light under ice?

[flydunker]

anyone drop a light under the ice while fishing for crappie? if so does it help?

flydunker

[the big tatonka]

we usually put a latern outside of our shanty at night and it seems to work better. we usually catch more then if we dont have one. I was thinking of putting like somesort of waterproof lite on a rope and lowering it down there to see if it would work.

[jnpcook]

I have never used one before, but I saw a floating crappie light at a bait shop one time that was designed just for what you are asking. Sorry, don't know the brand but I think it was just called a floating crappie light or something like that. About the size of an icefishing hole.

John

[RichP]

I know someone who fishes for Crappie in the summer at night who uses submersible lights off the side of his boat and claims they work well (I've only ever done it for smelt in the winter). Here's a link to Cabelas fish attractant lights page:

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/index/index-display.jhtml?id=cat600054&navAction=jump&navCount=12&parentId=cat21276&parentType=category&rid=&_DARGS=%2Fcabelas%2Fen%2Fcommon%2Fcatalog%2Fcatego ry-link.jhtml_A&_DAV=MainCatcat21276

The newest one being described as:

"Electralume LED Fishing Light
Now you can have an underwater fishing light with the ultra-long life and low battery consumption of LEDs. The pressure-activated switch automatically turns the unit on when it reaches a depth of 15 feet. Or, you can choose manual operation to illuminate the area while the unit is above the water. It runs on two AA batteries (included), 350 hours battery life."

[jpollman]

Flydunker,

Here's another link to some very reasonable underwater lights.

Underwater fishing lights (http://www.fishinglightsetc.com/)

I've got one that's almost exactly the same as these. I've never tried it but next time I head out to Stoney, I'm going to try it after dark and see if I can tie into some of those slab Crappie that I KNOW live there. :)

[SALMONATOR]

This may be of interst:

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=57617

[flydunker]

I have a light that I use for smelt when I am on Higgins. While I wasa reading it said the purpose of the light was to attrack bait fish which then attracks predator fish. so I was wondering if anyone does this for crappie

[Buzz]

I saw a guy one time take an old style round sealed beam headlight, and put a foam around the light. He drilled a hole an plunked it in there. He had deepcycle marine battery on a sled he pulled out on the ice-wired it up-instant light! I dont know if he caught anything but it looked like a good idea. The sealed beam is sealed so no water can hurt it. Cheap too.-Buzz;)

[jstfish48162]

now that is some classic "HILLBILLY INGINUITY" for ya'll right there.

just pop out the headlight from the old Buick in the drive and you are ready to fish.

P.S. no i am not making a joke - ALL of my relatives do this in the South for crappie at night. the only difference is the fact that they use the batteries out of the cars they drive to the lake. More than a few of them had long walks back home after a full night of fishing....LOL.

[sdjrobs]

We use those cheap (about $4) round metal work lights with the chrome dome. Cut off the plug and put clips on the wires and put a 12 volt bulb in it. Any 12 volt battery will work but a lawn and garden tractor battery will be light weight and last for hours. The chrome dome fits right over a hole and will light up everything under the ice. Use a 50 watt 12 volt bulb or rig up two 25 watt lights to get enough light. Does it work? I think so but am not sure. Seems to me it keeps them biting longer after dark but I don't know if it draws them in from long distances.

[WALLEYEvision]

I've made one a few years back. It worked great when the snow and ice cover became too thick for my lantern's light to penetrate.

[Craig M]

Here's a thought. How about mounting a light, car head light, LED, etc and battery to a board and just put the board mounted light over an ice hole with the light shinning down? The light/battery wouldn't be submersed. Do you think this would this provide enough light to work?

[Molson]

actually I just use the round car headlight. I don't have it mounted on a board. Use speaker wire and aligator clips. Drill a third hole just outside the shanty and set the headlight in the hole. Enough heat comes off the headlight to prevent freezing. Thats my standard crappie approach and I used it on Higgins last year for the "wiley tiger smelt".