# Blue light and fishing



## lightnix (Mar 13, 2003)

A friend told me the other day about how a friend of his had said that blue LED lights would be really good for night fishing, because "fish can't see blue light". Is this true or are we being misled (no pun)?


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## MSaxatilus (Mar 13, 2003)

I have absolutely no idea if that is true or not. But I am a huge fisherman and I know the place to look. I'll post back here in a while with an answer, hopefully.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif


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## TOB9595 (Mar 14, 2003)

MSaxatilus How huge are you? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif
If this is so I'll have a new use for my inova blue. with the prerequisite scotch tape on the lens to smooth out the rings.
Since you're in Jersey also I know you won't share the location of your fishin hole.
Tom


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## eluminator (Mar 14, 2003)

Aren't some fish attracted to light? I believe some Japanese fishing boats shine enormous lights on the ocean water when fishing at night.


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## lightnix (Mar 14, 2003)

Yes, I thinks that's true, but this guy was talking about coarse fishing - guys sitting on a river bank, so...


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## Xrunner (Mar 14, 2003)

I think (I know, it's amazing /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif) that the Japanese fishing boats were catching squid, if I remember correctly, but I know that at least some types of fish are attracted by light. Any ichthyologists out there?

-Mike


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## I_rv_too (Mar 14, 2003)

Flounder.

Spent a number of enjoyable nights gigging flounder and other fish off the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

The fishermen lower a bright light into the water and troll around. Fish don't seem startled at all by the light, staying still enough to let you spear them with a gig.


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## MSaxatilus (Mar 14, 2003)

Well guys, I think I have an answer!! This is from a friend of mine over at Stripersonline.com. By the way if you fish the east coast, its a great website.


From Stripersonline.com:

An interesting museum exhibit that was never forgotten, despite not having seen it in 45 years or so...
A paper plate is colored in pie-shaped slices...one for each color of the rainbow.

The colors in the rainbow are:

RED (Lowest frequency)
ORANGE
YELLOW
GREEN
BLUE 
INDIGO
VIOLET (Highest frequency)

"INFRA" means "below" while "ULTRA" means "above".

Spin the plate, and illuminate it with say...red light. You only see the red "slice". Everything else is black.

But if you spin the plate and illuminate it with WHITE light, the plate appears WHITE. In other words, when all the colors in the rainbow are mixed, the result is WHITE light. BLACK, in Physics/Optics is THE ABSENCE OF COLOR. (Remember, this is mixing LIGHT, not PAINT).

Regardless of the spectrum that FISHES eyes respond to (an area research seems to have passed by), it is obvious that MONOCHROMATIC light is less intrusive than "all colors" which is what WHITE/DAYLIGHT is. 

I would think that fish would respond least to something on one end or another of OUR visible spectrum. Next time you're at the "hog trough" why not bring a RED light, and a VIOLET light, and do some experimenting of your own? Perhaps your buddy used BLUE because it was too hard to get VIOLET?

The ORDER of the colors in the spectrum does not change, but another animals eyes might respond HIGHER or LOWER than ours. For example, it is believed Wolves "see" heat energy far below RED (below infrared). WE can only FEEL that energy (as heat), and we are not sensitive to it at all. Perhaps this explains why WOLVES are such supreme nocturnal predators. They "see" their quarry, even in total darkness! If fish "see" heat, like wolves, PERHAPS their visible spectrum is less sensitive at higher frequencies? The military developed "heat-vision" by study of wolves eyes, as much as photomultipliers!

So to answer the question ...sure could be!



Anyway, I kindof agree with what is being said. Although a colored or filtered light would be better because it limits the amount of different wavelenghts that go into the water, its really more about intensity than the individual color. Remember that whatever light you are using, you want to use a light only bright enough to tie your not and then turn the light back out. If possible, keep it out of the water by turning your back to your fishing location, etc. 

Xrunner, you are right too, but that is typically for attracting baitfish. If your fishing on rod and reel from the surf for predetory species, then any lights that flash on and off will spook the fish. 

So keep the lights small and any color but white and you should be good to go.

.... and I'm huge in heart, not in Stature!


Tom,

I have many fishing holes in Northern New Jersey. Drop me an email and maybe we can trade some NJ fishing secrets.


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## I_rv_too (Mar 14, 2003)

Fish here in the midwest also gather under the end of a well-lite dock at night.

Why?

Because the lights attract bugs, which either fall or fly too close to the surface, providing easy food for the fish.


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## MSaxatilus (Mar 14, 2003)

Again, the lights on docks or fishing vessels help attract bait, which in turn attracts the larger fish that feed on them. But if you have lights that are flashing on and off like a flashlight, you'll spook the larger fish very easily. So remember keep your flashlight beems out of the water to catch more fish.


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## LED-FX (Mar 14, 2003)

[ QUOTE ]
but another animals eyes might respond HIGHER or LOWER than ours 

[/ QUOTE ] 

The truly remarkable one is the Mantis Shrimp that has 17 colour receptors aginst our 2/3.

[ QUOTE ]
the lights on docks or fishing vessels help attract bait 

[/ QUOTE ] 

Wondering if this is where blue which is generally bug attractive comes in, think of insectocutors, mebbe the fish are following the food rather than the colour of light. Amber /yellow have very little attraction to flying insects.

Just thinking out loud.

Adam


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