Underwater Lights

Ok.  New project to possibly assist in goal #2 of catching an octopus but I think it may have additional benefits in both the saltwater and freshwater.

I am a firm believer that many gamefish and other prey are nocturnal (including octopus).  I don't know how many times I have fished small streams and lakes during the day catching 8 to 12 inch stockers, then as it gets dark, the big 20 inch plus trout seem to come out and play.  In fact many states have restrictions on night fishing for trout since they are too easy.

I was going to use a light I would just plug into my 12 volt receptacle and hang over the edge.  Then I thought what a pain and basically I'd have to pull it in or tow it every time I wanted to move.  So I thought maybe I would put in more permanent lighting.  But since I am looking for an underwater light, so it has to be mounted underwater meaning drilling holes BELOW the waterline.  Here's the lights I was looking at:
http://www.attwoodmarine.com/store/category/lighting/underwater

Probably the green lights since the blue and green spectrum is noted for ability to attract fish. 

Obviously VERY nervous about drilling a hole below or even close to the waterline. 

Unlike the shrimping, I am not as committed to this project at all.  But I know I would have a HUGE advantage in catching fish during dark hours in Alaska.  keep in mind, where I live, in June and July, its dark only from about 2am to 5am.  So anything that likes to feed at night has to do it in a very compressed time period. The only night fishing in saltwater I have done is for squid.  Thats another supposed species we have in the area that nobody ever talks about.    But in freshwater where I have much more experience rainbows/steelhead, char, lake trout, burbot are just a few of the species that i have caught where the bigger fish are caught at night.

So what do you think?  Should I stick with the throw over the side, or do you think I am okay to drill a small hole for the wires under the waterline? 

Drilling holes below the waterline isn't a problem if you're careful and use the right stuff.  I did it all the time when I was installing kayatanks in peoples' kayaks.  I recommend making holes as small as possible for obvious reasons.  You would use self tapping screws for mounting a light fixture like that and on the inside of all holes I would rough up the area a bit with a fine grit sand paper and cover it with a light coat of 5200 adhesive.  The use of sand paper isn't really required I guess, but it couldn't hurt.  For the hole you run the wires through, make it as small as possible and cover it with 5200.  Actually, marine goop would work too.  You just need to make sure you test it when you're done sealing everything up to make sure you don't have any leaks.  Even if you do spring a leak, if you do it right it won't be a big concern since it won't be a huge amount of water.  Just make sure you carry a kayak bilge pump with you.  I recommend that even if you don't drill holes below the water line.

As a bonus, you'd have some sweet ass ground effects on your ride!  That'll look sick!!

I like lighting too and use chemlights.  I keep yellow chemlights for camping, fishing, household electrical outages.  Just make sure to get a quality chemlight (snaplight) and you get hours of use.  You can drop them through the scupper holes.  Try clipping one just above your bait at the swivel, or use rubber bands and clip one against a large ling/but jig.  I have a submersible light that attaches to a battery with alligator clips, but I haven't used it in years.
Chemlights rule,

-Scott

Thanks Rawkfish.  That makes me feel better.  I see it all the time on commercial fishing vessels but I also hear of them breaking a transducer off or some drain and sinking. 

Now where do I put it where it won't cause drag.  Probably a vertical mount on the side of the kayak.


In that position the light might not be in the water all the time but it will be anytime I am looking down in that direction.  I can already imagine myself getting excited watching a fish dart under the boat and i try to follow it with my eyes and lean over too far and...hello 40 deg water in the dark if I got separated from the yak.

Why I can't do things the normal way...

Just saw the post about chemlights.  Thats a potential solution.  Are they bright enough to really attract critters?  I used to be a firm believer in using glow stuff at night.  But then I realized it really didn't make any difference.  The fish know how and can hunt at night. Now I tend to use black or darker colors for lures and flies at night...and oversized.  I thought the same thing for the smaller chemsticks I did use over 10 years ago that they just weren't bright enough and it was just unnatural.  So you feel they are effective? 

Let me clarify since it seems like I am saying you do and don't need lights at the same time.  If the light is bright enough it attracts baitfish and other critters.  But my experience with glow in the dark stuff and even the glowsticks were they were never bright enough to attract baitfish and it didn't seem to make a difference on lines that had glow.lights versus unlit ones.

These lights are $51 for the smaller 3 inch set and wow..$179 for the 5 inch set.  They last 50,000 hours.  I would think cheaper in the longrun if I can carry enough batteries.

I'll bow down to rawkfish's greater experience and success with through hull fitting's, but I have sunk a kayak(s) with small leaks below the waterline. (see DAMHIKS forum)

The cracks in the Hobie were barely enough to see and the Heritage that actually sank and did the whole "cleopatra's needle" thing, was a weeping scupper plug. Problem is you really don't notice your sinking till the boat turns turtle.  Both of my incidents were in the day time in warm water that I could almost walk home from.  At night, alone, in Alaska is a whole nuther thing!

