Several questions about nightfishing in winter

[Bronson]

Sometimes I get a late start during cold weather and would like to stay a little longer. Here's a few questions to get your opinion if night fishing should be given a try.

Does anyone know if it is best to use a jig under a float or do you cast?
Are glow jigs & plastics better or do you just use what you use during the day?
Any particular colors better to use at night?
Tip with a minnow or not?
How soon can you expect them to start biting, within the first hour or does it take a while?
Do your fish run bigger at night than during the day?

Any other suggestions?

[gabowman]

I've only used minnows when night fishing. After dark and the lights go in the water sometimes it takes up to an hour to draw the bait but usually it'll draw some fish by then. I keep my graph on and watch the lines coming on the graph and adjust my depths according to where the fish are holding. During the course of the night trip the fish will get shallower so adjust your lines to accomodate 'em. I would say the fish you'll catch will be the size of the fish in that part of the lake. As with dayfishing, you'll catch little fish and bigger fish. At night it'll be about the same. Lastly, dont get discouraged if the fish dont bite well for ya. Same as day fishing, sometimes they bite and other times they dont. Just keep trying different spots on the lake on different nights until you find the "motherload" of crappie then it's ON for the rest of the winter.

[FalconSmitty]

Just keep trying different spots on the lake on different nights until you find the "motherload" of crappie then it's ON for the rest of the winter.

yep crappie get into huge schools during the winter and don't move very far. Once ya find them they will be there waiting on the next trip. fronts have alot to do with the bite. The night after a front won't be your best but you can still catch a few. Use your sonar to locate baitfish and fish. I never start fishing a spot until I know the bait is there. 90% of the time I just drop light in the water and use minnow on double dropshot rigs with 3/4 oz at bottom of the tag line. like bowman said watch your sonar for the depth. Crappie feed up so you can drop your bait to the bottom edge of the bait school on the sonar. I have caught them some nights way below what I see on the screen but most nights anywhere in the bait wad is good. I use 4.5',6',10' and 12' rods to spread the bait into all parts of the light and just beyond. I anchor most of the time in winter but in warm weather I just float so I can move a bit as the school moves.
The other 10% of the time I shoot at docklights in deep water or troll.. Always had good luck longline trolling with dark solid colors like black,green, and blue.

[crappiewisdom]

I like to cast...but it's hard to hit the hole I drilled into the ice!

[Bob # 1]

I like to cast...but it's hard to hit the hole I drilled into the ice!

[uglystik]

I like to cast...but it's hard to hit the hole I drilled into the ice!

Funny stuff!

[Bronson]

Guys, thanks for the input. I plan on giving it a try first chance I get after this big cold front passes thru this weekend. Crappiewisdom, nice comeback. You just need to drill a bigger hole.

[FalconSmitty]

I like to cast...but it's hard to hit the hole I drilled into the ice!

ya need a small ditch witch so you can cut some long holes in the ice so you can cast just be on target