To get the most out of your nighttime fishing experience you are going to want to make sure you are equipped with a good fishing light. A good nighttime fishing light provides you with two big advantages; it attracts fish, and it helps you see what you’re doing! We will cover details associated with nighttime fishing lights and how to select the right fishing light for your situation in the below sections.
Night Fishing Lights for Crappie
Why Night Fishing Lights Are Used to Target Crappie
Crappie are known to have poor vision at night. Night fishing lights help to solve this.
But that’s not all. Yes, they aid in crappie’s ability to see but the right night fishing light will also attract bait fish to your targeted fishing area – and where there are baitfish there are normally predatory fish (i.e., crappie).
Different Night Fishing Lights
Night fishing lights can be summed up into three different categories: boat lights, floating lights, and submersible lights. The light that is best served for you will depend on your unique fishing situation.
Boat lights: These are lights typically mounted on the exterior shell of your boat. Most boats will have these lights mounted facing all different angles covering the boats stern (back), bow (front), starboard (right side), and port (left side). These lights serve many purposes including: bringing baitfish and predatory fish to the surface, providing added light for the angler, and making other boats aware that you are in the area. These lights are often a color other than green and red to avoid confusion of a boat’s navigation lights.
Floating lights: Floating lights are a great way to bring attention to a specific fishing area. They provide the surrounding area with light, attract fish and act as a casting marker to ensure you are fishing an intended area of water. These lights work great is shallow water fisheries as well as nighttime fishing trips to the dock. One tip when using a floating night light – consider having your floating night light hover right over the place you want to fish. To help ensure the light remains in place try attaching a buoy marker to the light. Give it a try!
Submersible lights: Typically the most effective at targeting fish located on the bottom of the body of water you’re fishing, submersible lights greatly increase your chances for a successful fishing outing. Submersible lights are great for acting as an underwater beacon to baitfish and predatory fish alike. Submersible lights are a favorite among most anglers and tend to product the best fishing results of the three types of lights mentioned.
More times than not fishing lights are GREEN. Though it doesn’t provide the brightest light to the angler it greatly increases your likelihood of setting the hook on more fish. Green light has been proven to attract more over other colors across the color spectrum. Something to keep in mind when making your next night fishing light purchase.
How to Set Up Night Fishing Lights
Any light you buy will come with a user manual to ensure you are getting the most out of your light of choice. For boat lights this will involve placing mounts on the exterior of your boat to get the most out of your light.
Beware of the necessity for external mounting equipment when considering boat night fishing lights. Floating and submersible lights will typically be portable lights with a built-in battery feature or have the ability to hook directly up to an external battery (boat battery). These lights typically come “ready to use” and make for a fast and easy way to immediately start fishing once you reach your fishing spot.
** Before setting up your light be sure to prioritize safety above anything else. Since dealing with water and electricity, ensure that the light is functioning in a manner safe for you and those around you.
Best Night Fishing Lights
Check out the below list for options to consider for your next crappie night fishing trip…
Submersible Lights
Budget Friendly
Broadroad LED Submersible Night Fishing Light: https://amzn.to/3MorGKQ
It doesn’t have the lumens as some of the higher end options do this this light is all the amateur angler needs to light up the targeted fishing area and put fish into the boat. Providing you with over 15ft in total cord length, this light is a great option for placing directly under a boat or dock.
Go Bright or Go Home
Green Blob: https://amzn.to/3FPRqgJ
The Green Blob is the go-to for night fishing lights. This is your one-stop-shop for submersible lights and will LIGHT UP your nighttime crappie fishing experience. Providing up to 15,000 lumens worth of light and hooking directly up to an external battery (12V boat battery) this setup will bring baitfish and predatory fish right to your boat. Check out the reviews to see for yourself!
Floating Lights
A Solid Option for Any Angler
Hydro Glow: https://amzn.to/3FO24EO
The Hydro Glow floating night fishing light provides great reach and brightness for most fishing situations. This particular light is white and will easily bring fish to the surface. This is a great option if you’re fishing a body of water that is relatively shallow or includes a lot of underwater obstacles (flooded trees, timber, vegetation) that make it difficult to use submersible lights.
Boat Lights
Budget Friendly Options
1. EXZEIT: https://amzn.to/3ldfctF
EXZEIT boat lights are a great, versatile light for nighttime anglers. These lights provide up to 4,000 lumens and are equipped with tilted mounts to adjust where you want the light beam to shine. This is great for navigating waters at nighttime and in a matter of seconds the lights can be tilted down to target the body of water below you that you plan to fish.
2. Nilight: https://amzn.to/3wkm7I3
Nilight sells a great light that is extremely versatile in how it can be used. Similar to the EXZEIT boat light the Nilight is sold as a light bar and can be mounted wherever you choose on your boat. This option can get pricey when considering multiple light bars for your entire nighttime boating setup.
Alternative (Headlamps)
Our Top Choice
SLONIK: https://amzn.to/3lypVPL
Headlamps double as both a much-needed utility as well as a fish attractant. The SLONIK rechargeable headlamp offers 5 different brightness settings and can be adjusted to where you would like your beam to shine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What color lights are best for night fishing?
It’s been found that GREEN lights offer an angler with the greatest chance to attract more fish. Above all other light colors and their associated frequencies, those that produce a green light, particularly a green LED light, provide anglers with the best opportunity for a good night of fishing.
It has also been noted that a bright white light when used in shallower water fisheries attracts baitfish just as well, if not better, than green lights.
What color light is best for crappie fishing?
Consider a green nighttime fishing light for best results when targeting crappie.
Can you catch crappie at night without a light?
Yes but… crappie have been found to have poor night vision. Unless triggered by external factors, such as baitfish activity or vibrations, crappie are less likely to pursue a meal like they would during daytime hours.
How many lumens is good for night fishing?
The number of lumens needed in a light can vary based on your fishing situation. Shallower water fisheries do not require as many lumens since not having to penetrate deeper water. A floating light as low as 500 lumens can get the job done.
When using submersible fishing lights or boat lights consider a light that is at least 1,000 lumens. If you have the budget for it opt for something closer to 15,000 lumens. This provides amazing light coverage both above and below the surface.
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