Need advice: first time night ice fishing

[anthonyjj]

Beginner ice fisher here (first season). I have been out about 5 times this season during daytime hours, and found a pretty decent spot to catch fish. It is about 11-12 FOW with a weedy area on one side (that gets shallower when over those weeds - around 7-10 FOW), and on the other side it gets deeper (going down to about 18-20 FOW) but no weeds. I confirmed this via an underwater camera.

I have caught an occasional crappie during the daytime (1 crappie for roughly every 12-15 panfish), and want to catch more, so I am planning a night ice fishing outing.

My questions are for night ice fishing:

1) Should I go to that same spot, along the weedy area?
2) Or should I go right over of the weeds?
3) Or should I go over the deeper weedless area?

I am looking for some advice because I really don't want to move my shanty. Also, I have an Lowrance x67c, and will have a lantern with me too. 

Finally, any tips on the best night jigs and bait? Should I use the same jigs and bait as during daytime hours?

Thanks in advance.

[slipperybob]

You just have to try a couple of times to pattern the fish out.  I will start middle ground, like daytime setting.  I try to pay attention to which direction the fish will pull line, especially when setting out a slipbobber.  This kind of tells me where to set up my shelter in deeper or more shallow water.  I personally like glow type lures for night fishing.  I've sometimes find that a bright lantern helps with fishing, sometimes it doesn't. 

[anthonyjj]

Thanks.

I was leaning towards setting up again along the weed bed (like in the daytime).

I did notice, when watching the underwater camera, that almost all the fish came in from the deeper waters and not from within the weedy area. But this was during the day.

Not sure if this matters or helps with any advice.

[MattR]

I agree with what slipperybob has said. You will have to go mobile a bit until you get their patterns pegged down. Even during the day you mentioned they come from the deeper water to see your bait, that would be my first choice then. If you have some tipdowns, set one up where you normally fish just to make sure they didn't come shallow. Normally they will suspend in deeper water during prime feeding times. As far as bait, I have only used crappie minnows. The jigs however do vary sometimes. I do use glow jigs, but another lure I would hammer them on is a Swedish Pimple w/ single hook and one of the little flutter blade things on it. When the minnow swims it makes the whole thing vibrate and the fish cannot seem to get enough of that lure..lol. Good luck in your slab hunting.

Matt