I think mostly its to keep the other fishermen from killing you if you are a goog and your running all over the place shining your 200,000 candlepower spotlight on anything that moves. I use the redlight when I am fishing....its minimal light, enough to see what I need to see and not offend anyone else who is fishing and will not bother the fish. (I believe white light, if flashed across the water, will spook em...to each his own.)
