Fishing at night can be a peaceful and productive experience, but it requires the right tools to make it work. One of the most important aspects of night fishing is having the proper lighting & tools. Not only does it help you see what you’re doing, but it also plays a crucial role in triggering a fish strike. In this guide, we’ll break down five essential tips for finding the best lights for night fishing, ensuring you make the most of your time on the water.
Night fishing isn’t like daytime fishing, where natural light guides your way. You need specialized lights to illuminate your surroundings without offending the fish. Regular household lights won’t cut it when you’re out on a boat or by the shore, and that’s where night fishing lights come in. These lights are designed to be durable, bright, and waterproof to survive the elements.
The right lights can increase your catch rate, improve visibility, and keep you safe on the water. Fish are often drawn to baitfish around the light or to the outer perimeter of the light field to ambush smaller fish. Understanding the features a fishing light needs will help you make a more informed purchase. The circular light field produced by the vertical light attracts small baitfish, which in turn attract predatory fish. Those species that do not like light will hover above or below the light source. A light source is not always a great fishing or shrimping light.
If you follow the science, you’re essentially creating an environment that can produce a fish strike. Remember, we anglers need the light to see. The fish thrive in unlit water. So, introducing light into an environment must not be offensive to the marine life. Capt. Lee Noga proved that the best way to deploy light is to backlight the target so you see them, but they do not see you. This breakthrough science was awarded a utility & 8 other patents.
Vertical orientation of light vs. light bobbing on the water surface: What’s the Difference?
LED fishing lights dominate the market and are the current technology light source. We no longer use glass components and prefer PVC- or acrylic-sealed LED housings. These types of fishing lights can be buoyant and lack sufficient weight to sink unless they are leaded or housed in metal. Your light must be able to float upright. The top of the light should be facing the sky.
Vertical orientation emits a 360-degree light field in the shape of a pancake. The light field does not point to the top of the water, nor does it point to the river bottom. The light emits light only at the depth of the light. The total thickness of this pancake is about 5 feet due to the directional LEDs.
When marine life swims above your 5-foot pancake of light, it backlights them, letting you see all the action. The brilliance is that the water above the fishing light is unlit, so the marine life is calm and does not sense a threat. You see them, and they do not sense you.
This is a stealth-mode feature unique to the MacDaddy Fishing Light brand, backed by research and multiple patents. A fishing light must have at least an 8-lb anchor attached with proper fittings to prevent damage to the cord and the lamp. An LED fishing light must be set to the proper depth specified by the manufacturer’s instructions (see light deployment strategies at the bottom of the page). Ensure the fishing light is oriented vertically in the water column. All these features will set your LED fishing light to the perfect vertical orientation, location, and depth to trigger a fish strike.
Underwater fishing lights are submerged to attract bait fish and small junk fish, luring in larger predatory fish. Above-water lights are usually found on bridge fenders. This top-down lighting illuminates the water to some degree, allowing large predator fish to lurk outside of the light field, waiting to see fish swim through.
Lumens Explained: How Bright Should Your Light Be?
Lumen measures the total light output, and the higher the lumens, the brighter the light. For night fishing, you’ll want a light with at least 3000-6000 lumens max to ensure sufficient brightness. But once a fishing light is built, it loses about 35-50% of its lumens due to the waterproof housing. We have allowed for this loss and adjusted our recommendation to 3000-6000 lumens max, based on the LED specs on the LED packaging at the time of the build.
Retailers give you the LED strip’s lumens BEFORE the light is built. Many manufacturers do not have access to testing the lumens of their lights after they are built. So when you are given the lumens, deduct 40% to get the actual lumens you are firing when the light is powered. Does it matter? No. The lumen conversation is not relevant; it originated with manufacturers trying to market the claim that “More lumens are better”. Actually, the fish do not care what lumens you purchased. There are far more “toy-like” lights on the market than pro angler-type lights. Take your time and research.
Retailers have convinced anglers that lumens are the most important feature of the light. Actually, lumens are the only feature mentioned as the most important for most retailers’ lights. High lumen output is NOT among the top 3 most important considerations when purchasing an LED fishing light.
Myth: Saltwater fish do not care what color light you use. Science has proven that white and green are the best. Some prefer blue for squid, but I do not believe it has any real significance compared to green and white. It is HOW you present the light, not the color of the light you deploy. Fishing requires a little more thought than the color of an LED light to be successful. The focus should be on maintaining their ecosystem, where they can swim without seeing your light field. We proved that backlit water in stealth mode makes them calm, NOT the color of your LEDs.
Why Durability Matters in Night Fishing Gear
Your night fishing gear needs to withstand harsh conditions, including saltwater exposure, drops, and heavy handling. This is why choosing durable, robust lights is essential.
MacDaddy Fishing Lights® changed the role fishing lights play in this sport. To most anglers, fishing lights were a “toy” and not a tool. Retail lights were, for decades, fishing failures in Florida. Capt Lee Noga took years of her research and developed a fishing light to do the work necessary for successful night fishing.
Don’t shop for fishing lights based on price. Shop for a fishing light based on the tools it provides. Metal frame lights are very resilient. Acrylic-glued LEDs in metal frames eliminate the need for tubes to house them. They will not leak if the end caps are solidly filled with acrylic glue.
Rechargeable vs. Disposable Batteries
One important aspect of night fishing lights is their power source. Rechargeable batteries are the industry standard. Popular tractor batteries are 650 crank amps for our 3000-lumen PRO lights and 1000 crank amps for our 6000-lumen ULTRA lights. Recommendations are based on 12 hours of fishing. Manufacturers disclose amps and watts, which will help you shop for the right-sized battery.
Lightweight vs. Heavier Lights: Which is Better?
Decades of fishing lights were epic fails when used in moving tidal water. Ponds are calm, and a toy-type light would work great. Anglers like to fish in ice, salt, and freshwater, and if you own a saltwater-type light, it will work in any water where a 33-foot cord is long enough. It is best to buy the best light you can afford so you can travel and fish in any kind of water. Warning: the longer the electrical cord, the more lumens you lose. This is why we do not offer a 50 ft cord at this time.
Finding the best lights for night fishing can enhance your overall experience and increase your catch rate. By considering factors such as light vertical orientation, anchoring systems, depth-setting mechanism, brightness, durability, battery life, warranty, and portability, you can choose lights that suit your specific fishing needs. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced angler, having the right night fishing lights and strategies will lead you to success.
Related Articles & Links:
Shop The MacDaddy Fishing Lights® Online Store
View/Download – MacDaddy Light Deployment Strategies Manual
View 60 Second Demo – The Different MacDaddy Smart Light 8-modes
View (1hr) YouTube® Masterclass – Stop Setting Your Lights Wrong
Recommended Articles:
Why More Excessive Lumens Kill Night Fishing Success
How To Set Up Lights For Maximum Efficiency Chasing Shrimp
The NEW Argument: Headlight vs. Fishing Light. The Winner Is ….
Green vs. White vs. Dual Color Fishing Lights
Toy? Tool? Toolbox? What Fishing Light Do I buy?
2 Responses
I have used MacDaddy lights for 13 years and have seen different versions. The MacDaddy works great. I can bring in more shrimp then people around our boat. I have personally seen people move their boat next to mine and still don’t get the shrimp I get. I only use two lites, when other people use over 8 homemade lites. Bottom line if you want to maximize your catch, you need the MacDaddy lites.
Excellent shrimping lights love the bright white mode when water is really murky! The green mode with flashing mode works great to scare off catfish! David Davis