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The fish are harder to catch and you don't catch as many but they are bigger and a blast. My dad and I caught 14 crappie over 12 inches at night with only one daytime sized dink. Besides the crappie we've caught some cats and a few walleye at night. Good times. Almost as good as fishing open water.
Make sure you be careful venturing around at night and always have someone with you. A friend of mine walked over a spring last year and fell in when the holes we were drilling were 14" thick all around that area. Funny stuff.
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Wow, nice slabs[fishin], sometimes cold and dark are the price to pay for bigger fish.
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what lake are you getting these walleye at?
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I got two at the southern part of Utah Lake with my girlfriend in four hours of fishing from 8 to midnight and I caught two more on two trips to Willard along with some cats. One each trip at Willard.
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yeah i wanted to hit willard but obviously probably not going to get another chance with the weather this year....i lost a walleye at the hole this year but during the day
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Man - you do good on the slabs like you do good on the cats at night. Thanks for sharing!
So was the crappie fishing in that 8-midnight frame too? Do you mind my asking - where those from Willard too? A bay or main lake? Or PV perhaps?
If you don't wanna say - don't. No worries.
I'd assume you put something glowy to work after dark?
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Yeah Willard is too scary now. I hear deer creek is decent for the night bite near ice off so I'll probably start going there when I get a chance.
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One night we tried PV last year at night time and caught a 13 3/4" crappie.. Almost a state record.. That was over a year ago so we now KNOW the state record in PV for sure.
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Yeah the record is pretty big. We've caught multiple 14" crappie and my dad caught one at 15" this year.
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Oh that must be a new record? Because the book we looked in was only at 14 3/4
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I don't think so. The catch and keep record is pretty big. I've seen 17 inch crappies last year and they are double the size of a fourteen. They get shoulders and really thick.
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I don't mind saying because there is plenty for all that want them and it will help thin some out. Pineview has been really good for large crappie lately. We'll probably hit it twice a week at least until ice off. If Willard refreezes it will be great for cats, walleye and crappie. I'm crossing my fingers.
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When ice fishing at night, are the fish typically at the same depths as during the daylight hours or do they move shallower or suspend more?. I wouldn't have a clue what depth to start at if I were to try a night bite. I'd assume in open water they'd move closer to shore or structure in search of food. Under the ice???
Have you used an underwater camera at night, and has that proven helpful at all? I can't see my monitor in daylight well at all, and I'm wondering if it's worth hanging onto for night fishing.
I've been on the boat at starvation under a full moon fishing walleye, and that was a hoot. We didn't catch a lot, but what we did pick up were very nice. I can see where night fishing can be advantageous, just haven't done it much.
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Night fishing at starvation is a good time for sure,any time of the year. and using a camera there at night has been on my list for a long time now. There are some spots that I just have to see what is goin on. I would use the camera after ice season if I had one. Just gotta catch a calm night that the boat is nt going to move around too much an the waves don't make everything all chaotic on the screen.
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I just use a fishfinder. No camera. It depends where you're fishing but alot of times they can be in the same areas. The crappie are going to be deeper and usually suspended in large schools. The walleye seem to cruise through really quick and you have a very small window. The cats come and go and it's just a waiting game like in the summer.
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Nice haul of slabs. Did you fish all night?
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Started about 9pm and had everything packed up by 1am.
] Night time is a great time to fish for eyes, crappies and cats. I think a lot of people would get more fishing opportunities if they gave it a shot too. I mean most people get off work and dont realize they could be getting into some amazing fishing after hours during the week!
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