Using UnderWater Fishing Lights for Night Fishing

[AKBigBen81]

Hey guys,

Just wondering if anyone has any feed back on using underwater fishing lights up here and if so does it improve the night bite? I have used them in the past down south and they have worked well but I haven't seen anyone use them up here.

[Gunflint]

Illegal in Minnesota.

[AKBigBen81]

I called F&G and they said it was legal in Alaska

[stitch]

Never tried the underwater ones.i set out coleman lanterns . Not many people here in mass.fish after dark.i love it. For big trout.

[friskiestnut]

I called F&G and they said it was legal in Alaska

weird, I called the Fairbanks branch and they said it was illegal, saying it was an attractant

[BlueSnow]

not sure on the rules in NY but find this intriguing.  Would you just drop a weight down with a chemlight or something like that attached?

[kwackkillncrew]

weird, I called the Fairbanks branch and they said it was illegal, saying it was an attractant

I would like to see the reg on that... i briefly looked and wasnt able to see anything about using a light.

[RipLipp]

weird, I called the Fairbanks branch and they said it was illegal, saying it was an attractant

That is only in regards to bait.

bait means any substance applied to fishing gear for the purpose of attracting fish by scent, including fish eggs in any form, natural or preserved animal, fish, fish oil, shellfish, or insect parts, natural or processed vegetable matter, and natural or synthetic chemicals.

[friskiestnut]

I just got off the phone with wildlife troopers. They said it is legal to light up the water. They also told me you can use LED flashers and/or lures as long as it is within 2 inches of your bait.

[Jagger0502]

I have with success. Basically it brings in the plankton which brings in the baitfish which brings in the bigger fish but there are tricks to it for certain types of fish. For panfish I find it works best closer to the light but bottom fish like walleye and perch seem to stay on the outer rim of the light. Pike are a mix, some will dart thru it or linger on the outer edge waiting for baitfish to swim out of the light. In all cases though you will need to have the light set up before dark to get the best results of plankton moving towards the light as the rest of the lake gets dark. Here are some pics of my light. A lot of guys just use a lantern on top of the ice which does the same thing. I have not found any difference if the light is over/under the ice or if it’s suspended deeper. Just my 2 cents, some might have different luck suspending it. I usually set up a hole about 15 feet away from the shack to fish and have tip ups as close as the same hole all the way to the outer edge targeting different fish.