Try Crappie Lights For Trout

When the summer water temperatures rise and the trout seem like they have lockjaw, try switching to night fishing using crappie lights, or at least a lantern.

A pair of anglers from Phoenix called recently to report that they "slayed" the trout at Woods Canyon Lake recently using crappie lights at night. What really amazed them is that no other anglers were fishing at night when the trout were extremely active.

Those two Phoenix anglers learned a secret that anglers living in the White Mountains have known for years – you can escape summer crowds and catch more fish by being on the lake at night.

Crappie lights work best from a boat. You can also make a tri-pod out of sticks out in the water and hang your lantern or light from it, then fish from shore. The light attracts aquatic microorganisms and insects. They both attract hungry trout. Smart anglers can be at the top of the food chain at night if they so desire.

For spin or fly anglers, the key can be wooly buggers (a type of fat gaudy fly). If you are spin angling, try using a sink float with a pound or two-pound fly leader 18 to 24 inches long and a wooly bugger. Cast well past the circle of light (so the splash doesn’t spook trout) then slowly work the sink float and its trailing bait back into the action zone. Having patience and working it slow is typically the best way.

You can also try casting past the circle of light using in-line spinners, such as Mepps. Using a floating bobber with suspended Power Bait, night crawlers or even mealworms can also be a good bet in the circle of light.

The big consideration this time of year is having the circle of light well away from your location – that way you can stay out of the bugs as much as possible.

If you are in a boat, try using bait on light line with a light split shot. Sometimes having the bait below the radiated light zone in the water will get you the larger trout. Experiment and have fun. Listen to the owls hoot and the coyote chorus. High country lakes at night are an experience all of their own.