Results 1 to 13 of 13

Thread: Coloured lights to attract bait fish

  1. #1

    Coloured lights to attract bait fish

    I've heard that a green or blue light at the stern of the boat can help attract fish/prawns at night. I have seen coloured lights on the stern of some boats out throwing cast nets for prawns though I haven't seen them at night. Has anyone got ahy experience with this and a preferred colour?

  2. #2

    Re: Coloured lights to attract bait fish

    Green for squid

  3. #3
    Ausfish Bronze Member Marchy001's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Ipswich

    Re: Coloured lights to attract bait fish

    Spent a night recently anchored up near Moreton Is.

    I awoke at half 1 for a comfort break and decided to flick the green underwater lights on for some added ambiance while I assisted raising the water level.

    In the short space the lights were on I noticed a lot of bait and some squid near the prop so tied on a jag and hooked 2 in about 37 seconds before going back to bed.

    No idea if the blue would have done the same or even white but from my huge sample size I can say green increases my squid catching by 200% to not having the green lights.

    I don’t target squid normally so the figures above mean exactly nothing.

  4. #4

    Re: Coloured lights to attract bait fish

    I have a set of blue lights on the stern of my offshore boat. They bring yakkas and slimy mackerel to the boat very quickly when anchored offshore of a night time, and also see quite a lot of squid around the back of the boat as well. The deepest I have used them of a night was when anchored up in 40 metres depth and within 15 - 20 minutes, the sounder showed baitfish from top to bottom. We were jigging up scad and slimies and putting them back to the bottom and hooking good mulloway and a few good reef fish as well. We also had a big school of cobia in the lights around the back of the boat one night when anchored at Sandy Cape Shoals. We were having great fun feeding them pillies on 20lb braid until I hooked up to one of the bigger ones and it ran forward and went around the anchor rope. In a contest between 10mm silver rope and 20lb braid, the braid wins every time.

    In short, I would not have an offshore boat without a set of lights on the back - they really work well. I have also just bought a set of the green LED lights that Andy from the Downrigger shop sells. I have not had the chance to give them a try as yet, but Moonlighter has a good squid spot on the inside of Moreton, and we are keen to get over there one evening and see how well they attract the squid. All the literature I have read suggest that green is the better colour for squid.

    cheers

    Jeff

  5. #5

    Re: Coloured lights to attract bait fish

    My lights are blue, slimies, yakka, herring all love em, the squid do come around but I noticed they stay on the outskirts, a mates boat has green lights and the squid certainly come in closer and not as skittish.

  6. #6

    Re: Coloured lights to attract bait fish

    Thanks for the feedback fisho's. I'm glad I took the time to ask.

  7. #7

    Re: Coloured lights to attract bait fish

    From my experiences - white light just works

    Think about it ..... squid and bait fish are attracted to lighten jetties - no blue lights / green etc - just light

    I have an underwater white light .... flick it on and the bait turns up ( I just need to remember that have it )

    Chris
    Give a man a fish & he will eat for a day !
    Teach him how to fish
    & he will sit in a boat - & drink beer all day!
    TEAM MOJIKO

  8. #8

    Re: Coloured lights to attract bait fish

    I did a trial with a white 10 submersible led ling and a green one of the same make and model.
    White on the bowmount and green on the transom.
    Drifted over the rubble patches off Redcliffe for a couple of hours with one guy each end working either yellowtail jigs or squid jigs.
    Roughly 70-30 green ahead of white.
    White attracted as many as the green but the green had them in a feeding mode better than the white.
    This test was done in winter 2016.
    Jack.

  9. #9

    Re: Coloured lights to attract bait fish

    From what I have read, bait fish prefer the blue and the squid prefer the green light, something to do with the squids eye colour receptors being able to utilize the green light spectrum to see the silhouettes of bait fish better, but either way any light is better than no light. I have just received my 2 green lights in the mail after waiting about 6 weeks, maybe I should have got one of each? They are certainly cheap enough, I think I paid about $13 each for them (E-Bay), might have to order a blue one as well.

  10. #10

    Re: Coloured lights to attract bait fish

    I think all the fancy colours attract fishermen that want to look "cool", lights of any colour attract baitfish, as mentioned, lights on jetties, but who wants a plain old white light?

  11. #11

    Re: Coloured lights to attract bait fish

    After reading the various comments, I decided to buy the portable green led light from Andrew at the Downrigger website.

  12. #12

    Re: Coloured lights to attract bait fish

    Quote Originally Posted by greyfox View Post
    After reading the various comments, I decided to buy the portable green led light from Andrew at the Downrigger website.
    Can you point me to where they are on his website? I can't find them. My google fu isn't working tonight.

  13. #13

    Re: Coloured lights to attract bait fish

    His website needs some updates. If you contact him via the e-mail option on his site and explain what you are interested in or want to buy, you will get the info and he can send you a Paypal order slip for your goodies. I phoned him and got this info. My order is in the mail.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Join us