Author Topic: Night fishing for crappie? (Read 8475 times)

wiggie116 · « **on:** Feb 07, 2003, 04:22 PM »

Hi guys, I was wondering if you could give me a couple pointers for catching crappie after the sun goes down?

Mr.Seaguar · « **Reply #1 on:** Feb 07, 2003, 04:27 PM »

We used to cut holes around the lantern in a little circle to give more chance for light to shine down. You have to use electronics because crappies move up and down in the water column so much. Don`t just drop minnows down there and wait. Minnows might do the trick but jigging a small jig and waxie or a small jigging spoon and minnow head might get faster action. Good luck. It gets COLD at night.

twodoggs · « **Reply #2 on:** Feb 07, 2003, 04:40 PM »

I use a minnow on a small jig. I agree about how valuable a flasher is. And you need to experiment. I have caught them on bare hooks, jigs, glow jigs waxies and grubs. if you see them on the flasher and they dont bite change bait, or lures sooner or later you will find out what will work. Next time It will be something else.

mngonefishing · « **Reply #3 on:** Feb 07, 2003, 05:53 PM »

do you have a fl 8 or some other type of flasher? if you do not i would say to get one. the way crappies move around it is a very good item. In MN we can fish with two lines in winter. try different things on both lines untill you find what they are hiting on. good luck

Fat Boy · « **Reply #4 on:** Feb 08, 2003, 04:29 AM »

Good advice from everyone. A flasher is extremely valuable for crappie night fishing. I'd like to also add that it is important to know your lake and the likely spots to find crappies. Usually, in an unfamiliar lake, I'll fish for whatever bites during the day, perch, gills, crappie, trout, bass, whatever. On many lakes in MD and PA, crappies and bluegills like the same areas. If I find good populations of bluegills, or, even better, catch one or more crappies in a location, I'll remember that spot. At night, or during the magic hour, I'll relocate back to that area and if the fish are still hitting, that will be my night spot. Once the lanterns are set up, get your buddies all in the same area, the more light the better - will attract baitfish and crappies. If you are fishing with buddies, spread out and each person look for fish noting if bluegills are caught in any numbers or if crappies are caught. We use radios to communicate when we find such things and keep those spots in mind for the night set up.

All this talk is firing me up because I'll be going tomorrow and looking forward to catching some night time slabs.

jigerjim · « **Reply #5 on:** Feb 08, 2003, 02:03 PM »

I tryed it the other nite, My only problom was I had so much bate fish under me I could hardly tell witch was my jig. :-/

fishingking · « **Reply #6 on:** Feb 14, 2003, 03:34 PM »

fished white crappies at night a lantern helps alot but isnt required i have caught a few crappie in 15 ft of water and dont think the light helped that much like everyone else said find them in the day so you know your over them i know for me a glow jig and minnow works best flasher helps alot also for those lite biters

crappieloo · « **Reply #7 on:** Feb 14, 2003, 03:56 PM »

Caught em with a light, and without one, doesn' t make much difference with me, but it is mantidiory that you have a flasher. They say crappie feed up, but last month on the full moon i worked a slab that was only 5 feet down and would not take the bait untill i dropped my jig 4 feet lower ,then he slamed it

Wouldn't be possible unless i saw the whole thing on my FL8

crappieloo

t.k. · « **Reply #8 on:** Feb 19, 2003, 05:03 AM »

All of you guys are bringing out some really good points.They should really help the guys out there trying to get into specs.
The best tip being, use a flasher. If your fishing for gills in the depths around bottom and you see some fish move through 4 or 5 feet of bottom, their are your specs.. But, you'll never know they are there without your flasher. Just jig up quick and hang on. Nothing better than specs. in the winter, and don't forget their paper thin mouths! Good fishing. T.K.

gazoo7401 · « **Reply #9 on:** Feb 19, 2003, 05:19 AM »

A flasher is a great tool, but many people don't own one. If I go to a new lake or don't have my vex one rule that I use has always served well. Whatever depth the water is just divide by 2 and add 1. Example= If you are in 12ft of water you would divide by 2 = 6 + 1= 7ft. Also if youre in 20ft. of water the depth would be 11. This has worked for me in the past. But nothing beats a flasher. I can tell what kind of evening it is gonna be within a half hour just by watching my vex. And other people that use them know what I'm reffering to.good luck

emptyhanded · « **Reply #10 on:** Feb 19, 2003, 10:09 AM »

Good jigs for either mousies or minnows would be genz worms or frosties (Must be glow) then taz them it helps dramatically. A fish finder will clue you in on bottom hugers or suspending fish.

big_fish · « **Reply #11 on:** Feb 19, 2003, 11:12 AM »

I like to set up before dark with atleast 10 or 15 holes drilled in the area I want to fish. I can then hole hop with my vex, a lantern and 1 rod. If a given hole produces fish I will then set up my portable untill time to move again. I agree with Gazoo when he says that a half hour with the vex tells him what kind of a night it is going to be.

