FISHING in the hot summer months can be a frustrating experience. The extreme heat
can push fish into deep water making them hard to locate. But don't give up yet. If you’re
looking for a different kind of fishing this summer and don't mind cleaning a mess of fish,
try fishing under the lights. Fishermen are finding they can beat the heat, wind, and water
skiers, plus have some of the most productive fishing they have ever experienced, by
fishing after the sun goes down.
Fishing with artificial light has been around for many years. It doesn't take a $100 to $200
fishing light to attract fish. In the early days the most common method was to hang a
lantern over the side of a boat. Some of the old timers thought the light attracted bugs
(which they did), and in return the fish surrounded the boat in hopes of getting a meal.
There are still those who believe the old theory of fewer bugs, less fish, but new
technology has done much to disprove that theory.
The new submersible lights project light directly into the water which leaves little reflected
light to attract bugs on the surface. Why then are fishermen catching more fish using the
submersible lights? The most accepted theory is the light starts a natural food chain
reaction by attracting a concentration of small microscopic animals called plankton. Bait
fish such as shad and minnows are drawn to the light to feed on the plankton; and larger
game fish move in to feed on the bait fish. It's not uncommon to see bait fish stacked in
columns 15 feet thick under the lights, with game fish suspended directly below them.
There are several types of fishing lights on the market today. The most common lights are
the floating lights, fluorescent lights and submersible halogen lights.
Floating lights consist of a sealed beam headlight bulb surrounded by Styrofoam™ and
are designed to float on the water. Most models produce around 25,000 candle power of
light and draw 4 to 5 amps per hour from the boats battery. The disadvantages with
floating lights are their bulky size, high amp draw and the effects wind and waves have on
them.
Fluorescent Lights consist of a green fluorescent tube in varying lengths. Most are
designed to float and have to be weighted to be used as a submersible. The light omitted
from a fluorescent light is nominal compared to the halogen lights, but some fishermen
prefer them because of their low amperage draw on a battery. The drawbacks to most
fluorescent lights is their price, overall size, they utilize an electronic inverter (ballast) that
can burn out and most do not have replaceable bulbs. So when the bulb or ballast burns
out you either have to throw it away or send it to the factory for replacement. The smaller
versions of the fluorescent lights are just not bright enough to attract fish in large
numbers.
Submersible Halogen Lights are probably the most popular lights on the market
because of their small size, great light output and modest price. Our halogen lights now
produce over 1.5 Million Candle-Power of White Light, Green Light and Blue Light. Our
lights are small and compact and can easily be stored in your tackle box. They all have
replaceable halogen bulbs and globes. Our AquaStar and Magnum lights also have
Polycarbonate Tube Guards that protect the lights from easily breaking and allows the
fisherman to easily change from White Light to Green Light to Blue Light. Halogen lights
are designed to operate below the water's surface so the wind and waves have little effect
on them. While halogen lights may draw more amps from your battery, they are by far the
best lights for your money.
Depending on what type of night fishing you do, night fishing equipment will vary. Lights
are used in both freshwater and saltwater and every kind of fish imaginable can be caught
using lights. For fishing a typical freshwater lake, equipment usually consists of light to
medium action equipment. In our area the most common lure used is a 1/16 to 1/8 ounce
lead head jig, tipped with either a white or yellow split tailed beetle, or a live minnow. As
with all types of fishing, if the bait you’re using isn't producing fish, don’t be afraid to try
something else.
When setting up to go night fishing in a typical freshwater lake, pick an area next to the
main river channel. Watch the depth finder for structure such as underwater points and
islands, and set up on a break between deep water and shallow water. On most lakes a 10
to 30 foot break is ideal. When positioning the boat, it is important to keep the boat
stationary over the break by using two anchors. An anchor tied to the front of the boat and
another anchor tied to the rear of the boat will keep the boat from pivoting on one anchor
line. If the boat is allowed to pivot on one anchor line, the boat will drift off the break and
you will be fishing in unproductive water a good part of the night.
Start fishing by lowering the lure to the bottom. Make sure the lure is on the bottom by
watching the line between the rod tip and the surface of the water. When the line goes
slack, the lure should be on the bottom. When the rod tip touches the water, the lure
should still be touching the bottom. Now, slowly lift the lure about 1 foot off the bottom and
hold it still. If a strike doesn't occur in a couple of minutes, start raising the lure in 1 foot
increments, pausing between each lift. (It is critical to hold the lure or bait dead still for a
few seconds between lifts. The fish will normally hit it when your bait or lure is still or
falling.) When the rod has been raised to chest level, lower the rod tip back to the surface
of the water and put 1 full crank on the reel, and again hold the lure still for a few minutes.
If no strike is felt, start lifting the lure in 1 foot increments until the fish are located. Be sure
and keep track of the number of cranks made on the reel. After catching a fish, lower the
lure back to the bottom, crank up the same number of cranks on the reel, and you should
be right back in the fish. Once the fish are located they usually stay close to same depth
most of night. But remember, the water temperatures may change as the outside air
temperature drops so it's a good idea to search all depths if the action slows down.
Fishing under the lights can be a challenge. Unlike other methods of fishing the fish will
seldom hook themselves. A slight tap is all that will be felt when a strike occurs. An
angler's reaction time will determine how many fish end up in the live-well.
Fishing under the lights has become one of the most popular methods of fishing today.
Not only is the fishing fast and fun under the lights, but fishing after the sun goes down lets
the angler experience nature at its best. So don't let the dog days of summer get you
down. Head out to an area lake and "Light Up The Night!
can push fish into deep water making them hard to locate. But don't give up yet. If you’re
looking for a different kind of fishing this summer and don't mind cleaning a mess of fish,
try fishing under the lights. Fishermen are finding they can beat the heat, wind, and water
skiers, plus have some of the most productive fishing they have ever experienced, by
fishing after the sun goes down.
