"After-dusk" is considered by many as the ideal time for fishing because it is much cooler and less crowded. Bright lights are, however, essential for making the nighttime hunt a success. Incandescent lights were in use for a long time before the Light Emitting Diodes or LEDs almost replaced them. Now, LEDs rule the market because of their luminance, durability, cost-effectiveness, and power saving abilities. But colors play a huge role in increasing the usefulness of the diodes. Seasoned anglers know that red, green, and blue have a tremendous effect on fish. So, their boats are already installed with these useful LED lights. Read on to know why your fishing expedition is incomplete without them.
Do The Fish See Color?Years of research have proved that most fish actually do see colors. Their retinas are made of rods and cones which help in distinguishing night and day vision respectively. The rod cells cannot differentiate between colors at night, but they can sense light intensity. Freshwater fish are, in fact, better at locating the light intensity. Again, some fish like the trout, salmon, and bass can locate more colors. They can, in fact, spot different shades at different distances. So, anglers, young and old, try to use lures in a variety of shades to catch the fish.
How Light Behaves With Water?The way you perceive light in air is very different from that in water. They come in varying wavelengths and the visibility is highly dependent on the clarity and calmness of the waters. Primarily, three kinds of lights are used in fishing - red, green, and blue. Red has the longest wavelength while green and blue have the shortest. The red light in spite of wavelength gets absorbed by the water within the first 20-25 feet. The regions lighted by it appear dark and blackish. Blue and green colors, however, remain visible for a long time and the clean lake water allow the light to penetrate even further. Phytoplankton and bait fish mostly get attracted to these shades and bring in all kinds of big game fish.
Beams Go Deeper On Sunny DaysFunnily, the red color that disappears first in the clear waters travels deep in the turbulent water at the river's mouth. It seems like a white streak in the dark blue-green depths of the water. The blue and green LEDs disappear faster here. A sunny or cloudy day again makes a big difference in the amount of light penetrating into the water. Commercial products adapt these principles and manufacture lures that are visible in such waters.
Illuminating The DepthsSubmersible LEDs are widely used for illuminating the waters for fishing and cosmetic purposes. They are constructed using rustproof materials and are hence immune to the effects of being immersed in the water for longer hours. It is best to keep the boat anchored while fishing from the vessel. Drifting is likely to discourage the fish from coming close. At least two LED underwater fishing lights should be immersed, preferably of two different colors, to find out which light attracts more fish. Also, the lights should not be hung deeper than three inches below the water's surface. The fishing line should not be placed right near the bright light because some fish are skittish and prefer to stay away. Placing it on the outer fringe of the night fishing lights for boats may actually help to catch more fish. Whether you are fishing for fun or professionally the edge that advanced lighting techniques have given to it is undeniable.