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!
Night Fishing lights
- Thread starter SnowTexan
- Start date
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.
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.
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!
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
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
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.
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.
jkidd
Active member
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.
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
https://www.ebay.com/itm/122689389487?epid=526400577&hash=item1c90db83af:g:iigAAOSwH2hZr~uG
colbysmith
Active member
Midwest as well.
jkidd
Active member
SnowTexan":1v240b64 said:
I know in Utah if you get caught with the plug in, it's a $5000 fine. I have been stopped at a check point and they they were handing out $500 fines to everyone that tipped there motor down and got more than a cup of water out of it. It's because of the mussel problem. They want your boat dry, if they find water in the bottom, or a live well,or a ballast tank you will more than likely get fined.
jkidd":15yp39l3 said:
It would be difficult to take a C Dory 25 thru Utah with these regulations. Even with the plug out, there is a fair risk of some water remaining in the bilge. There are "compartments" outboard of the fuel tank, which trap water and are almost impossible to get all of the water out...Perhaps a steep enough ramp...
jkidd":3tjcmx2l said:
5000! Ouch! I have yet to have the experience of a boat inspection on land. I understand the need to preserve our waterways and protect against invasive species, but 5k for leaving your plug in on dry land is a bit absurd. Do you wait until you see water coming through the hole to plug it, or do they allow you to plug it on the ramp?
.
colbysmith
Active member
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
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
Molly Brown
Member
On my boat there are NO drain plugs. I’d be hard pressed to reach the bilge without tying a pole to the sponge in order to get down there. To do any work on the bilge pumps i have to remove the hatches, disconnect the batteries and stand on my head. Even then it’s barely workable. A royal pain…..
James
James
Negative, The only way you can access this area is by pulling the steps. You would have to have a sponge on some type of pick up device. I agree that it would be unlikely to be inspected...but there is always that risk?
We never have pulled the plug on our 25.
At least 21 States have the Zebra Muscles, and US Fish and Wildlife has determined that one of the common freshwater aquarium plants sold in pet stores nationwide (marimo moss balls) has Zebra Muscles in the plants...
Every state has at least one invasive species. I understand the desire to prevent major infestations as has occurred in Lake Powell (which means that all down stream lakes will also be contaminated).
We just drove from Florida to California and back, and there was not one boat inspection station on I 10. That spans 8 states--Zero inspection.
One of the advantages of my 22 Cruiser (05) with a no fake floor cockpit. There is nowhere for the water to hide. Well then, there is that bilge step, about 5x12 inches, that always confounds the USCG inspectors. :lol:
And when the boat is not in the water, the plug is hanging on the truck windshield :shock: as a reminder :roll:
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
And when the boat is not in the water, the plug is hanging on the truck windshield :shock: as a reminder :roll:
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
colbysmith
Active member
I don't know of any inspection stations on I10. But use the northern routes over I90 and 94, and you will see them in Montana, Wyoming, Oregon and Washington. You'll also find them in Canada. I also had to go thru an inspection on 15 between Nevada and California at the ag inspection station. Minnesota and Wisconsin both require bilge drain plugs to be pulled, but most enforcement is at the lakes. I still wouldn't travel with the plug in. Kind of a good idea to leave the plug out and keep the bow raised a bit anyway to allow the bilge to drain out. If the inspector can't see it, they won't know there is water there. However, they've also been known to check anchor lockers and most places that are observable. Kind of silly that there are still many areas that the invasive species can hide, so I doubt they'll ever completely stop their spread. But most the inspection stations I've been at are pretty serious. Lake Powell is already contaminated, so they are not so worried about arriving boats, but they are concerned about departing boats. Yellowstone National Park requires an inspection before you launch, and then you are required to purchase and display their Inspection sticker. Utah also has requirement for out of staters to purchase a special registration pass after taking an online course on the invasive species. The Lake Powell blog just recently had some conversation on rather or not the federal authorities enforce the state requirements in regards to having proof of that registration. Just passing on the information. Don't shoot the messenger! 