Night Crappie Fishing

[caseydrew]

I have fished at night w/ lights in Texas for crappie w/ minnows and tore them up, but have never tried it up here (Kentucky). Does anyone in the middle of the country fish at night for crappie with success? If so what times of the year are most productive and what are some tips on what to do? Especially interested if anyone does it on Kentucky Lake.

[GRIZZ]

I've slammed em at night in NY. I love night fishing. When its really dark, and you find a mess of them, you don't even have to open your eyes. Just cast, feel for the hit, retrieve, release, recast. Lotsa fun.

[caseydrew]

I've only fished w/ minnows around the lights. You mean you can catch them casting jigs in the same places you would fish during the day?

[bobberwatcher]

I am just wondering here, what about night fishing without a light to attract fish? Just a bright moonlit night? Can success be found that way at all? If so, what do I fish with?

[crappiefarmer]

Ya'll need to go to the S.C. board and post some of this. They don't call them boys the nightstalkers for nothing. They are like a bunch of Vampires. If sunlight hits them they burst into flames.:D Seriously though, they do a lot of night fishing there. Rango would be a good one to start with. CF

[Missed Again]

As Mr. Crappiefarmer says, we here in SC are afraid of the light. In years gone by starting about now my old buddy and I would head to Lake Monticello every Friday & Saturday afternoon. We’d be set up over a brush pile about dusk and fish until the lantern ran out of gas. Sometimes we’d limit out, sometimes we’d strikeout, most of the time we’d come in with a goodly number of Crappie. As far the lights, Coleman lanterns, we found having them high up behind us worked as well as anything. I had a couple of pieces of plastic pipe about 5’ long to mount them on. We kept pretty good records and didn’t notice any advantage in having the lights close to the water, but then fishing 20’ deep sorta takes the goodie out of having minnows on the surface, and having them behind us kept the glare out of our eyes but gave plenty to work by. We used long slender Thill corks w/minnows weighted so the tip just barely came out of the water. By having small sinkers up about 10” above the hook you can pick up on a lift bite. Those things are so sensitive we’d get a signal if a Crappie breathed on it. This technique should work any where.

[Songdog]

I use floating lights I make my own so the cord will be longer and I attach a small weight so they will stay where I want them We wear em out around em esp spring and early summer we fish the same places we do in daylight mostly tightline or lighted floats

[mrwillis]

I have always wanted to try this...any advice for a newbie, or has anyone done this in Illinois? I have heard great reports and reports of nothing...but that happens while fishing in the daytime. Do you find early evening, before midnight, after midnight...anytime better than the next?

[caseydrew]

So you guys fish over brush just like during the daytime? What period is best for night fishing (prespawn, spawn, or postspawn) and how deep is the water you usually set-up in?

[GRIZZ]

I've only fished w/ minnows around the lights. You mean you can catch them casting jigs in the same places you would fish during the day?

Yup, all by feel. They tend to stray further from cover at night which makes it easier to fish in the dark without getting snagged. Its a blast too.