Gills after dark?

[Jigging Nomad]

I have never targeted gills after dark.  I have a lake near my house that has some large gills in it.  Do they feed actively after dark?  Anyone do well after dark with them?  Thanks in advance for any feedback, tips or suggestions.

[raate]

I have never targeted gills after dark.  I have a lake near my house that has some large gills in it.  Do they feed actively after dark?  Anyone do well after dark with them?  Thanks in advance for any feedback, tips or suggestions.

I don't target gills after dark....But I'm out there catching crappies! 
and every so often, i will find a hole that produces perch, or gills, or bullhead, or silver bass...sometimes i catch a northern pike..ALL IN THE DARK. 

so these species all bite at night, maybe NOT in the same spot you would look for them during the day though? 
spend alot of time on the ice in the dark, and keep good records, and you will be able to "target" just about anything at night? i know one lake i can go to and always catch a perch at night. Another sweet spot, that always produces a nice meal of gills....and i only eat bullhead caught through the ice now that i know where and when to get them!

i like the ice at night...very few people out there with you. (None) and still plenty of fish caught. 

oh, and you might just become a crappie slayer too? 

[captain54]

Depends on the lake,but not usually a good night bite for gills,I have taken a few strays while fishing for crappies at night and they where true bulls but far and few between.My go to lake I do best at first light at last light,and do good on low light days.My son and I fished 12-31-10 for the first time on 5 inches of window pain ice and pounded the crappies but the bulls where shy,ended with 40 plus crappies but about 12 bulls,very clear ice and water,you could sight fish in 10 fow and watch them inhale it,my swishy toy tails worked well fished clean,and frosty and slender spoons w/wax worm.

[StabinCabin]

I have done well up to 10pm for gills.

[Swift]

Intentionally target them at night, but only on certain bodies of water. Hit a couple of heavily used lakes, known more for small(ish) fish with the odd bull caught and have consistently taken much nicer 'gills, Crappies and even Perch well after dark. After the first ice pummeling, the survivors still like the area, they just rarely go anywhere near it during the day. Get people disbelieving it all the time but these patterns have held since the late '60s on the same lakes and areas. PLEASE KEEP THINKING THAT WAY, love having the place to myself

[Townie]

The gill bite really tapers off @ dusk; but I find the last fish of the day are usually corkers

[ICE REBEL]

I have got a few after dark nothing like it is in the day light hours.

[xcr440]

I have caught them at night especially while fishing 4 crappies.

[slipperybob]

On occassion I will hit a hot gill bite after dark, but mostly I don't catch them after dark.

[pfscott]

Yesterday, same as last 3 outings, the 'gills turned on big time just before dusk, but after dark it shut right down. I have caught a few after dark but nothing like sunrise or sunset.

[fin-n-feather]

Never had much luck after dark.  Will catch the occasional straggler, but never have done very well.  The ones I have caught when dark have always been bigguns, but far and few between.  Fin

[bassandbucks1]

Like most of the other replies i get some after dark while crappie fishing. The spot I get them in is along a 15 feet drop next to weed edge. They seem to school there after it gets dark as it's also a great spot real early in the morning but the bite dies quickly once the sun is up then I have to move to the weed bed itself.

[raate]

Like most of the other replies i get some after dark while crappie fishing. The spot I get them in is along a 15 feet drop next to weed edge. They seem to school there after it gets dark as it's also a great spot real early in the morning but the bite dies quickly once the sun is up then I have to move to the weed bed itself.

  I find the same thing, they bite at night, BUT NOT in the same spot they are during the day!  i used to think crappies only bit at night also, the vex would show fish all day, i would catch sunnies and gills, the sun would go down..i would catch crappies!  then i bought a camera........   there is nothing there all day but sunnies and gills, the sun would go down, and then the crappies are there!    Can't catch what isn't there...... every spot is different...some spots the fish are there all day and you can catch them..other spots, they aren't!

[raate]

what is your favorite lure for night crappies or gills>?

cady jig in tomato soup color! (nitro glow red)  I am presently in Florida..and had a handful of these mailed down to me from my local shop at home in central ny..(thank you Dave, at Woody's!)    The "local" speckled perch over in Lake Okeechobee  have never seen such a thing and are tearing it up every night we go! Going again tonight.....
getting alot of interest from the local fishermen with cane poles wondering what "us yankees" are doing over there...

ALL THEY CAN DO, IS WATCH    US YANK AND CRANK! 

[Swift]

Baits? Crappie, the JamminJigs Neon Tiger in red glow with a glow KJB TriTail has been very consistent so far with Smelly Jelly Herring scent. 'gills, a # 10 or #12 Gold Optic jig, shank bent down ~45* with a Glow Scud Bug body and Pautzke's Liquid Krill added. Either will catch both at times, toss in the odd Jumbo Perch that wanders in and I've had some very nice nights. Actually have been doing better pre-dawn than after sunset.

[Hooligan]

I catch very few gills after dark with the exception of one lake.  Those that I have caught are generally much larger fish.  On the "good after dark" lake I fish, we might have an average of 7.5" during the day.  The fish that come after dark are an average of 9".  We'll get a handful of gills over 10, even a couple of 11 out of there every year.

[taxi1]

Here in Indiana we have a few lakes that consistently produce bluegills after dark. There also share several common factors: The lakes are very clear, the bluegill are very deep (25 to 30 feet), and we use a lantern as you would for crappies.

[Van_Cleaver]

I have seen several lakes where the gills bite a little before till well after dark, some of them fairly shallow. Often I catch them when targeting crappie.