Using "non-glow" baits at night

[Ice_Fly_Guy]

I don't get many chances to fish when it's really dark.

Obviously, glow baits are popular in low light conditions.

My question is: What is your opinion on using regular/non-glow jigs in pitch black conditions?

I would imagine that they ought to work fine, considering nothing that fish eat glows.

But perhaps a glow jig may attract fish much better?

[Gunflint]

I don't get many chances to fish when it's really dark.

Obviously, glow baits are popular in low light conditions.

My question is: What is your opinion on using regular/non-glow jigs in pitch black conditions?

I would imagine that they ought to work fine, considering nothing that fish eat glows.

But perhaps a glow jig may attract fish much better?

Minnows don't glow....

I mostly use non-glow and do just fine.

[Kevin23]

You knock that fish on the head and he will bite it, otherwise they need light to see. Full moon and clear ice, will work fine. Otherwise you need some sort of glow, rattle, or live minnow to be able to call the fish to the bait.

The other day I fished at night, caught bluegill and crappie. Started with a regular jig and spikes, ignored it. Went to a glow pink plastic on it and got reaction, when the fish saw it they clobbered it. Then switched to a glow micro nuggie on a glow head and as soon as I dropped it down a fish would come up and eat it. if it sat down there for a while and lost its intense glow, nothing.. bring it up and recharge, fish instantly.

[Gunflint]

How do fish feed in turbid (dark, muddy, tannic, obscure) water. Somehow they feed and actually continue to bite a lure.

There are many times I fish in water that the fish cannot see an inch and yet they bite.

Why???

In clear water visibility might be something but in turbid dark water???

[DR.SPECKLER]

The fish have keen sense of smell and feel vibrations in their lateral lines.i barely use glow at night.micro trebles and emerald shiners for specks.they have good night vision along with the other senses.

[Kevin23]

How do fish feed in turbid (dark, muddy, tannic, obscure) water. Somehow they feed and actually continue to bite a lure.

There are many times I fish in water that the fish cannot see an inch and yet they bite.

Why???

In clear water visibility might be something but in turbid dark water???

With reference to crappies, they feed by either nosing in to structure (wood, concrete, weeds) to eat bugs/larvae off of the algae growing on those objects, or they use their lateral line to sense vibrations to eat baitfish. Crappies do not have a sense of smell that I am aware of, if they do it wouldnt be like a catfish or shark. Their primary sense organ are those giant pie shaped eyes on their face, they can pick up ambient light and allow them to feed in the near dark. That is why with just jigs we try to appeal to their sense of vision with glow baits. A live minnow is giving off vibrations and flash, they see the flash of the silver sides and hear the vibrations, that is why they work so well at night.

Bluegills have very small eyes and are usually a daytime feeder because of this, eating bugs and small larvae mostly. They do not feed well at night, but they still often will.

Walleye are just like crappies.

Catfish feed equally, relying heavily on a sense of smell

Bass are just like walleye and crappie

Pike are visual feeders and very curious, they are like bluegill and like to feed during the daytime on whatever they can get a hold of.

[Ice_Fly_Guy]

I guess I will try a pole with a non glow and a pole with a glow and see what happens along side my minnow.  Thanks for the opinions.

[RyanW]

Glow just gives the fish a reference point. If they see a little glow they may come and investigate. It’s like being out when the sun starts to to set and people begin to turn on their porch lights. We can see the light for a long distance away and they can make for some good location markers. Same applies for glow jigs. It starts getting dark and people start using glow (or in murky/stained water). The fish can see that. Since fish are very simple creatures, more often than not they want to see what it is. Glow is just an aid to attract fish that may have not otherwise seen your presentation.

Fish don’t need light to feed. They can, and will, find food in zero light. But a little glow certainly doesn’t hurt. Too much glow can deter fish though. Think of it like being in a dark room and someone flicks the light on and about blinds you. But in the same room the glow from your phone screen is enough to see and not hurt your eyes. Again, since fish are simple creatures, too bright of a glow and your presentation will spook them instead because defense kicks in rather than curiosity.

Minnows have scent to them. Fish can smell things in the water very well. That would be the main attractant in this situation regardless of jig color. If I were to be using a dark jig at night, I’d put a minnow on it for the scent. If I’m using plastics or spikes (or something with little to no scent) I’d use a glow jig.

[slipperybob]

There in is my favorite.  Half glow side and half non glow.  Works for me. 

[rundrave]

You knock that fish on the head and he will bite it, otherwise they need light to see. Full moon and clear ice, will work fine. Otherwise you need some sort of glow, rattle, or live minnow to be able to call the fish to the bait.

If you knock a fish on the head they will spook.     I have learned that the hard way trying to get a line back down too fast while on top of school fish.

In my experience fishing at night, in a permy with rattle reels.  A plain hook and a minnow yields just as many fish than jigs that glow. If I stop jigging and go to sleep and don't have any glow lures charged for hours, I still catch fish all through the night on the rattle reels. You don't need any glowing or any light. I also have caught many fish on dead minnows, I just present them on the very bottom or right under the ice.

I wont dispute the glow lures bringing in fish but they are not required to catch fish at night.

[Chris338378]

In the history of ice fishing glow jigs are relatively new.  Yes at times they do help but I've also had them spook fish, yes it can actually happen.  I had fish all over my screen, dropped my glow jig, and just as fast as the jig dropped the fish disappeared.  It's not something that has happened very often, maybe once or twice, but I've had it happen.  If I was going to try with non-glow jigs I'd pick something shiny and tip it with a pinhead or fathead minnow for the maximum attraction factor.  When it comes to glow jigs the list is pretty close to endless but I like the Northland Forage Minnow, Demon jigs, and Shiver Minnow to name just a few.

[hawg]

I'm pretty sure people caught fish at night before glow came around.

[Light liner]

Nope.
Just like there were never fish caught before flashers.
Like someone else said sometimes it either spooks them or they're just interested in them.
Just another tool in the box to throw at them to make them bite.
Just like glow beads.

[Thearcher1340]

Was fishing for crappie n got dark used my glow jig. Was fishing about 18 feet of water, that jig hit about 8 feet it was a race to the jig. Was comical to c them come off the bottom that fast.

[river_scum]

mostly use glow after dark but its not necessary as stated. 

it just gives me moer confidence that they can find it better. lol  a few bugs glow naturally too.

[Milwaukee]

Well, it completely depends on the mood the fish are in.

I night fish on soft water for bass and pike / muskie almost exclusively in the summer and I find most of it transfers over to ice. If the fish are aggressive and in a striking mood, I find something flashy, glowing, or vibrating gets to trigger a strike. If the fish are lethargic and just waiting for a meal to come by I'll stick with the most natural presentation I can. Which is usually a spoon or whatever mimics the minnows in my lake.

I have never noticed catching more fish with glow lures vs a bait that puts off heavy vibration or sound, but they're fun to use for sure when the fish are in the right mood.