Night Fishing Questions

[slabbandit]

Last night the wife and I went night fishing for the second time. We only caught a few but they were nice sized. One thing that we noticed, when we tightlined a few minnows without weights,was that they constantly swam towards the green light that was hanging on one end of the boat. They never swam towards the white light when the green light was out.

The lake I fish is full of shad but so far we are not pulling any in close. The water is normally stained to muddy with visability normally only 1 to 2 feet at best. We have tried 25 foot in the river channel and last night 15 foot in a creek channel.

I was wanting to hear from some of the more experienced night stalkers on where I need to be setting up on my lake. The flats average 10 foot deep, the creek beds 15 to 20, the main river channel 25 to 35.

Does anyone ever set up on the shallow flats where the shad seem to be at night or set up over or near good brushpiles?

We sure enjoy setting out under the stars and the wife really enjoys seeing all the small fish in the green light. Any tips from people who have to fish stained to muddy water would be appreciated.

[hogfaninla]

All the night fishing i have done has been either around boat docks, bridges, or in one case a light pole out in the middle of a cove...I always fish minnows weighted and a slip cork about mid depth to where i am and it is uaually stained to muddy down here....and i have noticed that the more bugs you can attract with the light the better....good luck

[John Brower]

Hog

I Would Try The Spots You Mentioned Until You Find A
Pattern Of Where The Fish Are Now. They Seem To Move As
The Water Temp Changes And The Shad Move. The Brush Piles
And Creek Channels Seem Like A Good Place To Start. Set Up
A Few Feet Away From The Brush Piles So You Dont Hang Up
But Still Get Their Benefit. It May Take A Few Trips, But Once
You Find A Pattern, I'll Bet You Will Get Hooked On The
Nightstalking Thing.

Regards
Chef.

[slabbandit]

Thanks guys, I think next time I'm going to set up in some 7 foot flats that have a lot of afternoon shad activity. Hope to have better luck there.

[gabowman]

I do alot of night time crappie fishing but I mainly fish clear water. But one thing that I've found that I think helps me alot is I try finding shad on the graph before I determine where I'm fishing. I go to the general area in mind of fishing but when I find small balls of bait pretty close together I'll anchor right in the vicinity of the bait and have a pretty good feeling they will eventually find the lights, bringing the crappie in tow.

[slabbandit]

Thanks Bowman, I was hoping that you would answer my post. Wasn't sure how clear of water that you fished. I really think that I am going to try the shallow flats next time. I might even scout after dark sometime with the Q-Beam to find the best flats with the most shad activity.

I know for a fact that when brushpiles have shad activity close by they seem to produce more fish than when the shad are not there.

[painterfish]

slabbandit interesting about about the green light im going to try one never been but a few times myself always nice to here from others

[hawkman]

They never swam towards the white light when the green light was out.

Them South Carolina boys would say that is because they know there aren't any crappie around the green light so they don't have anything to worry about. lol

[slabbandit]

You may have a point there Hawkman. Never thought of it that way.

[motor]

could be because the green light is a softer color and not so bright..