Redlights?

[Pete F.]

When I was fishing last weekend I saw a lot of guys fishing with there lights on all the time. That would drive me nuts. I use a white light around my neck but usually only turn it on to tie knots, look in my bag or check for bluefish(usually I can tell but sometimes the spoooky dark makes me wonder). It does'nt seem to affect my nightvision much but I dont shine it in my eyes either. My necklight is'nt real bright so I carry a throwaway in my wader pocket to hold in my hand walking on rocks, that does hurt my night vision. Better that than a bad fall.
And welcome

[RodnGun]

I'm a green light fan....specifically the streamlight stylus.....clips to my cap.....does not mess with night vision (only used when re-tying, changing plugs.....etc) and does not distort colors like red does. I don't think "white light" is a fish spooker.....I just got "hooked" on green for hunting.....and it works just as well while in the Yak or from the beach.

My 2 cents......from a brand new newbie to this site....which looks great by the way. Can't wait to dig into it even more!!

[RIROCKHOUND]

Steve;
Welcome to the site...
Redlights for me... I started using them a few years after I started, I had a white light, it broke, I bought one with a combo light (red/white) and used the red alot more. I do use the white on more challanging terrain though, and my back-up is a very bright white light (for safety/signalling, whatever)

As far as the night vision thing, red makes a huge difference, come out with me on the tour boat some night when it is cloudy/foggy and no moon, night vision is key to watch for lobster pots etc.. everything on most boats at night is red for a reason....

[reelecstasy]

Rayovac from wally world, short money 3 settings red/dim white/ and a bright beam...

[cheferson]

Originally Posted by reelecstasy

Rayovac from wally world, short money 3 settings red/dim white/ and a bright beam...

[NarragansettBil]

Welcome, What the @#$% took so long for you to get here?

[fishsmith]

its easy - SEX SELLS!!
Red Light district/red lights ... all subliminal messages.

Welcome to SB.com

[Goose]

Keeps my cover. Atleast your not seeing flashing light, you must be in the right spot.

[Nebe]

I use a red light for 3 reasons..1 less loss of night vision, 2 when i am wading, the red light seems to iluminate the rocks under water better than a white light, 3 it is stealthy from a distance..

In the end though, its what your used to.

as for bass and light- Lights are a good thing, as it attracts baitfish, which attract bass. I do think that bass are spooked by the flash of a light turning on, but once the light is on, they dont care one bit.

[ThrowingTimber]

welcome rod and gun the guy I hunt geese with is also big into the green led lights.

[NIB]

All the sudden the consensus is that turning ur light on does not spook fish.It depends on where ur fishing.Fish the deep rocky shores of north Narragansett an u probably will have no problems fish the sandy beaches of the cape on a dark moon an I would bet it might be different.I was taught to keep the light use minimal.I will consider to do so no matter how many 40's u have.maybe u would have that many 50's if u used less light.Constant light is a different story.Dock lights, bridge lights,Street lamps all good they attract bait an make shadow lines perfect for a prowling striper.be sure to stay out of the light as not to cast a shadow on the water that will spook em I have seen it.

[Karl F]

Originally Posted by NIB

All the sudden the consensus is that turning ur light on does not spook fish.It depends on where ur fishing.Fish the deep rocky shores of north Narragansett an u probably will have no problems fish the sandy beaches of the cape on a dark moon an I would bet it might be different.I was taught to keep the light use minimal.I will consider to do so no matter how many 40's u have.maybe u would have that many 50's if u used less light.Constant light is a different story.Dock lights, bridge lights,Street lamps all good they attract bait an make shadow lines perfect for a prowling striper.be sure to stay out of the light as not to cast a shadow on the water that will spook em I have seen it.

The mind of NIB yes, the shallow sandy beaches of CC, with no cover, and miles of darkness, sudden light intrusion has a negative effect.
Constant low light, near the fish piers, or shore front establishements near the inlet, cove, estuary, bay, openings, no problem. Most of the backside of the cape has no light, no waterfront buildings, no shore front roads, so it is real dark. Other places have more light intrusion, and light is not as much of an issue, I am just speculating, but I think that NIB nailed it.

I carry a small handheld penlight, and have a head light, (don't wear it, just sling around neck) with the red, dimwhite, bright white, the 12.99 Ray-O-Vac.. yes, the red does not screw up the eyes adjutment to low light, as much as the white does. Try Real Hard to NOT use Any light.

