I went out again this evening to the same spot, fished 10pm-12pm using all different types of lures, there was fish everywhere splashing all around me but nothing was taking the lures, until I threw on my broken feedshallow that I cracked off a rock last year and fixed with a bit of tec7.
I started a slow retrieve while flicking the rod to the side every few seconds to make the lure do a little nose dip and all of a sudden I was on! I got it about half way in and it came off, now that I knew what the fish wanted and how they wanted it I kept going, varying the retrieve and flick intensity, I spent another hour doing this and I was saying to myself right this is the last cast, if I don't get anything it's time to go.
I whacked it out and started a really slow retrieve then bang I was on! this time it stayed on and I landed it, 43cm bass and my first one on a lure, chuffed! Just goes to show that you can in fact catch fish on lures in total darkness!