Night Fishing lights

SnowTexan · Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2021 1:58 pm Post subject: Night Fishing lights

So I love to fish, but hate crowded ramps and fleets of boats and combat casting. I love salmon, but since moving back to Washington again have been blown away by the hordes of angry river anglers all competing for one or two productive holes on big rivers and lakes. Well i’ve scoped out a few less productive places, and have no-prob-llama (As we say in my house) sitting on the hook all night long drinking iced tea and listening to the hogs belly flop in the summer dark. So My plan is to embrace the slow bite, and fish only after the sun is down in odd corners. Staying in the same location for multiple days, and swimming in the day with the kids and fishing at night (livin the dream really). I’m looking for lighting recommendations from all you coasties and great lakers who hunt large fish in the dark. On the hook and back trolling in very minimal river current under the fairest conditions. Currently have a box of headlamps and will make chem lights on pfds mandatory nighttime PPE for the boat. Would like to light the cockpit up if needed, as well as the area immediately around the boat. Green bait lights underwater? Maybe? All recommendations and price ranges under consideration at the moment, but simple is best and no cords dangling all over the place to foul lines is better. Hardwired or battery powered. Not looking for nav or running lights, purely utilitarian fishing and Emergency lighting in the immediate vicinity of the boat. Mostly for freshwater but useful in salt also. Thanks cbrats!

thataway · Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2021 5:50 pm Post subject:

For years I have used red lighting in the cockpit and on decks of sailboats, when racing--even red spreader lights. We have done the same for fishing.

All of my head lights have a red LED--some have 2 brightnesses. In the 25, we have several 3 LED array at the aft cabin brow over the door. I also have LED in the side boxes, which can be directed to the floor. These are switched on at the helm. I also have a bright flood light which will light up the cockpit and surrounding water on the radar arch facing aft. Forward I have an LED flood light for rdocking--Some boats I have put red LED's under the eye brow.

I try and have these LED's not be shining directly off the boat--to avoid confusion with running lights--but the aft once on the cabin top could be confused, even though the main beams are toward the cabin floor.

SnowTexan · Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2021 12:22 am Post subject:

Thanks! Red down lighting in back is a good idea. A flood for near boat activity/docking is on the to do list. I’ve only ever used light as an attractant on the gulf coast. Up here I was always a bank and beach fisherman, so a flashlight hanging out of the mouth and a camp fire were the main tools. I do miss cold weather steelheading!

hardee · Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2021 1:42 am Post subject:

Often times at the dock or at anchor when/if I am up late enough for it to be dark I will put a light over the side for a while and then watch the activity. Squid, small fry, then larger, and sometimes a big fish will go through an stir things up a bit. I don't know if that is the same a spotlighting for deer, but Since I don't have any fishing gear on the boat, I have never worried about that.

Harvey
SleepyC Moon

SnowTexan · Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2021 12:38 pm Post subject:

Spotlighting for deer!!?? No that’s a whole other can of worms. Night Fishing out of galveston from piers or on the beach it’s standard practice to use floodlights. Now that is a phenomenon every Northwestern fisherman should see: generators and floodlights going all night long on the Texas City dike, 102 degrees at 1am with 90% humidity, standing on the rocks in your flip flops watching for snakes and it sounds like the woodsy party scene in an 80’s teen movie. It’s more communal than solitary. Loud music, Motorcycle revving, and hot rods included if it’s a weekend. I know people who used to fish pier lights over in edmonds and mukilteo at night. Fishing cultures do vary...but given the nature of fish and the fact that you still have to get them out of the water by legal means, I dont think it’s quite like lighting up a deer in an alfalfa field and shooting it from the truck window. Now if I could just get most of my fish off the road ditches like I got my deer meat these last few years, my freezer would be packed! Probably dont want to eat those spawned out salmon though.

Dont think you’d have a problem with watching those fish even if you had a rod and reel on board Harvey! I haven’t found any prohibition on lights in the washington sport fishing rules book other than areas closed to night fishing entirely. I think it’s just less common here than southern states.

thataway · Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2021 11:31 pm Post subject:

We see these generators and massive LED white lights on the gigging and bow fishing boats on the St. John's river tributary springs. Very disturbing if you want to sleep. I can only relate to the 50's teens at the beach--a whole different bag...

jkidd · Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2021 2:20 am Post subject:

Underwater green is the best color as it goes further before it dissipates. The first color to disappear under water is red. I used to build and sell green lights for fishing under the name of Killer Fish Lights. We would fish at Lake Powell during the winter at night for stripers on a good night we would catch 80-90 fish in 3 to 4 hours. My first lights were a 4 foot fluorescent tube. The light I use now is 2 foot with 5 strips of green leds brighter then the 4 foot, but uses about .25 more amps. Hydroglow.com is one of the companies that has been around a while or just search green lights for fishing.

ssilver · Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2021 9:41 pm Post subject:

I am thinking about replacing my brass tube rubber drain plug w/ a threaded one so I can get one of those threaded LED drain plug you see on E-bay. Seems pretty straight forward and no holes in transom.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/122689389487?epid=526400577&hash=item1c90db83af:g:iigAAOSwH2hZr~uG

jkidd · Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2021 10:48 pm Post subject:

colbysmith · Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2021 11:43 pm Post subject:

SnowTexan · Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2021 1:42 am Post subject:

jkidd · Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2021 7:46 am Post subject:

thataway · Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2021 1:23 pm Post subject:

SnowTexan · Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2021 3:38 pm Post subject:

colbysmith · Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2021 4:41 pm Post subject:

Remove the bilge plugs as soon as you pull the boat out of the water. Then place them back in just prior to launching. Many states have started enforcing these rules. Any of the invasive inspection stations you must stop at traveling west of the Mississippi will require the drain plug be out. Both Minnesota and Wisconsin require the drain plugs be out as well. I'm not sure about what other states are enforcing this law.

Bob I agree with you, but so far have not had my 25 thru any of the inspection stations. For the most part, even that area you are talking about can be dried out with a sponge. Pull the plug on a steep ramp or road and that will drain most the water out of the flatter part of the bilge. Leave the bilge compartments open for an hour or so in the sun, and they will mostly dry out. There will always be places that are wet and can't be seen. Just depends on how anal the inspector wants to be. Start out with a fairly clean boat, and they don't tend to look as hard. Wink

Colby