Some people cuss at beach fires too.. I have no problem with the camp fires, it's fairly constant, and I've found if you fish the edges of the light it throws on the water.. well..

But, again, I think NIB nailed it, different types of shore front, deep vs. shallow, rocky vs. sandy, built up vs. open... light will have different effects in different locales.

Also hate to use lights for the reason that some guys see the light, they come a crowding on over, thinkin your into fish. some locations, I guess your used to fishin a crowd... I'm not.

Also... Steve.. glad to see ya posting, finally, Welcome.

[Skitterpop]

Originally Posted by Karl F

Also... Steve.. glad to see ya posting, finally, Welcome.

Is it Steve or another shape changing thing by Bill?

[likwid]

More stuff to chew on:

Green or Red for Better Night Vision?

A red light has been the traditional choice for retaining your night vision since before WWII when the military settled on red as the best choice. Recently, there has been a move to green and blue-green light, precipitated in large part by the military's change to green, which itself has been primarily motivated by the increased use of night vision equipment. As it turns out, green light also offers some advantages over red as a means to retain night vision capability. However, it isn't cut and dried.

Total brightness, or illumination level, of the light has a potentially more significant effect on night vision retention than does the choice of red or green. Because your eyes are more receptive to green light, we gain better visual acuity at lower light levels than when using red light. Green also allows for differentiation between colors that red does not and the magenta used on aviation charts, for example, is readily readable under green light, not always the case with red.

Most of the race boats I'm on these days have switched to green nav station lights for this exact reason, you can actually read the freaking charts.... Also a green light in the plug bag for the plug bag only would work in this same instance.

Both reasons contribute to the fact that pilots and many others generally seem to prefer green over red, it simply makes it easier to see and read in the dark cockpit. The potential problem is with the actual illumination levels we use, not the color of the light. The brighter the light, the more negative impact on night vision, both in our capacity to see and in how long it takes to gain back optimum night vision. This is true regardless of whether it is red or green.

Ideally, you want to use only as bright a light, red or green, as is necessary to perform your chores and no more. However, if you have a brighter light than you actually need, a brighter green light will generally have a more negative effect than an equally bright red light. Green or blue-green has a greater capacity to adversely effect night vision because the eye is about 100 times more sensitive to these colors, so even moderately too bright light can have a serious deleterious effect.

Another complication is that individuals' visual acuity at low light levels varies quite a bit, so what would be perfect for one, might be too bright or too dim for another. In other words, without some means to vary intensity, odds are no light will be perfect. Bottom line is that red or green will both perform adequately, but what you really should be more concerned about is to avoid very high illumination levels, of either color, if retaining night vision acuity is your goal.

[NarragansettBil]

No lights on my rock!

[Swimmer]

It is interesting that so much response has occured in regard to lights. Some of the responses are very well thought and contain much information. As far as what everyone said about the color red I wonder why red is popular because red is the first color in the sprectrum to dissipate under any stress. Meaning that if you placed many different colored lights in water and sank them red would be the first color to disappear. I would imagine the same to be true if in total darkness all of these same lights were set on something and when walking away from the lights red would be the first color you would lose sight of. So what makes red so effective close up?

[Clammer]

STEVEY <><<><

I<LL TRADE YA //// A TRIP TO BASS WORLD FOR A NITE WITH SHEILA


I KNOW BEING IRISH /YA MOTHER ALWAYS TOLD YA TO SHARE YOUR TOYS ;;; :

[dickmont]

First of all my eyes don't see anywhere near as well as they did 40 years ago or for that matter 30 or even 20, that sux. If I remember correctly when I was in the army nearly 40 years ago we were told that it took about 20 - 30 minutes for your night vision to be at it's best after being exposed to a bright light. So less bright = a quicker return to optimum vision. I need all the help I can get. I try to use the minimum amount necessary to tie a new knot or pick through my plug bag, it helps me to see better sooner which is comforting out there on the edge of the world in the dark. The other thing is that I believe, that the less visual presence I have out there, the better chance I have of tricking a nice fish into eating something that really isn't good for it to eat, so that I can eat it. For that reason I use a very dim red headlamp that I point down at my hands and that only when necessary. As far as when it's time to move or go I'm a white light man all the way. Neck light points to my feet and the head light points wherever I'm looking. Saftey first. As I said, I don't see as well as I uesd to and I HATE to fall down.

Welcome to the site Steve