light

[FishinIsLife]

Fishin about 25-30' i sent the aquavu down to keep an i on things and got the idea of leaving the light on to attract baitfish but was wondering if the light would keep the eyes away. the light did attract some shiners and other small baitfish and had a few perch come in but no eyes. what do you think

[elcapitanmas]

I highly doubt it will, is it the infrared light?  I use submersible lights in the summer to attract bait by the tens of thousands.  On nights theres no bait in the lights there are still eyes cruising around to investigate.  Could be different in the winter, but I doubt it. 

E

[fishwiz4]

even if it is infrared light...... fish CAN see infrared.

[JT]

I catch eyes after dark crappie fishing with a huge light on in the shack,Fish have to eat.

[billybass]

nice fish jt

[fishstalker]

I would stay away from the any sort of light while your fishing for eye's. When i have a fish on the trap, i don't turn on the lanter or headlamp until i have the fish right below the hole, they hate the light! If you walk up to a trap that was just released by an eye, and leave your light off, they will hardly run. If you walk up to a trap with a lantern or headlight they take off. Just an observation.

[americanfisher77]

I have read a few articles talking about light working as structure to the fish. many of them spoke on the fishes ability to define the light from dark and how they will cruise the edges as if it were true structure si have not proven this but its the same concept as fishing the edges of murky water running into a clear lake. on the other hand I wonder how the bright light affects the fishes eyesight and mood. would it be like walking out os a dark room into the sun and it hurts their eyes or would it be like a giant spotlight on dinner, I don't use a underwater light but I do crank my lantern up even when I fish in a foot or so of water I have never noticed a change when I run out os gas and use a hatlight, we still catch fish  if their biting. 

[elcapitanmas]

american fisher makes a VERY good point.  I have witnessed this first hand on my boat.... when baitfish are present in the submersible lights.  You can SEE the eyes cruising around just outside the light line.  Makes sense out of all fish that the walleye can differentiate between the light and dark lines and relate to it as structure......that being said, a headlamp and flashlight are completely different.  its a temporary light source, and its sporadic enough to spook rather than attract.

[americanfisher77]

IDEA!!!!
try drilling a tip-up hole around ten foot from your shack and put you light there. the you will be fishing in the transition area were the eyes may be lurking, then see which one catches more fish, but to make it a true experiment you have to dead stick a minnow without your lantern on!  ok just kidding about the lantern          but I would like to try this myself

[IceMan08]

IDEA!!!!
try drilling a tip-up hole around ten foot from your shack and put you light there. the you will be fishing in the transition area were the eyes may be lurking, then see which one catches more fish, but to make it a true experiment you have to dead stick a minnow without your lantern on!  ok just kidding about the lantern          but I would like to try this myself

I like this idea!  The theory is good target the transition line for some walleyes, pretty common strategie.

[Keweenaw Angler]

All eyes(not walleyes) are pretty much the same. They have rods and cones and what not. They also have a chemical in them that allows the eye to see at night. That is why you can see better at night after 20 minutes or so. Sun light and even lamp light is strong enough to bleach out that chemical. Some one said something along the line of walleye can still see the inferred. Yes they can but it does not bleach out that chemical so they still can see in the dark.

When you use a light at night drill a hole down the white ice and use it as a defuser. The deeper the hole the stronger the light. Water conditions determine how strong it should be. If you can see the fish swimming around, it is too bright. And don't fish over the light, move a little to one side. The idea is the light attracts the plankton, which attracts the bait fish, and the walleyes can use the light to silhouette the bait against. If you do not have white ice or it is mostly clear ice throw snow down the hole so it does not shine a light beam in the water. Do not push it flat, leave it cone shaped, this will help push the light out to the sides.