No luck night fishing

[Rambler24]

I fished under lights for several hours Thursday and Friday night. Tried a few different locations around brush piles ranging from 15-30 feet deep. At each location I had minnows and shad circling under the lights and I tight lined minnows at various depths but only caught 2 crappie each night. I caught several catfish and yellow bass but I'm just not having any luck with the crappie. Any suggestions on what I'm doing wrong?

[Crappie 1]

Probably nothing wrong. We went twice in a week. The first time we got 13 but the next time only 2 in the same spot. They just wouldn't bite. Had lots of fish on the electronics. Good Luck to you.

[river scum]

were you marking fish under you? always make sure you set up where the fish are. the other night i was marking bait and crappie with very few bites. my minnows would get nervous but that was it. then i noticed they would hit it if lifted away when the minnow got nervous. sometimes you just cant buy a bite though.

[Rambler24]

I was marking a lot of fish on my graph but I don't know if it was actually crappie I was seeing. I was tight lining with a #2 circle hook and a split shot a few inches above it. Is this an adequate set up? Should I change hook size or fish with a jig instead?

[river scum]

i like a glow jig and a slip float. your #2 hooks should work fine though. im betting the bite was off. sometimes a minnow is too active and bee moths or worms are the ticket. i have even slid the sinker down, to the top of the hook, to subdue the minnows action a bit. dont give up one of these nights you will hit the mother load under the lights brotha!

[Rambler24]

Im heading back out this week to try it again. How long do you typically stay in one spot before you give up and move on to the next?

[river scum]

an hour i suppose rambler

i usually stay where i set up if im getting anything at all. after 4-5 hours and i figure out they arent interested and i go home. lol going out tonight myself. i havent been out since last week. hopefully people didnt catch them all over the holiday weekend!

good luck man!

[Gomer Snerd]

What lake??

[skiptomylu]

Sometimes you just have to wait them out to start biting good. Moving around is something I try not to do, pick a spot and live with it. That would be my best guess. Sometimes I have seen where we waited until around midnight and gave up, but left my son at the same spot and not long after we quit, he killed them.

[Dave and Lynn]

Try fishing just outside of the lights. The fish will hang out just outside and pick off minnows. Slip bobbers with light attached help greatly. I have gotten reports here in TN of people catching fish more up creek channels and river channels. Moving is never a good idea as it takes to long to attract the fish again. Unless that is the way you are fishing at night. Some people troll under there lights. But you have to move very slow so the bait ball follows you. Good luck.