How To Use Crappie Lights To Catch A Ton

For many, summertime is prime fishing time for a variety of reasons. The weather is nicer, it is the usual vacation time, kids are out of school, and fun is all in the sun, but when it comes to fishing for crappie, especially in the summertime, it pays to know how to use crappie lights to catch a ton of crappie, because in the really hot months, the bite is liable to be off during the heat of the day.

One thing to remember is to plan ahead when it comes to night time crappie fishing. If you are lake fishing for crappie, your best choices are going to be relatively large lakes over 500 acres. You need deep, clear water for best results as well. Next, consider areas where there is abundant bait fish, and plenty of open water with structure and cover nearby. These are prime areas for catching crappie after dark.

Remember that you are going to be doing much of your work under the restriction of darkness, and plan ahead as far as having everything organized and ready to go.

Look around during daylight hours for the perfect spot to fish. Knowing exactly where you are going to fish will really help you when you head out after darkness falls.

If you have a way to do so, take a look at a topo map of the lake bottom. Concentrate your efforts on areas where there are points, ridges, deep water ledges or other sudden changes in the bottom depth. It is a good bet you will find crappie converging on such locations. Once you have found these areas, use your sonar to find the kinds of cover the crappie love like brushy areas, stumps and submerged trees.

Once you have narrowed down a location, and have your lights in the water, place one rig close to a light, but space others along the length of your boat. The best areas are often going to be the ones right next to the lights, but at other times, they bite best along the edges of your light. Fish closer to the surface than you normally would, because the lights will draw the crappie to the surface. In order to pinpoint the depth at which they are feeding, just fish your rigs at various depths until you pinpoint the right one.

Another consideration when you are using lights to catch crappie is your bait. Usually jigs and minnows will be your best bets, and it is always safe to start there, but if you see a bunch of shad in the water that have come up to investigate your light, it is always a good idea to use shad as bait. Give those crappie whatever it is they are going after as a midnight snack, and you have a buffet sure to please them and catch your limit! If you are using shad as bait to catch your crappie, consider clipping the tail of the fin to give the shad a 'crippled' erratic movement, and the crappie simply can not resist taking the bait.