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Posts: 551
Location: Columbus, Georgia | An Urgent Call To All Night Fishermen!
I was fishing the other night during the full moon phase. I had a headlamp on and forgot to turn it off when I began casting again. I then noticed that it was so much easier to watch my surface bait being retrieved back to the boat given the fact that I could now SEE the bait as it approached the boat.
Am I re-discovering fire here? Do many of you guys keep that headlamp on the whole time you are night fishing, or simply flip it on when you get a strike / land a fish?
This question seems odd, but it has been on my mind now for a few days.
Craig
Edited by cjrich 5/6/2007 7:36 AM
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Posts: 2687
Location: Hayward, WI | Right, wrong, or otherwise, I have kept mine on. So far, I have been using a pretty dim red head lamp. This year I bought a brighter white LED lamp, so we'll see if that makes a difference.
curleytail |
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Posts: 2361
| Reading your post I was thinking this is one thing I would NOT do. If any light were to bother a fish, I think this would be it.
I leave my boat lights on while night fishing quite a lot and have caught musky, smallmouth, and a fish I would think would be especially spooky about this, walleye. I have caught Walleye casting a bank and throwing shad raps that have a max depth of 7 feet, with clarity easily extending past that. My thoughts are that boat lights do not penetrate in a manner that startles fish, and from the design of boatlights I think there is a lot more going out and lighting the bank than there is going down into the water.
On the other hand, I would think a directional light pointed right down at a bait might be a little more disturbing. But who's to know. Let us know if you catch any fish this way. I would be reluctant. |
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| I night fish a majority of the time. I have caught fish with the head light on-----I also have caught fish with the light shinning down on the figure eight. If you think about it, there are not to many things scare them. Examples---figure eight by a trolling motor, shortlining in the prop wash, shadow of the boat on a sunny day, and the sound of the rod on a quick figure eight. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | the lights only go on for me when i need it to see around the boat, otherwise it's off. after enough fishing at night you get a "feel" for where the bait is in the retrieve ... hard to really explain, but with time comes the comfort zone. also, when you have it on to get hooks out etc... remember to turn it off when you have your picture taken ... but, the guy snapping the picture with the camera and flash should keep his on to get the best shot possible.
nothing better than fishing at night! |
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Posts: 551
Location: Columbus, Georgia | Thanks for your replies.
I'd like to hear from anyone else.
Craig |
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Posts: 223
Location: Victoria,MN | I like to use my "night vision" . I keep the boat as dark as possible until I need to unhook a fish.
Edited by T-Bone 5/7/2007 5:11 AM
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Posts: 2089
| I keep my lights off until I need them. After casting awhile, my eyes adjust and I can see fine. Fine being a relative term here.Moonlight helps too. Depending on the angle of retreive, I can see blades flash at boatside, alerting me to "get ready". During warm weather, having a headlamp on can be like a BUFFET sign for bugs too. Head lamp and head net.Like ham and eggs. Steve |
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Posts: 551
Location: Columbus, Georgia | Hmmm. It's early May here in KY. I did not even consider the bugs (during warmer weather). I'd say that would be it for keeping the thing on unless necessary. Thank you Steve.
Craig
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Posts: 32924
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I keep mine off until needed too, mostly because of the insect issue Steve brought up. |
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Posts: 2091
Location: Stevens Point, WI | I fish at night a lot and I also keep my light off as much as possible due to the bugs. I'm going to try something new this year with one of my LED headlights. I have a cheap Rayovac one I like and I bought about a 1000 LED's of different sizes and colors to use on our fire department vehicles, computers and whatnot. In this bunch I bought some blacklight LED's and I am going to replace the white ones with these. Any baits that have some color to them especially fluorescent ones should show up really well without compramising my night vision. I will offer some reports after I do this to let everyone know how it works. There is invisible fluorescent paint that can be applied to baits too that I'm going to try on all black baits. More news to follow.... |
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Posts: 32924
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | WOW, that's a great idea, Medic. Glow line will probably light up like a candle, too.You need some E-cells to power that contraption... |
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| Great idea Derek, let us know how that works.
Steve |
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Posts: 697
Location: Minnetonka | Big ups to all new ideas... these are great. I leave my lamp off while casting... in fact, I end up forgetting mine 1/2 the time. Like Steve said... eyes adjust. The nav. lights are also suprisingly revealing if you're watching. This year I'll do the glow bead above my 18" leader... should give me ample notice to turn the bait. |
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Posts: 3907
| I recall this exact same topic some time ago. The majority response was to leave "headlamp" lights off. |
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| Another option for those of you who swing that way. Flourocarbon leader instead of metal gives you a knot that slides thru your guides right before the lure gets to the boat and the tic, tic, tic, tells you to do the eight or L without reeling into the end of your rod. |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | I like the glow bead above the leader as well as a strip of glow tape on the bait if possible. Who knows maybe the glow strip helps get their attention..... |
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