Late afternoon thunderstorms in central Florida sometimes pop up with such regularity that you can, as the saying goes, “Set your watch by them.” Heat and humidity go together like biscuits and gravy down around Deland, Florida in mid-July. While saltwater fishing in nearby places such as New Smyrna Beach can still be good, many freshwater anglers, especially crappie fans, find the bite a tad on the sparse side. Then there is Jack Smith, a lifetime crappie angler who says the “nighttime is the right time” when it comes to catching slabbers.

Smith, a horticulturist by trade, grew up in Florida where his father served as a game warden. Father and son enjoyed fishing together but job requirements meant most of their opportunities came at night. They fished both saltwater and freshwater, but Smith recalls the only fish they wanted when it came to freshwater was crappie.

Nighttime anglers have used lights to attract fish for many decades. Smith and his father began by using Coleman lanterns and then switched to the lights that were, basically, a vehicle headlight floated in a molded piece of Styrofoam and powered by an alligator clip on a 12-volt battery.

Smith owned a landscape company but began guiding for nighttime crappie 20 years ago. He fishes year-round, but says his best success comes during the hottest months of summer.