Night fishing for crappie

[MO swamprat]

I need some schooling. Night fishing for crappie in my area isn't a method used (or talked about being used). I've done alot of night fishing for catfish but I'm wanting to try it for crappie when the weather gets hot this summer.
Do you use the floating lights or Coleman lanterns? Do you anchor over deep brush piles or stumps? The lakes I fish are not deep lakes, 30 ft in the river channels. I have no idea how to even start this so any of y'all that have advice in this I thank you for helping.

[kbaker]

I always find a spot with structure and use a lantern to see by and a sinking green light for bait attraction. I have used a single lantern and did well.

[skiptomylu]

Find a bend in the river or a creek feeding the lake and put a brush pile in at a spot you can tie up. You can use a lot of different kinds of lights and all will work, some better than others. Green lights are really good, but so are some white one that you let down into the water maybe a foot or so. Starfire is a light that is relatively low cost that will do the job. However it's easy to mess one up or break it as I know lots get left in the water on a move and you know what happens then. If you drop them or bang them they can break so you may want several. I would put one out on each end of the boat. Also your gonna want to get a Thermacell to keep the bugs away, they work!

Here is a link to the light and maybe someone else has a better light they can share with you...
Amazon.com: Brinkmann 800-1515-0 Starfire II Underwater Fishing Light: Home Improvement

I use some green lights, but they cost a good bit, but if interested just PM me about that.

In the boat I don't use a light other than some inside accessory lights in my live wells and have a head light if I need to re-tie. Other than that I don't care for lights in the boat.

[MO swamprat]

Do u pole in hand or put them in rod holders? Sorry for so many questions.

[strmwalker]

Do u pole in hand or put them in rod holders? Sorry for so many questions.

pole in rod holders the best lights you can buy with the lowest draw on your battery is from Bob#1 Reel lites right here on Crappie.com here is his website!!!!
Fishing lights boat-deck-pond
and for nightstalking here is a article from another cdc member the one and only Mr
rango a great article to read!!!!
The night was coming on fast as I picked up my fishing partner Gary Kunes at his dock and we set out for a night of Lake Wylie

[skiptomylu]

I hold my pole in hand as don't want to miss the sly ones and they do come (also don't want them to swallow the hook when I am not looking). My Green lights I use and can be seen on my web site (I don't stock them, but the Mfg. has them for you to get if wanted) are LED Green lights and their housing is made from heavy aluminum stock so could run oner one with a car and not hurt it. I use 2 of these and never had a battery problem. The are bright as heck. I also have one of the older style 3 foot long green lights that I also like, but I would have a battery for it as it's not an Led, but cast a large light and is called the Fisherman's green light. I am sure I bought it in the 1990's. Sometimes I use all 3, but some time use just the LED or just the 3 foot one too.

I don't know anything about the other one strmwalker is linking, but that is because I just have not tried them and they may be just as good, I don't know!

Here is the kind... Jumping Cholla Tackle - Home of the Nucli-Eye... Excite the night!

Also I did a search for them and see others are also selling these. I got away from selling them just because I have so much tying materials and didn't want to tie up my funds with these.
Nucli-Eye Aurora LED Crappie Fish Attracting Light - Google Search

[FIN]

A coleman lantern that uses unleaded gasoline is a smart investment. You can hang it over the bow to light floats and string . It will draw fish also. I use a kerosene lantern with citronella lemon grass oil to help repell bugs.
Also wmart has for $4.99 Solar charging lansdcape lights complete with battery and auto on and off. I use 2 of these to light the inside of the boat. Quite a worthwhile bargain .
Also google chumming crappie .
Fin

[Choupic]

The rivers that we fish has lots of camps , some have some sort of street light near the water or even over the water . So basically all we need is a small light in the boat . It's nice when the summer heat kicks in , you can go fish after the sun Gos down .

[dblevens]

find a bend over a channel, put out an anchor on each end of the boat, or tie to the bank and drop an anchor off the back, drop a starfire light in the water, and I strongly suggest using a gill net to catch the shad that are swimming around the light. Hook a shad through the eyes, drop him to the bottom and jig back up slowly untill you find the depth the fish are holding. Once you find this depth, you can just drop to that spot again and again. But you gotta realize, it aint just crappie your gonna catch. The bite is usually light, and you will only notice the rod feeling heavy, so I always use one rod and hold it in my hand instead of a holder. Plus I like to jig it up and down to entice a bite. Also, stay away for the full moon, this works much better the darker it is.

[TreednNC]

Qbeam Starfire IIs over a drop off in an are you know has bait. No you dont have to be on bait, but it's nice to know the immediate 500yd radius isnt void of life. Dont worry about having green lights....they may work, but certainly no better than white. LEDs may save you some battery, but Ive yet to see one produce as much fish attracting light at the starfire IIs.

Over 500 crappie in the last 3 outings....yes I have fished same way with green lights....no I didnt catch many fish under them.