Fishing with artificial light has been around for many years. It doesn't take a $100 to $200
fishing light to attract fish. In the early days the most common method was to hang a
lantern over the side of a boat. Some of the old timers thought the light attracted bugs
(which they did), and in return the fish surrounded the boat in hopes of getting a meal.
There are still those who believe the old theory of fewer bugs, less fish, but new
technology has done much to disprove that theory.
The new submersible lights project light directly into the water which leaves little reflected
light to attract bugs on the surface. Why then are fishermen catching more fish using the
submersible lights? The most accepted theory is the light starts a natural food chain
reaction by attracting a concentration of small microscopic animals called plankton. Bait
fish such as shad and minnows are drawn to the light to feed on the plankton; and larger
game fish move in to feed on the bait fish. It's not uncommon to see bait fish stacked in
columns 15 feet thick under the lights, with game fish suspended directly below them.
There are several types of fishing lights on the market today. The most common lights are
the floating lights, fluorescent lights and submersible halogen lights.
Floating lights consist of a sealed beam headlight bulb surrounded by Styrofoam™ and
are designed to float on the water. Most models produce around 25,000 candle power of
light and draw 4 to 5 amps per hour from the boats battery. The disadvantages with
floating lights are their bulky size, high amp draw and the effects wind and waves have on
them.
Fluorescent Lights consist of a green fluorescent tube in varying lengths. Most are
designed to float and have to be weighted to be used as a submersible. The light omitted
from a fluorescent light is nominal compared to the halogen lights, but some fishermen
prefer them because of their low amperage draw on a battery. The drawbacks to most
fluorescent lights is their price, overall size, they utilize an electronic inverter (ballast) that
can burn out and most do not have replaceable bulbs. So when the bulb or ballast burns
out you either have to throw it away or send it to the factory for replacement. The smaller
versions of the fluorescent lights are just not bright enough to attract fish in large
numbers.
Submersible Halogen Lights are probably the most popular lights on the market
because of their small size, great light output and modest price. Our halogen lights now
produce over 1.5 Million Candle-Power of White Light, Green Light and Blue Light. Our
lights are small and compact and can easily be stored in your tackle box. They all have
replaceable halogen bulbs and globes. Our AquaStar and Magnum lights also have
Polycarbonate Tube Guards that protect the lights from easily breaking and allows the
fisherman to easily change from White Light to Green Light to Blue Light. Halogen lights
are designed to operate below the water's surface so the wind and waves have little effect
on them. While halogen lights may draw more amps from your battery, they are by far the
best lights for your money.
Depending on what type of night fishing you do, night fishing equipment will vary. Lights
are used in both freshwater and saltwater and every kind of fish imaginable can be caught
using lights. For fishing a typical freshwater lake, equipment usually consists of light to
medium action equipment. In our area the most common lure used is a 1/16 to 1/8 ounce
lead head jig, tipped with either a white or yellow split tailed beetle, or a live minnow. As
with all types of fishing, if the bait you’re using isn't producing fish, don’t be afraid to try
something else.
When setting up to go night fishing in a typical freshwater lake, pick an area next to the
main river channel. Watch the depth finder for structure such as underwater points and
islands, and set up on a break between deep water and shallow water. On most lakes a 10
to 30 foot break is ideal. When positioning the boat, it is important to keep the boat
stationary over the break by using two anchors. An anchor tied to the front of the boat and
another anchor tied to the rear of the boat will keep the boat from pivoting on one anchor
line. If the boat is allowed to pivot on one anchor line, the boat will drift off the break and
you will be fishing in unproductive water a good part of the night.
Start fishing by lowering the lure to the bottom. Make sure the lure is on the bottom by
watching the line between the rod tip and the surface of the water. When the line goes
slack, the lure should be on the bottom. When the rod tip touches the water, the lure
should still be touching the bottom. Now, slowly lift the lure about 1 foot off the bottom and
hold it still. If a strike doesn't occur in a couple of minutes, start raising the lure in 1 foot
increments, pausing between each lift. (It is critical to hold the lure or bait dead still for a
few seconds between lifts. The fish will normally hit it when your bait or lure is still or
falling.) When the rod has been raised to chest level, lower the rod tip back to the surface
of the water and put 1 full crank on the reel, and again hold the lure still for a few minutes.
If no strike is felt, start lifting the lure in 1 foot increments until the fish are located. Be sure
and keep track of the number of cranks made on the reel. After catching a fish, lower the
lure back to the bottom, crank up the same number of cranks on the reel, and you should
be right back in the fish. Once the fish are located they usually stay close to same depth
most of night. But remember, the water temperatures may change as the outside air
temperature drops so it's a good idea to search all depths if the action slows down.
Fishing under the lights can be a challenge. Unlike other methods of fishing the fish will
seldom hook themselves. A slight tap is all that will be felt when a strike occurs. An
angler's reaction time will determine how many fish end up in the live-well.
Fishing under the lights has become one of the most popular methods of fishing today.
Not only is the fishing fast and fun under the lights, but fishing after the sun goes down lets
the angler experience nature at its best. So don't let the dog days of summer get you
down. Head out to an area lake and "Light Up The Night!
| Tom Payne |
| When the summer sun goes down you'll find the serious fisherman just hitting the water. |
| Under the Lights |
| Crappie, Flounder, Shrimp, Swordfish, Squid, Striper, Speckled Trout, Walleye, Smelt, White Bass, Tuna, Red Fish & more! |
| An Underwater Fishing Light Company |
| Fishing Lights Etc. 201 W. 23rd. St. Hays, KS 67601 Copyright © 2003-2008 All rights Reserved. |
| $10-$20 Value |
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