I've always fished lighted docks in the cooler months, and have done good at times. I've never fished under the lights in the dog days of summer. Other than millions of bugs, is everything else pretty much the same?

Here at Cedar Creek,Gar take the lights over during the heat,much better fishing in cooler months.

I have caught a ton of sandbass, under the dock lights (during the summer), but can't remember a single crappie.

I assume the dock would have to be in pretty deep water, to have a chance at holding summer time crappie??

I too have caught a ton of sand bass under the dock lights {during the summer},and still do.Cooler weather i have caught 19 tons of sand bass,and 6 tons of Hydrids, a few crappie now and then..cooler water is much better for the lights

Have struggled with some insomnia recently which has given me a chance to fish our boat docks eight times in the last few weeks. Only night I didn't catch a crappie was on the full moon and think that was because the bait was all over the cove and not concentrated by the lights. Usually fish about an hour and most trips yield ten or twelve crappie but this Monday had my best night with thirty. Most have been only 9-11" but there have been some really nice ones mixed in. Gar are there every night at the surface and usually catch some bass and whites as well. Every crappie have been right up next to dock posts or brush. Have not caught a single fish when bait was moving. Have had to swing it to them, let it sit a second then twitch it and they will hammer it. WAY more aggressive thump than what the day time bite has been the last few weeks. Every night they have been in a different spot. Some nights right under the light, some twenty feet away. Some nights 3 ft down and some nights 10. At first it was frustrating but actually makes it kind of fun. Would imagine it would be very difficult to catch those fish from a boat