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Posts: 325
Location: Otsego, MN | So I havent done a lot of night fishing for muskies (mostly walleyes in the past) but was curious if you folks use a head lamp and if so do you leave it on?
I dont expect people to leave the bright (white) LED lights on but mine has a Red LED lights setting and wondered if that would spook the fish?
Inside the boat I have a couple strips of LED lights that I power on only when we hook a fish or need lighting (change baits, backlash, etc.)
Opener cant happen soon enough! |
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Posts: 510
Location: Ludington, MI | I'm going to try the Thermacell lanterns in the floor of the boat this year until someone hooks a fish, then headlamps. |
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Posts: 696
Location: Northern Illinois | Normally if we are fishing a spot near a shoreline we have all lights out. Only time lights go on at all are lure changes, moving spots or a fish on/in boat. Not sure about it spooking fish but I wouldn't want to take the chance. |
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Posts: 2383
Location: Chisholm, MN | Fish spook from boats and fisherman during daylight. I don't think it would be any different at night with a light shining in their face. I never have a light on while I fish. Also, having a light in the bottom of your boat screws up your night vision, actually making in harder to see whats around you. Many times you can see fish following at night without a light, even on the darkest of nights - and they don't always eat. |
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Posts: 537
Location: Gilberts IL/Rhinelander WI | While usually we fish with no lights, as mentioned. I feel they could spook as well. On the other hand, last summer on vermilion I hooked one with both headlights on, boat lights on, and big motor running... Twelve feet from the boat. If they want it they'll bite. |
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Posts: 300
| A couple years ago, my wife got me two rechargeable LED lights that mount on the boat with suction cups. The black lights shine towards the water and the white and either green or red shine in. We've moved fish on several occasions with the black lights blazing. We both wear head lamps, we have a net light as well as a spotlight. All of these have saved our tails more than once. The only time the head lamps come on is for fish and possibly a backlash. I can't emphasize how important it is to get your eyes adjusted to the darkness. Once that happens, you will be amazed how well you can actually see. |
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Posts: 1360
Location: Lake "y" cause lake"x" got over fished | I also have a head lamp with multiple settings, one being the red LED lights. I have heard in the past that the fish cannot see the red light. But I am not sure I believe that.
Outside of spooking the fish, I leave my light off to help myself not get over excited. If I turn it on and watch my lure coming, I will see the hit, if I do I will over react and probably miss the fish (something creepy and exciting about fishing at night, at least for me). So I pretty much leave the light off and go by feel. If the rod gets heavy, set the hook! The reason I say this is because 2 seasons ago I was out night fishing for my first time and didn't have anything going all night. I finally made it to this one spot and decided I was going to turn my lights on, curious if I had a follow or not. So I turn on the light as I am bout to be at the boat, when I brought the lure up to the top of the 8 and hung it there I noticed a fish come screaming in and smash it. Scared the crap out of me. I almost fell in the water, not to mention I did lose the fish.
So for all considered purposes, I just leave it off |
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Posts: 373
Location: Maine Township, MN | I like my Princeton Tec EOS. Plenty bright and lasts a long time.
Just a side note. I cannot stand cruising across a lake and at the last minute, someone turns on their nav lights! Leave them on. It's the law! I hope karma comes and some drunk hits you for being so dumb. |
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Posts: 1360
Location: Lake "y" cause lake"x" got over fished | last year I was almost killed by a boat coming accross the lake because some people don't pay attention. We had our lights on, plus flashing headlamps and mag flash lights. Some people are just idiots! |
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Posts: 349
| Leave the boat navigation lights on, it's the law and super dangerous if you don't. I don't use a headlamp unless I need it to pick weeds, change baits, net a fish, etc. otherwise it is turned off because all it does is mess up your night vision.
What I do is put a white t-shirt over the bright white stern light so it doesn't interfere with night vision and is still plenty bright for other boats to see (I know this from being on the water at the same time as buddies doing the same in their boats and have no problem seeing them, same concept as a lamp shade).
Most nights I have no problem seeing follows even without ever using headlamps, only on the darkest nights is that a problem. |
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Head Lights