Author Topic: underwater lights for smelt...homemade???? (Read 5125 times)

skulldugary · « **on:** Jan 20, 2009, 05:17 PM »

Anyone make thier own home made underwater lights for night smelt fishing?What did ya make,battery life,..any pics?.

RealityCheck · « **Reply #1 on:** Jan 20, 2009, 05:18 PM »

ya look at Gull Lake Pics Last Year on MI thread...I posted just this weekend so search a little and you will find it.

skulldugary · « **Reply #2 on:** Jan 20, 2009, 05:46 PM »

Thanks RC,appreciate it....

wally-eye · « **Reply #3 on:** Jan 20, 2009, 07:22 PM »

Heck get the real ones from Cabelas......they're only like $19.99

Barleydog · « **Reply #4 on:** Jan 21, 2009, 05:03 AM »

They are sooo cheap, just buy one from BP or Cabelas. IF you don't want to buy one do this! Buy an older model car headlight, 12 volt battery clips W/ wire attached and solder them to the light. Drill a hole next to your fishing area without going all the way through to the water! Give around an inch or two of ice leeway so that no water comes up your hole. Next clean out all the shavings, place your light into the hole almost to the bottom, and attach to a deep cell battery. I use a cheap Mr. Crappie light for night fishing this way and it works FANTASTIC!!!! It'll light up your area in a 30 ft.+ radius.....

skulldugary · « **Reply #5 on:** Jan 21, 2009, 06:23 AM »

Thanks fellas.....

BaitWrangler · « **Reply #6 on:** Jan 21, 2009, 08:55 AM »

Everyone who's posted said they are only like $20... I don't know that because we don't have smelt here and so I've never fished for them.

But when I read the thread title though I quickly thought that you should just make a mount for one of those big 30,000 candle light power flash lights and have it shining down a hole.

Trooper Bri · « **Reply #7 on:** Jan 21, 2009, 04:07 PM »

Another option is these LED puck jobbies from Oznium. Only 15.00 each when you buy 3 or more. Fully submersible, and available in different colors if smelt are keyed into certain light colors. Plus they don't draw anything for current. I'll bet you could run a few of these all night using a spare Vex or Marcum battery with no problem.

http://www.oznium.com/marine-led-light

Just gotta rig up something to hang them in the water.

fishhead16 · « **Reply #8 on:** Jan 21, 2009, 04:12 PM »

I made the light in the MI. post. I took a jeep headlight and mounted in a 5 gal bucket. Ran wires off to a car battery, and watch the vex. fill up with smelt. It is very brite and I only run it on the dim side.

skulldugary · « **Reply #9 on:** Jan 21, 2009, 04:22 PM »

Thanks for the info and link...Fishhead..I'll see what I can come up with.....Thanks again...

Kevin23 · « **Reply #10 on:** Jan 21, 2009, 05:41 PM »

Think this would work for crappie/gills when theres heavy snow cover? Ever since we got 10" of snow on the ice the fishing realy sucks. I think the light might make some bite.

Buck762 · « **Reply #11 on:** Jan 21, 2009, 06:00 PM »

I was gona buy a light from bass pro with a gift card, but wasn't sure it would attract fish.

fish_finder · « **Reply #12 on:** Jan 21, 2009, 07:59 PM »

Sounds like a great idea but i think it might be illegal here

dabluz · « **Reply #13 on:** Jan 22, 2009, 07:10 PM »

Quote from: fish_finder on Jan 21, 2009, 07:59 PM

Sounds like a great idea but i think it might be illegal here

It's legal in Quebec and Ontario. I bet it's legal in New Brunswick too.

There is a myth about using lights for fishing at night being illegal.

UpstateNYiceguy · « **Reply #14 on:** Jan 22, 2009, 07:33 PM »

Illegal in New York as well.

Buck762 · « **Reply #15 on:** Jan 22, 2009, 08:38 PM »

If it's illegal, then n must work really well?/?

dabluz · « **Reply #16 on:** Jan 22, 2009, 08:56 PM »

Quote from: UpstateNYiceguy on Jan 22, 2009, 07:33 PM

Illegal in New York as well.

Are you certain of that? Does that mean no fires by the side of the lake at night, no lanterns close to shore, no lights on boats etc?

I worked as a conservation officer for about 10 years and I often ran across people fishing at night. Most were very nervous about having a latern nearby while fishing.....until I told them that lights are legal in Quebec except for Atlantic salmon. But fishing for Atlantic salmon after sundown and before sun-up is illegal anyway.

fish_finder · « **Reply #17 on:** Jan 23, 2009, 02:31 PM »

I think that might be the case in NB, now that i think of it i think the no fishing by artificial light" is for sportfish on inland waters, most of the stuff we fish here is tidal/semi tidal and smelt arent a sportfish

needice · « **Reply #18 on:** Jan 23, 2009, 07:24 PM »

I don't know if it is legal or not but when I was younger I seen the old-timers take trailer tail light and silicone them and attach cord and then attach to battery and hammer smelt all night long on lake champlain.They said it was just the right amount of light and by the buckets I seen I'd have to agree with them.

dabluz · « **Reply #19 on:** Jan 24, 2009, 12:11 AM »

That was a question that I was just about to ask. Does using an underwater light actually help when fishing for smelt? I haven't done much smelt fishing after dark but the smelt did bite even though it was dark.

I will be building an ice shack this weekend and I will do some night fishing for smelt.

fish_finder · « **Reply #20 on:** Jan 24, 2009, 06:45 AM »

I heard it works really well, based oin the fact that the light attracts zooplankton which the smelt feed on

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Author Topic: underwater lights for smelt...homemade???? (Read 5125 times)

Trooper Bri