Black Lights For Night Fishing.

[WRB]

I known we have a lot of night fishing threads and have discussed various lighting systems for night fishing. The question is why are black lights so popular? And what type of black lights are good; fluorescent or LED?

I have used and still use different types of lights depending on the presentation I am fishing.

Where I fish we have very few biting bugs to deal with, a few mosquito's, so a white can be used.

My problem at night is poor night vision and very slow recovery form sudden bright light in darkness.

Everyone has an issue with depth perception at night when your eye pupil is dilated full open to take in more light when it 's dark, your focal length is shortened. So if I am cranking a shoreline bank where accuracy is essential a flood light works good and I can see like it 's day time. A flood draws in the maximum amount of bugs and wouldn't be a good choice if bugs are a problem.

I also like to use a high intensity underwater light used to float squide in salt water. This is a weighted light I place in the back of the boat under the OB prop and it lights up the water all around the boat like it was in a swimming pool at night. I use this light when fishing deeper water on outside structure. The underwater light draws in baitfish and I can see good to land bass.

The black lights I use are Zorro, the older fluorescent tube type. I use black light when fishing shoreline cover with soft plastics and jigs, when I don't need good depth perception for accurate casts. Black lights let you see the line better than any other light, very important with Senkos, worms and jigs, when fishing around cover, but doesn't help you see the cover better.

Cap lights with LED's are handy for tying knots and finding stuff, a small flash light also works well.

So what type of lights do you prefer?

Tom

[merc1997]

i still use a florescent black light. i have fished with a couple of guys that had the led type, and the led did not have enough coverage to suit me. i think the stan sloan model was the first one on the market commercially. here in cassville, mo. a company by the name of able 2 products produced the original moon glow lights we used for years prior to the black lights. later they also produced black lights, and that is still what i use. to me even thought they do not sell balck lights anymore, they are still the best on the market. i think the reason why is the size of the opening and the mirror like reflector filling up that space behind the bulb. for those that like to have things lit up on the shore too, they also have a white florescent black light bulb. here is a tip for pitching and flipping extremely clear water and the bass are right on the bank. put your blacklight on the opposite side of the boat you are fishing out of. the boat will cut off the light from being shining on the water, but you can still see your line up in the air.

bo

[merc1997]

there is a company in our area not that has a black light on the market that seems to be a really good light with good coverage allowing you to see you line a long way from the boat. i believe it is called the table rock black light.

bo

[papajoe222]

Black lights are popular because lines like original clear/blue Stren reflect the light similar to anything white. That makes detecting subtle hits much easier. The also afford enough light to assist in moving around the boat. I read somewhere that blacklight doesn't affect your night vision and doesn't penetrate the water the same as regular lighting.

[river-rat]

I do a lot of night fishing and have used the Zorro Bait Co. (Stan Sloan) Piggyback model for over 20 years. It has a flourescent black light and an LED white light. This unit has a built in rheostat that lets you control the amount of white light. I find that when adjusted to its maximum, the white light will illuminate up to 35-40 feet away from the bank/cover which is plenty for the way I fish.

Also, try using a head light or cap light with red LED lights when you have to re-tie. The red light will not affect your night vision.

[merc1997]

the red light makes sense. good reason that flashers at night do not bother your vision like the liqud crystal units do. i might have to look around and find a red light to use for tying on. i usually retie in the dark, or use the blacklight.

bo

[10ocjoe]

I have been using Ultraviolet LED Black lights from 10oc Led for night fishing. I bought mine on ebay but I have seen them on amazon and they do have a website www.10ocled.com These lights work great, use very little amps, makes my fishing line glow nicely and they are very affordable. I don't normally pitch products but I have been very impressed with these lights.  

[eyedabassman]

I think Bass Pro still sells the black lites! I know they used to sell the Stan Sloan and a few others. I could be wrong.

[Blues19]

The first bass I ever caught and handled on my own was while night fishing. I have never used a black light. We always just have head lamps to retie and that kind of stuff. I think the blind fishing really helped me learn alot in my fishing. But now that I know what I am doing, I think the black light would be fun to try. I hear the line lights up like a rope. That would be awesome!

[Lip 'em!]

I dont have the facts to prove it, but it definitely seemed like i caught more bass night fishing after i got rid of the black lights on my boat and relied on headlamps and the moonlight. Its a little more difficult, but i have more confidence now without them.

[AndyTN]

My fishing partner always uses a black light at night. His line is clearly more visible then mine (non reflective). When casting near obstructions, I can see the benefit. Away from the shore, not so much. I prefer a good floating/underwater green light. No bugs, soft background light that doesn't hurt you night vision as much, and they do attract bait fish.