shallow crappies at night???? Please help!!!

[Nutsicles]

I was wondering how shallow crappies will come in at night? Haven't had much luck with anything on the ice in my local lakes during the day. Its getting depressing. So I figure I should give night fishing a shot. The lake I'm fishing has a 20 foot basin on the south bay, and a huge soup bowl basin towards the north end. Thats where it hits it's deepest spot around 35-40 feet. Don't really want to walk the long haul to deep water. So how shallow can you find them at night?

[Swift]

The lakes I hit, 12-15fow in trough like flats off the main basins of 30-50fow. Can come in with their bellies scratching bottom or rubbing their backs on the ice but usually somewhere in between. Every lake tends to be unique in specifics. Where/what's the food of choice. They come in early, later or even there all the time? Only way to figure it out is to simply spend the time, punch holes and figure out what they prefer to take.

[slipperybob]

I think you will always find a few crappies shallow at night, however I mostly will find the main school out over deepwater suspended or sometimes just under the ice.

[fishermantim4]

fish it, only personnel knowledge or accepted knowlege that you trust will put you on fish, at night find flats where they can feed on baitfish or even pick up emerging larvae from the bottom is my best advice. fish where they feed is your best bet, finding that spot might take some time, but will produce throughout the ice season after you find it

[Sam Quint]

on some of the lakes i fish the crappie come into the shallow weedy flats at night in  6 to 9 feet of water .other lakes they stay in the deep basin 25 -30 feet ,sometimes near bottom sometimes suspended 15 feet off the bottom.all depends on the lake

[icedpapermouth]

yesterday evening i was getting them in 20 FOW suspended at 5 to 7 feet on the vex and they were very sporatic.

[Swift]

Try to be as quiet as practical all the time, sound travels well under water

[slipperybob]

Yep, I've sometimes get a crappie showing up just under the ice.  I've dropped by lure and started to let it fall and my line goes slack.  I thought it was the line catching on something.  I pulled off more line then notice a fish sitting about 2-3 feet just under slowly swimming a way and my line was slowly pulled to one side of the hole.  Closed bail, reeled up line slack, hook set, caught the crappie.  Thought is was a fluke, but then about 15 minutes later.  I drop lure into hole.  Saw my lure went down and a fish started to follow it down about 2 feet behind lure.  I stopped lure about 7-8 feet down and crappie smacked it.