I am primarily a bass fisherman that over the years has predominantly fished during daylight. I don't mind catch a crappie once in a while. I know of a place near my home in which crappie can be caught in the late evening and at night by a bridge over a creek. I am told that it is especially good when the street lights turn on and shine over the water. The water color is usually stained/muddy like most creeks and rivers in the Houston area. I have read that crappie can become particular like a lot of fish. What lure color do you recommend for late evening or night-time fishing? (And if you don'mind sharing a go-to-lure that would be helpful too, but I understand if you don't want to share since that info is often times kept secret).

I know that someone that knows a lot more than me about jig fishing will correct me, but I always start with a yellow or chartreuse tail ( I like hair ) on a black head at night. Very seldom do I go to another color and do better. Most of the time they bite on something else, I can go back to my original color and they keep biting making me believe that it was the time rather than the color that turned the bite on.

Any good light ( preferably localized ) on the surface of the water will turn the bite on by gathering the base of the local food chain to the light.

Any time I have fished at night I have done well with natural shad or minnow type colors.

I used to "night fish" a couple of fishing barges. For whatever reason, I always caught more on plastics, than feather jigs.

I used pink heads and something with black in it. Black/chart, black/pink, black/white were my top producing colors, but caught fish on the "Monkey Milk" color also.

When they stop biting on one color, I could switch colors and sometimes the bite would start back up.

I too,, have been known to fish such situations, quite a bit actually...My personal favorite in that situation is Thermocline Lil Fry in Black Emerald Shiner with an unpainted 1/32 #6 sickle hook. My second favorite is the same bait in Silver Flash. My Third favorite is a Bobby Garland ShadPole in Black/chart with a 1/16 #2 or 4 sickle hook. I assume you will be fishing shallow...if not you should...6 to 12 inches under a cork if you are having to pitch to them or just deep so that you can't see the jig if you are tighlining. Keep the jig moving (as if injured or foraging), so the sparkles/vibrations can be picked up by the crappie...as I recall, all the thermocline produced come prepackedged with Slab Slobber for a little extra stimulation effect. If you get the Shadpoles, a little attractant can sometimes be helpful...hope this information helps.

Incidentally, if you are into hair jigs...you might give Jerry T. A shout, he is pretty good on helping you dial in on those situations...Black/chart is what I have always been told by many(in the past)...but I always seem to use a Greasebath...LOL

What crapicat said. Except some times crappie nibbles ain't enough. Try a double set or tandem jig under a cork, tip the top jig with a minnow and let the minnow do all the work for ya.

Thanks all for your comments and suggestions! I hope to sneak out once or twice this next week and give my new found knowledge a try.