southpaw_1979 · « **Reply #12 on:** Feb 19, 2003, 11:38 AM »

One trick I read a few years ago for guessing the depth that crappies will be hanging around at without a flasher is to tie a white tea cup to a rope and lower it down your hole. Watch the cup till it just dissappears. At the point you lose sight of it. THis is the ideal depth to fish them. I can't vouch for the acurracy of this method because I have never been crappie fishing. I can't remember which fishing magazine that article appeared in. It was a few years ago.

emptyhanded · « **Reply #13 on:** Feb 19, 2003, 11:50 AM »

The wife will love that -- taking her tea cups -- your better off getting a flasher, less arguing.

kpage · « **Reply #14 on:** Feb 19, 2003, 12:28 PM »

i have my best luck on night crappie when i set my aqua view on the bottom and turn the light on...man those crappie stack up in the light column...i look down the hole and site fish them...of course you can save about $475 and buy a $9.99 crappie light...fish on!!!!

emptyhanded · « **Reply #15 on:** Feb 19, 2003, 12:34 PM »

I have done the same thing -- the fish would not bite or stay interested intill I turned on my IR lights on my aqua-view

bigredonice · « **Reply #16 on:** Feb 19, 2003, 06:58 PM »

i would like to say that gazoo's advice of (depth/2 +1) is darn near dead on for most mid winter crappie, like take this evening.

small pond, crappies stacked up deep. 12 feet of water, the fish were exactly 7 feet deep. they had the feedbag on, too.
between 3 of us, had 50+ fish, fishing only for 3 hours, kept 20 for dinner. - got 2 slobbo's too, over 12"

emptyhanded · « **Reply #17 on:** Feb 20, 2003, 02:35 AM »

Thats great advice -- I will try that the next time im out -- 22 feet /2 = 11 + 1 = start fishing in 12 feet down

wiggie116 · « **Reply #18 on:** Feb 20, 2003, 04:18 AM »

Thanks for the info guys, it's been too cold to fish at night, but the weather is changing for the better. I don't own a vex, so i'll have to try gazoo's trick. Thanks agian, tight lines

t.k. · « **Reply #19 on:** Feb 20, 2003, 04:35 AM »

If you don't own a vex. that's o.k. You will usually get a good tip if the specs. are there anyway! If your fishing down near bottom and getting fish than all of the sudden your letting your line out and when it's all out your line is limp. You tighten it up and a fish is on and you get it up and it's a spec. he hit it on the way down. Put that to work for you. They are there, suspended so jig your way down until you hit another one and remember that depth. You will catch just as many as the guy with a flasher without all the cost. After all that's how we learned before flasher was part of our ice fishing vocabulary. T.K.

crappieloo · « **Reply #20 on:** Feb 20, 2003, 03:01 PM »

OK you guys without a flasher don't be afraid to experiment. I went to a unkown lake to me and i usually fish at 11 to 13 feet, but the ice was 18+ inches and there were 5 holes cut in 18 to 20 feet of water, so i set up my FL8 for a look. Man fish party big time, they were all stacked up 4 to 6 feet down from my transducer. I had my choice of slabs, gills, and perch. Hey, ya never know

bussman · « **Reply #21 on:** Feb 20, 2003, 04:36 PM »

I would like to add that Power bait for "crappie" works. I guess alot of guys don't know it because I find it all the time on sale cheap(clearance). Try it IT WORKS!

Cold as Ice · « **Reply #22 on:** Sep 24, 2003, 08:09 PM »

I hear alot of you guys talking about flashers when you ice fish for crappies at nite.....Whats a flasher? can someone please explain?

:'(Thanks

mngonefishing · « **Reply #23 on:** Sep 24, 2003, 09:57 PM »

1) flasher
2) cover
3) light
4) local bait
5) get lucky

Hard_H2O · « **Reply #24 on:** Sep 25, 2003, 08:11 AM »

A flasher is some sort of sonar like a Vexilar or other such unit. Even a graph from your boat will work but you have to rig it up for ice duty.

www.vexilar.com

In my experience crappies are the poster fish for using a flasher. They come in at various depths and you want the bait above the fish. A flasher wil show the depth of the water, the bottom composition, the depth of the fish, and the depth and action fo your lure. You can watch the fish and your lure and determine the activity level and agressivenessof the fish. You can also determin what jigging action may or may not trigger the fish to bite.

Cold as Ice · « **Reply #25 on:** Sep 25, 2003, 06:29 PM »

Hard Water, thanks for the info

dabber-doo · « **Reply #26 on:** Oct 14, 2007, 05:32 PM »

Old post but some great info.

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Author Topic: Night fishing for crappie? (Read 8475 times)

mngonefishing

gazoo7401

big_fish

southpaw_1979

kpage

bussman

mngonefishing