am I fishing at the wrong time ?

[swidnica]

   In the past two weeks I've traveled 6 hours and fished for 15 hours , went to Lake Mitchell and Chippewa Lake from 2 am til 6 am and marked two fish and had no bites . 

  Are crappie not active during this time or do those lakes not have any fish unlike the lakes in Kent County ?

[DR.SPECKLER]

Hmmm crappie stop biting around midnight around here and pick up at 6am till about 1030am then start back up at dusk.strange times to fish bud.

[Doeslayer]

I look at crappie and walleye like deer.... Twilight feeders.... Mornings and evenings are best but can be caught at any time

[Swift]

Often it's just the food source moving since the phytoplankton tends to shut down and sink at night with the forage following or simply moving on too something else. Crappie are often scratching their bellies on the bottom during the middle of the night eating worms,etc. near me or suspended in 60' of water. You'll just need to find them and figure out what it is they're eating. Seems some will check the 'normal' area out more as a scout then anything else waiting for the cycle to start up again and not stay long or in numbers until it does

[SKIFFLAKEJIMMY]

You gotta fish when you can. You can hammer them, or get skunked. But either way,... you are fishing.

[Spider1]

The thing about crappie is that they hunt all through the night. By early morning they are probably fed and slowing down. You will still find a few active fish from time to time but slowing. During the day they find that dark hidy hole and wait out the day (for the most part) then start feeding again in the evening into dark. On a couple of my favorite crappie spots, just at twilight, I tend to see a fast and furious Gill bite. When that's over the slabs move in.

[jdgambler]

fish the moon phases and barometer . The only time im fishing between 2 and 6 am is with a tipup I "accidently left out"

[Doeslayer]

Midnight to 6 am is for sleeping near a rattle reel lol

[swidnica]

   Thanks for the replies , I work second shift and have to travel North so that's why the times are very late .  I've never seen anyone out on the lakes when I'm out there so started to realize it's not the right time , but in February once we get ice down here I can start going around 10 pm .

[Doeslayer]

When i go to the mouth of sag river i like to arrive at 3 am.... That way im set up by 4 am.... Bite out there seems to turn on around 4-5 am and last usually til after daylight... If there is a bite at all that day

[river_scum]

Are you using lites?
I have found the bite times to be same as Dr speckle posted. That being said weather can trump bite times.

[DR.SPECKLER]

I will also add that the best speck lakes for a all day bite is the dark/stained and murky water lakes.on gin clear lakes its mostly a evening bite.jmo

[Fish Killa]

I will also add that the best speck lakes for a all day bite is the dark/stained and murky water lakes.on gin clear lakes its mostly a evening bite.jmo

I love gin clear lakes! As well as vodka clear, white rum and even White Claws! 

[Iceicemike]

snow covered is better.
IMO each body of water has its own click to crappie.  Most for a evening bite is on edge of weed line.  The part of the weed line is the question or which weed line on the lake lol
One lake i fish on a edge of weed line. Get crappie there for about 3-4 weeks at first 5-6 inch ice  and they just quit using that area. Where they go? I'm still figuring that one out lol From weeds dieing? Or the forage moved? I've come down to  they only resort to eating once a week and I'm never there at that moment when they have the feed  bag on. Lol

[Doeslayer]

snow covered is better.
IMO each body of water has its own click to crappie.  Most for a evening bite is on edge of weed line.  The part of the weed line is the question or which weed line on the lake lol
One lake i fish on a edge of weed line. Get crappie there for about 3-4 weeks at first 5-6 inch ice  and they just quit using that area. Where they go? I'm still figuring that one out lol From weeds dieing? Or the forage moved? I've come down to  they only resort to eating once a week and I'm never there at that moment when they have the feed  bag on. Lol

my guess would be they moved to a weed line that is deeper... Crappie love weeds... They are like fish hippies lol

[Iceicemike]

Maybe! I have no issue catching crappie! Just trying to help

[Doeslayer]

Lol same here... I find that as the ice gets thicker the crappie slowly drift to deeper water up to a point where they begin to drift back before the spawn... Which is relative to a lot of fish... I assume it has to do with oxygen levels in the water.... But i could be way off base

[DR.SPECKLER]

Mid winter i always catch them suspended over deep water.

[michianafisherman]

I never worry about what time I fish. I have found places that work all night for crappie.
I also found places where they would just pass by and then gone. Do the same every night.
I never did figure out where they were going. After the bite was gone the rock bass red eyes would follow them.
Get no more bites the rest of the night, but by staying one night, at least I knew.
I also have fished lakes in a different spot than others and saw them catch some small fish up to a certain time and leave.
Some fishermen left because the bite died or they were cold, I don't know. I can tell you they always left too early!
I don't think I would stop fishing those hours, but try different spots.
Once you find the times for the bite, then you can take your time getting to your spot.
Take a nap, stop for breakfast, or whatever.

[jdgambler]

try lake trout, smelt fishing or burbot if your fishing that late.