I'm the worst night stalker in Arkansas...

[sosowingshooter]

So far...not so good.
Last night I spent about 3.5 hours on the lake without boating a crappie. I set up on a bridge piling in 28 feet of water, with additional man-made structure all around adjacent to the river channel. I had one sub white light that I tried from 15' to at the top. I had so much bait fish funneling that I think I could have just snagged bait with a naked hook and then just lowered it a bit, but all I caught was one white bass and a bream. I had three poles set out, one shallow, medium and almost on the bottom. I caught the white on top and the bream about a foot off the bottom. Spending the night from 9:00 til 12:30 alone on the lake isn't the worst thing in the world, and I enjoyed the excitement of wondering if at any minute they were gonna start tearin it up...but it didn't happen. I don't know why. I'm gonna give it a day or so and then I am gonna try it again on a steep bluff off of a main lake point in about 25' of water. Maybe I will do better.

[skiptomylu]

Try to find some fish on you depth finder around a creek bend first and then set up close to them. Hopefully you can find some fish hanging around a structure (brush pile Type) on a creek or drop off.

It does not need to be a large steep depth change, say 25' up to 20' is fine.

[REDBOAT]

sosowingshooter,

If you are fishing under a bridge you are in a good place. I bet they are there. On the lake I fish at, I will float out 1 floating headlight that you can get from the walmart. I will fish with three to four poles with a small glostick taped to the ends. For me the glostick is the key. At least as of lately, because the bite has been really light and the glo stick makes it super easy to see your rod tips. If you looked at Rango's article on the main page, he mentions that most of the time the pole will "thump" once. Boy, has he got it right. For me, alot of the time the pole will barely move and by the time I set the hook is already deep in the throat or they robbed me becaue I was not paying attention. (of course after this happens, say twice, I'll start reducing the number of poles I am using.)

I know alot of people use the jigs, but for me anyway, I have been successful at night using minnows. The water depth you mention is similiar to the spot I have been fishing at here and I have been catching them 10-12 feet under the surface. Now if you have a depthfinder and notice a big cloud of fish, then it is probably bait fish. Put your minnow 1-2 feet below that for a starting point.

Good Luck I hope this helps!
--REDBOAT

[tim]

Hey redboat where do you get your glow sticks thanks.

[REDBOAT]

I get them at the walmart or Dick's. Kmart has them too. "ROD-N-BOBB's" Beacon. They are about 1.5" long. I get the 4-pack refills then I use a piece of clear packing tape to attach then to the tips of my rods. Don't bother with the plastic tube that comes with them.....

Hope it works for you.

--REDBOAT

[bella]

Be sure to fish outer edge of light-- fish won't get in the direct light much they'll wait out in the dark -- Just my observation== Good luck

[sosowingshooter]

Thanks Guys...all good tips and appreciated. I'm gonna give em another shot tonight. I have a good idea where I want to set up, but I am gonna get up there a little early and put in a little time with the graph. Hopefully, good news tomorrow.

[sosowingshooter]

It's a little after 3:00 in the morning, and I just got home. Things went a little better tonight. I caught probly 17 or so and kept 10 of em. There for a while I coulda used some help. More than once I had a crappie on in one hand and was fixin to hang another with the other. I caught most of em from the second hour til the fourth hour...then it slowed down. I was expecting it to just get better and better, but I guess that's fishin. I decided to set up on the edge of a creek channel in some standing timber in 26' of water. I had the submersible light down 15' with my ultralight rig down underneath it. I had my floater out with my two 12' crappie poles to either side of it in the shadows. I stuck with this set up for the entire night...and caught fish on all three rigs. Not spectacular, but steady and alot of fun.