in fresh water along with if the bait isn't in there they will not be there... How far back in the canal were you? We saw good trout in Jamaica, Pirates & Laffites all weekend along with good size fish.

[TTU Wader]

I'm thinking boat traffic. They were probably people out throwing those pyramid sinkers into then lights last weekend, I dont think the trout like that very much..

[Shannon Foye]

There were reds stacked up in the lights Sunday night... I never have much luck under the both lights combined I prefer either overhead or underwater lights... Trout are spooky, increased boat traffic after Saturday's rain or influx in fresh water along with if the bait isn't in there they will not be there... How far back in the canal were you? We saw good trout in Jamaica, Pirates & Laffites all weekend along with good size fish.

Here's a Google image of Sea Isle showing where the dock is located. I would not think that either day's previous boat traffic should have been an issue because I didn't start trying to catch anything until close to midnight and no one else was trying to fish the area.

[Race1Mopar]

Canal fishing was pretty good Thurs through Sun and then the boat traffic, swimmers in the water and big ol sinkers with bottom bumpers started to scare them off. Sunday night there were a few trout but mostly sand trout. The quality trout didn't make it back into our canals until about 1am when it all settled back down. I usually go one of the other too, lights.

Joe