Are Crappie Attracted to Light

One of the best and most productive ways to catch crappie is at night. Crappie are not attracted to the light but they are attracted to the baitfish that surround the light. Add LED lights When fishing and your chances to land a crappie just doubled.

It’s easy; put out light and the light attracts microscopic bugs, In turn the bugs will attract bait fish, such as minnows and BOOM, crappie come for the minnows. Anglers say that the best night fishing happens on lakes that exceed 500 acres, have fairly clear water, and that are deep.

They should also support bait fish and have good structure or cover. When night fishing, make sure that all lights on the boat are in working order, that you carry a flashlight (or spot-light) with you, and make sure that you have all safety equipment on the boat. 

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We are going to review some of the most popular LED lights that are used to catch crappie. Towards the end of this segment I will provide you with more information on fishing for crappie at night, how the lights work, and give you some tips and tricks. Quickly though; LED stands for light-emitting diode. According to Wikipedia; these are a semiconductor light source that will emit light when a current flows through it. LED lights are extremely bright and crappies are definitely attracted to the light.

What color LED light is best for attracting crappie? This is one of the most asked questions from those that are going to try night fishing for the first time. Though some companies have a selection of colors, most only produce white or green LED lights for fishing at night. Seasoned anglers will tell a newbie to GO GREEN! The wavelengths of light are more attractive to plankton. Plankton (and bugs, as stated earlier) attract bait fish. The bait fish will swarm the lights and before you know it, you are catching crappie like there is no tomorrow. White light is absorbed very quickly into the water, where as green is not. Green LED lights are also suspected for aiding in the reproduction of the plankton. 

One of the most popular LED lights available: Yidazn Underwater Fishing Light. This particular light has 96 SMD super bright LED lights that shine a 360 degree view for your fishing pleasure. The Yidazn is durable and waterproof, fully submersible, ad creates an enormous underwater green glow. It has been upgraded to a heavy duty 20.8 foot power cord with battery clips. This LED light is made with PC housing and the tube is filled with glue, making it more durable with anti-corrosion and anti-shock properties. You can use this LED light source in freshwater, saltwater, lakes, and ice fishing. 

Another great selling LED light that will attract crappie is the Green Blob Outdoor Fishing Light. This is a green 15000 lumen with a timer, 30 foot cord, and a 3-prong plug. This LED light is designed for use in the lakes, rivers, ponds, fresh and saltwater. The light is energy efficient, versatile, durable, and fully submersible. The Green Blob is energy efficient with a 110v adaptor and can be used 24/7 with no risk of overheating. It also comes equipped with a 24 hour timer and dusk to dawn sensor. No matter what fish you are hoping to catch, the Green Blob LED light will make sure that you get the task accomplished. 

The last one up for review on our list of LED lights to use when crappie fishing is the SAMDO IP68 12v LED Underwater Fishing Light. It has 1080 lumens and 10.8 watt light. Usable in rivers, lakes, night fishing, and wild fishing. You can use it in a sea fishing cage, small fish net, or a light cover net. Some of the other features of the SAMDO are 12v, 100,000 continuous hours of use, 5-sided for 360 degree water coverage, 180 SMD super bright LED lights, and heavy duty 51CM power cord. 

All of the above LED fishing lights are affordable and will attract the bait fish that will in turn bring you more crappie than you can catch. So, in short, the perfect LED fishing light will have the following:

• High strength
• Emit light in a color that is similar to fish space (green or blue)
• Powered by portable power supply
• Stability and easy repositioning in deep water
• Use of Fluorescent and Polarized Optical materials

We are now going to explore the idea of night fishing and night fishing with LED lights further. I will offer you tips, tricks, and suggestions from other anglers on what works for them and things that you can try to do to be successful. 

Crappies will move in towards the surface at night in an attempt to regulate their body temperature. Crappie will feed off of plankton, minnows, and other small bait fish that are attracted to the light. Floating and submersible lighting will shine down into the water. When you night fish with LED lights you can do so from a boat, off of a dock, and even from shore. Anglers say that the best night fishing coincides with the moon and what phase it is in. 

Fish are like some humans, they can not see at night. Therefore the electric signals, smell, and vibration help them to locate their food in the dark. LED lights help them even more by illuminating the bait fish. When setting up your lights make sure you are in a place where crappie tend to feed at night. You will also need to make sure there is enough cover for them to hide; reefs, logs, and other foliage. If you want to be successful with using LED lights then you have to follow the proper depth suggestions. The more the merrier. 1 light works great, 2 lights are even better! Make sure that if using multiple lights you place them 3-4 feet apart to achieve the perfect light radius. It is also a good idea to use more than one rig/pole. Position one close to the light, and space out the other poles a little further away each time to see where the best areas to catch the crappie are. 

Before underwater LED lights were a thing, fishermen would hang lanterns off the side of their boats. This not only helped them to see when baiting their hooks but it also attracted bugs and bait fish. If you are going to use LED lights from a boat, make sure that the boat is completely anchored, shut off, and all is quiet. Otherwise, it won’t matter that you have LED lights, the noise will scare the fish away.

It’s all going to be trial and error, depending on the different environments in fresh and salt water. The important thing to know, that will help you catch crappie, make sure you drop the lights close to where they feed after dark. If you drop them anywhere else, it will be a lot more challenging to catch the crappie because they will be feeding and not paying attention. 

The LED lights must be powered by 12v, either from a small car or boat battery. Make sure that you drop the green LED lights down at least 3 feet. This will allow them to stay close to the surface so that you can see the bait fish and crappie, but not too far down that you can not see anything at all. You want a little bit of illumination close to the service. Also, make sure that the lights are positioned so that they are easy to move if needed to accommodate the high or low tide.  

Some other useful tips to catching crappie with LED lights:

1. Have patience – the bugs and bait fish are going to show up quickly, after you place your light. But it is going to take the crappie a little while to make their appearance. Don’t give up!
2. Fish the Outer Edges – the shadows from the light will produce more bites. If you get too close to the light while fishing you may spook the crappie. Stay just outside of casting distance to ensure that you do not give away your position.
3. Match your lure and bait size – to produce more bites from the crappie you want to match the size and color of your bait/lure to that of the bait fish that are swimming around. This gives you a better chance of the fish striking at your lure, because it looks like their natural food source. 
4. Keep the light clean – environmental conditions will determine how often you need to clean the light. If you give it a fresh water rinse after each use it will help greatly. You also want to keep all waterproof connectors free of dust and debris.

Are crappie attracted to light? Yes, crappie are attracted to light. We have covered the 3 top selling green LED lights that will enhance your chances of catching crappie at night. We included tips and tricks to help you improve your odds and we have provided you with general night fishing tips. All you have to do now is take all of the information from above and use it to the best of your ability and you will have a fully stocked freezer in no time. So make sure your tackle box is stocked, your boat is ready (and is stocked with all safety gear), go out there and fish until you can’t fish anymore. Good luck and happy fishing.