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I rarely fish even close to sunset - don't like driving in the dark with my cataracts. But yesterday evening I figured - why not - especially after I saw a lot of surface action which turned out to be crappie attacking minnows on the surface in many locations. Heck, within 30 minutes I caught over 15 crappie - some nice size as it was getting dark.
Anyone else? - (not including nighttime anglers that fish well into the night. any luck BTW?)
JustBass posted some pics/vids of catching Crappie right at dusk (& a little beyond) at his local lake in California.
Personally, I don't remember any uptick in the bite at dusk, but that's likely because I seldom fish till then ... and when I am there at dusk to fish, it's most likely a night fishing trip and I'm staking out my spot and setting up at that time, rather than actively fishing.
There were shoreline anglers (about 6 cars) that fish into the dark. Guess that's a tradition same as when I see the same cars on shore an hour after sunrise. (Most likely retired gents.)
We have a spot like that over a small lake impoundment. Same guys most mornings and sometimes I wonder if they really care how the bite is.:RoflQuote:
Originally Posted by Spoonminnow
Bob
I used to get set up right at dark and fish until they stopped biting sometime I would be there until sun up. I am sure it has a lot more to do with when in the day the fish utilize the spot that you are fishing at. Those bank fishing spots the crappie bite would shut off around daylight. The fish were there ambushing shad as they were swept through a choke point coming out of the backwater. The crappie would stage up outside the opening and ambush the bait as it came out. The water flow was generated as TVA spun the turbines up at night to meet heating demands. The lake level would drop and the bite was on. Created an artificial tide so to speak. On nights with little generation activity the bite would happen as the locks were worked for the shipping to take place. The fish would bite on the side of the choke point where the flow was discharging. Those nights yiu had to swap sides as the water was raised and lowered to stay on the fish.
Well first id suggest taking care of those cataracts, it will for sure change your life.Quote:
Originally Posted by Spoonminnow
As much as i like to fish, i no longer like it enough to get up early in order to do it.
At 86 i no longer rush to do anything, nor will i allow myself to be rushed.
I fish alone for that very reason, yet i never have the feeling of being alone.
As a rule i leave home between noon and 1 pm for the 20 to 30 mile drive to the chosen lake.
By the time i arrive most of the “ bass pros “ have left or are in the process, leaving easier/closer parking spaces.
I never change my method which is one rod usually 8’ to 10’ with a 1/16 or a 1/24 oz jig with one of maybe 4 different colors.
I keep 4 rods rigged for that purpose.
I troll very very slow along the shoreline weeds in preferably 4’ or deeper water, keeping the jig just in front of the weeds, or dropping it into a small hole in them while stopped.
I sometimes catch more bass and blue gills than crappie on a trip.
But from about mid Jan, to the end of May this past year i counted over 500 crappies caught and mostly released.
Most were caught from about 4 pm till just enough time to load the boat before dark.
I always start and finish a trip at or very close to the ramp, which keeps the jig in the water longer.
I sometimes never start the outboard on a trip.
A 6 gal. tank of gas for the 20 horse Merc. lasted the whole past season with some left.
I have had a lot of good luck just before dark for bass and crappie. Some friends and I started night fishing for bass in the very late 1960's and we always started as early in the afternoon as we could. Then fish all night and the next day. We did this every weekend for 10 years except in hunting season. So I fished a lot of sunsets over the years and since I moved to where I am in 1999 and fishing here before that pretty much full time crappie and I have fished a good many nights and even late evening. Also once the electronics got to where they are I feel even better driving at night on the lake so didn't mind going out for just a late evening fishing with my wife for the last hour or two of the day. One evening I remember so well because of the rig I was using more than anything else. It was a minnow on top and a jig on bottom for weight and bait. That last hour we caught 28, but only 8 keepers (over 10") and all 8 keepers came on the jig, lol!
Anyone dealing with cataracts should get the implants, I did almost 10 years ago now. I also say be sure to pay the extra to get both near and far good vision!
Skip
I'll have to check that out with my eye surgeon who corrected strabismus (crossed eyes) a few years ago. He said to wait 5 more years for the cataract surgery but the right is getting worse.
Thanks to all for your great replies! You're the reason this forum is so successful,
often times in this area right before dark the bite goes south , so in response to your question no sir about never are my best crappie right before dark and when it does happen in a few spots it is a fleeting moment as they are typically on the on the move to their dark thirty hunting spots .
:hesaid
Same thing when they transition back to a daytime feeding spot at sun up