Fishing Light Attractor - Types

Types

Fishing lights fall into two groups: those that are portable and those that are permanently mounted. Generally, portable lights are powered by batteries and this sets practical limits to the kind of light that can be used. Most portable light sources are relatively low in light intensity and have short operating times. Lights drawing more than a few tens of watts are not practical. The old classic, a 12 volt automobile incandescent headlight mounted on a Styrofoam float ring, is probably the least expensive and lasts for a few hours before the battery is discharged. Battery-operated fluorescent lamps are three times more efficient in converting electricity to light. Therefore, comparing lamps of similar brightness, they can be operated about three times longer before the battery is discharged. Also, the operating lifetime of fluorescent lights are about ten times longer than incandescent lights. Commercial portable fishing lights based on fluorescent lamps vary widely in intensity. The best use 25-40 watt lamps that emit about 1000–3000 lumens per tube. Costing $160–$200, they are available through the internet, sport stores and catalogs. Lights made up of LED lights are an up-and-comer but to date are 10 to 100 times less bright than a fishing light using a standard 25-40 watt fluorescent lamp. LEDs are extremely efficient in converting electrical energy to light. As the cost of LEDs decrease and their brightness increases, expect to see functional fishing lights consisting of large arrays of LEDs.

Permanent lights are typically powered with 115 volt house current. Placed on poles at the end of a dock or pier, the least expensive lights for outdoor use are security or flood lights using a mercury vapor, high pressure sodium vapor, metal-halide discharge or fluorescent bulb. They cost $25 to $100. While lower cost 115 V AC outdoor flood lights using standard tungsten (incandescent) or tungsten-halogen (quartz) bulbs can also be effective fish attractors, they are energy inefficient. It takes about five 100 watt tungsten lamps to deliver the light equivalent of one security lamp. Security lights are readily available from most hardware or farm supply stores. The fixture includes a photocell controller for automatic dusk-to-dawn operation and comes complete with an appropriate bulb. These lights are very bright (6-8 thousand lumens), efficient in converting electricity to light (operated daily for 8 hours, electrical supply costs $40–$100 per year), have long bulb lifetimes (24,000 hours) and stand up well to outside weather conditions. When used as a fishing light, light output can be redirected toward the water by installing a 5” X 10” piece of aluminum flashing or heavy foil bent into a half circle and placed next to the lamp's circular acrylic lens.

Stadium spot lights are energy efficient and their superior brightness illuminates a large area of water. Rated at 250, 400, 1000 and 1500 watts, the high intensity discharge lamp, parabola-shaped reflector and light ballast are each sold separately. A complete light fixture and lamp costs about $400–$500. The cost of lamps with different wattage ratings are similar, so most people chose higher wattage lamps. The bulbs in these lamps can emit white, blue-green, green or yellow light. For most fishing waters the lamp color of choice is green. They are available through specialty light stores. It takes two people to install these big lamps and the installation may also include a switch, timer, heavy gauge wiring and circuit breaker, thus adding to the cost.

As mentioned earlier, a significant fraction of the light shining on the surface of the water is lost by reflection and, thus, will not be available to attract fish and members of their food chain. Security lights can be modified to operate submerged in water. Positioning the bulb underwater delivers approximately twice as much light to attract fish. However, the modification must be done professionally as the high voltages that power these lamps can be lethal. Commercially made, submersible fishing lights are available on the internet. The power ballast and lamp housing is mounted on a pole in a dry location. The lamp, potted in a waterproof housing, is connected to the ballast via a waterproof cable. Floating like a fishing line bob, the lamp is positioned underwater by weights on its submerged power supply cord. The bulb is fragile so some manufacturers offer protective covers and hard lenses. However, one unique feature of the submerged, unprotected bulb is that its outer glass envelope gets hot enough to prevent establishment of marine growth. When the bulb has a protective cover or is not operated daily occasional cleaning is required.

A permanently fixed fishing light attractor is most effective if it is operated every night. It takes to a week or two for larger fish to discover the increasing concentration of bait fish attracted to the light. Once discovered, the fish return regularly — often arriving at predictable times of the evening.