Thread: Night fishing location selection

#1 - setup where the bait is
#2 - see rule #1
use your FF to find bait then pick a place in 25' or less depth (20' is my go to) The reason for this setup is to control how deep the fish can be feeding. To start drop your offerings down to the bottom and reel up two turns then cover the rest of the depth in 4' increments. The bait will come to your light and when the crappie move in to feed you will soon learn the depth that your hooks should be. Feeding depths can change and it seems that some crappie will always feed close to the bottom. if the bite slows down start adjusting your hooks until you find the right depth again. The biggest mistake I see people making is using to much weight, use just enough to keep your lines vertical and you will see the lite bites. Sometimes the rod tip will come up instead of going down. Watch your rod tips constantly or you will miss many bites.

What StumpHunter said! look for bait around flats or on a ledge. Seasons don't matter to me that much. I go year round. Some nights are better than others. Dark moons and clear water are the best factors along a bright light with bait being present. Muddy water is not good because the light doesn't penetrate the water. Keep at it you'll develop your technique, also anchor down good so you won't have a lose end or swaying with your boat. Steady boat with tight lines mean more visible bites. Hope you join in with us sometimes. We are due to go, I got that feeling ofish will holler out soon.

Originally Posted by BigDawgg

What StumpHunter said! look for bait around flats or on a ledge. Seasons don't matter to me that much. I go year round. Some nights are better than others. Dark moons and clear water are the best factors along a bright light with bait being present. Muddy water is not good because the light doesn't penetrate the water. Keep at it you'll develop your technique, also anchor down good so you won't have a lose end or swaying with your boat. Steady boat with tight lines mean more visible bites. Hope you join in with us sometimes. We are due to go, I got that feeling ofish will holler out soon.

I'm ready for a trip to highrock r South of the border


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That can happen if the weather gets right. To many scattered showers day and night time lately!

Appreciate it fellas. I’m ready I try out some of this knowledge after the Holiday/ Rain.




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Me and Stumphunter fished alot together at nite back in the day (in different boats but closeby). He and I fished the same way. I always left my sonar on so I could watch and see where the most lines (fish) appeared on the graph and made sure my hooks was slightly above them. Like SH said....during the nite the depth could vary so keep an eye out. Also, WATCH those rod tips cause sometimes it only twitches or the line barely moved and the fish has the minner in his mouth. Set the hook!

"Scout" for possible places to set up. Meaning....before dark spend an hour or so easing thru likely areas looking for bait/fish on the sonar in areas you think you might wanna fish. If a good spot is found then go there THE NEXT TRIP to the lake. Always scout before setting up cause you never know....you just might find "that Mother Load". When you do....you will know it! Places I like to look are in wind protected areas back in coves away from any timber. Sometimes you will find where a couple creek beds comes together causing a slight depth difference of just a couple feet and sometimes that is all it takes. I preferred flats averaging 20-25' deep with wind protected banks in areas where it is known to catch daytime crappies. 'Course there has to be food there or there wont be fish. Anyway...my 2 pennies worth. Good luck.

Originally Posted by gabowman

Me and Stumphunter fished alot together at nite back in the day (in different boats but closeby). He and I fished the same way. I always left my sonar on so I could watch and see where the most lines (fish) appeared on the graph and made sure my hooks was slightly above them. Like SH said....during the nite the depth could vary so keep an eye out. Also, WATCH those rod tips cause sometimes it only twitches or the line barely moved and the fish has the minner in his mouth. Set the hook!

"Scout" for possible places to set up. Meaning....before dark spend an hour or so easing thru likely areas looking for bait/fish on the sonar in areas you think you might wanna fish. If a good spot is found then go there THE NEXT TRIP to the lake. Always scout before setting up cause you never know....you just might find "that Mother Load". When you do....you will know it! Places I like to look are in wind protected areas back in coves away from any timber. Sometimes you will find where a couple creek beds comes together causing a slight depth difference of just a couple feet and sometimes that is all it takes. I preferred flats averaging 20-25' deep with wind protected banks in areas where it is known to catch daytime crappies. 'Course there has to be food there or there wont be fish. Anyway...my 2 pennies worth. Good luck.

That's exactly the way I fish at nite gabowman


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Gabowman, Stump Hunter, and myself along with others have enjoyed some great nights on Russell. It's been awhile and I've been considering night fishing on the Hill, but a weekend visit found heavy stain in all my favorite upper lake creeks, and I've not known dirty water to produce good night fishing. So I may just have to go out on Russell if we can ever get a trustworthy forecast that it won't storm as soon as the anchors are set!