Crappie Fishing at Night

I have a few questions about night-time crappie fishing.........

How many of you guys fish after dark for crappie?

Do you/have you used one of the green lights you lower underwater, and did it attract baitfish?

Will crappie bite last throughout the night?

Do you feel you do best in daylight or at night (or does it depend on the season)? Or which do you prefer to fish?

Thanks
ST

you can fish for them at night like you do during the day ,during the spring when they go on bed i have caught more at night than most people catch during the day ,you can anchor and use greenlights at night find a steep dropoff or a deep creek some were were your crappie would hold during the day set out your lights you can use green or a white light it will usally take 30 minutes to a hour to attract minnows fish outside of the lights not in the lights they will hold outside the lights to ambush prey use minnows one thing i did was i bought some off those lamp with the round sheild on them cut the end of the cord off put on gator clips and put in 12 volt camper bulps i then hook them on some poles for light to see or i use lanterns.another way if you can use your fish finder and locate some bait balls or crappie then rig up some poles with a float and minnow a little above what depth you find them ,crappie will only feed up they wont feed down then use your trolling motor and troll through them go just fast enough to put about a 15 degree angle in your line usally about a 1/2mph just keep trolling back and forth through them again i would use minnows,but when they go on bed you can use a long pole and float and fish near brush grass lillypads arouund the edge fishing about a foot deep and catch them to. hope this help you

Honestly, Thats the only way i've ever really learned about fishing for crappie. I know you can catch them during the day, but on a lake like I fish its hard....there aren't hardly any underwater brush to fish, so its just kind of a shot in the dark(during the day). But I like to fish for them during the summer under a light(a regular or green droplight). Like dedawg mentioned, You will typically have more hits throwing just outside the light and let it drift down. Sometimes they are even tough catching them like that, so sometimes we will even take a small treble hook and snag the circling shad and drop them down. I prefer to tight-line them as sometimes they have a REALLY light bite....and sometimes they even swim up with it and you won't even feel it unless you raise your rod up quite a bit(i've had them come up 3-4ft or more before you feel them). And the best night i've had so far(this year)...we weren't wearing them out...but we were catching them throughout the night....they bit from just after dark til daylight the next morning.

i agree i can catch more at night drifting with floats and using the trolling motor. the best night me and my buddy had in fl was 250 crappie,but we okly could keep 50

I havent used the green lights. I use 2 "Optronic" brand white lights off the sides towards the front (submerged), and a lantern from a hook/bracket on the transom over the water. The lantern lights the water and provides light on the rod tips. Ive had good catchs both day and night but enjoy the night bit better. I anchor out over a drop off or creek channel. I go to the lake with a couple spots in mind and check them out before dark, if I find a bait ball or a fishy spot, thats where I sit. If the bite is slow, I might move tto a differant spot but usually just once. If still slow 11-12, I go home. Many years ago we would stay all night in a buddys toon, too blind to make it back to the ramp. Lots of times the bite would be strong from dark to 12-1 oclock then nothing till 4-5am, from then tillafter daylight.

Thanks for all the info :wink:

ST