Again, I'm sure rawkfish knows what he's  talking about (although I would not trust Goop for the sealant), but in your situation a light hung over the side looks a LOT more appealing. Besides, you can get a much bigger more powerful fluorescent than those leds for a lot less money.

If you do decide to go with the mounted lights (which do look waayy cool) you'd best be sure they are sealed tight.

All that said, I have been dying to put in a kayaktank since I saw one in Spike's shop in what seems like a thousand years ago.


BTW: stuffing your hull with pool noodles is cheap insurance and will keep a swamped boat from sinking.  only problem might be finding them in the Dollar Store in AK.

BTWW: That's a really nice rig you got going K_84. But it brings to mind a certain quote from Chief Brody.  

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073195/quotes?qt=qt0457112

Yeah, the man has a very good point.  Small holes have a way of creeping up on you.  The more I think about it, you're even more vulnerable given that your at a big handicap as far as weight capacity goes with the Mini-X.  It wouldn't take much for your boat to get to the point of loosing stability due to flooding.  Bottom line, if you're going to do it, make sure it's bomb proof.  Make sure it is in a place where it is least likely to get bumped loose.  I would think that about half way between midpoint and the bow or stern, underneath the boat would be the location I would pick.  Maybe even tucked into one of the grooves. 

Just keep in mind, this is pretty much the biggest reason you can't buy kayatanks anymore.  The idea of drilling holes into the bottom of a perfectly good kayak isn't exactly something that makes a lot of sense to the average person.   

Thanks fishesfromtupperware and rawkfish.  I understand.  My kayak is stuffed with old life preservers and pool noodles and my trusted jane fonda work out roll.

I can't wait to try it.  But the whole hole thing does bother me.  I also think as cool as they are, I can use them from midnight to 6 am .  So I am going to try and fashion a temporary mount and either utilize my 12v receptacle or have the wires come out on top and run it to the light a short distance.

Oh, by the way...I own a 22 ft center console with a 150hp outboard and a 16ft skiff with a 30hp outboard.  I don't need a bigger boat...I might need more common sense! What people are witnessing here is my devolution in fishing styles.  Used to be a meat fisherman, now my primary rod for everything but King salmon is a 4wt fly rod or ultra light gear.  Not trying to catch more fish, but try to make every fish, big or small, mean a bit more.

Here's a blog post from Kayak Angler Mag just put up today that you might be interested in:

http://www.kayakanglermag.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=994:good-stuff-the-hydro-glow-fish-light&catid=34:editors-angle&Itemid=143

Just saw the post about chemlights.  Thats a potential solution.  Are they bright enough to really attract critters?  I used to be a firm believer in using glow stuff at night.  But then I realized it really didn't make any difference.  The fish know how and can hunt at night. Now I tend to use black or darker colors for lures and flies at night...and oversized.  I thought the same thing for the smaller chemsticks I did use over 10 years ago that they just weren't bright enough and it was just unnatural.  So you feel they are effective? 

Depends.  By 100 meters down, most surface sourced light is gone.  But there is a lot of bioluminescent stuff in the water.  I'm a big believer in using glow colors when fishing deep.

-Allen

I'm thinking of two other options for under water lights for ya (surface light only). 

1. Two waterproof LED flashlights shoved into two scupper holes, throwing light straight down. 
If you need to diffuse the light, cut out a chunk of Ping Pong ball and goop to the light lens. 


2. Stick on waterproof 12v LED strips. 
http://www.elementalled.com/strip-lights?gclid=CP_oq6qDrqgCFRJ1gwodsUStWg
Waterproof http://www.elementalled.com/waterproof-flexible-led-strip-light.html
Brighter waterproof http://www.elementalled.com/brighter-waterproof-led-strip.html
You could really pimp out the bottom of your yak with these! 
Maybe goop down some white velcro (hooky side) into the outer most bottom hull slots and then attach adhesive style velcro (loop side) directly to the sticky side of the LED strips.
Run the wires up through a scupper, or up around the side of the yak to a 12v source. 
This would be low drag, easy to take on and off, and no holes to drill.   
That's a Win, Win, Win!   :headbang

I might need more common sense! What people are witnessing here is my devolution in fishing styles. 

Welcome to the cure


Sense is not common, and Y B Normal?

Where's the fun in that?

Thx insane for the link. I'll evaluate.

Fishesfromtuppetware. Couldn't agree with ya more. I kinda like this place. I was starting to think I had some rare mental disorder that was luring me into what many of my friends and staff consider crazy. Glad to know I am not alone. My name is Rudy and I am an alcoholic...wait, wrong forum....

Ok.  here's the initial idea.  Had a cheap cutting board sitting around . Bent it more than I had to so the board "sticks" to the sides.  If I have my downrigger, I just stack the two and hook them up.  Mount the lights at the bottom.

I am debating another marine grade receptacle like I have up front or keep the hole small and just push the wires through and goop it. Any thoughts? Well, another "non permanent but functions almost every bit as good as a permanent" addition and weapon in the arsenal. 

Told the wife I had to get two lights to balance the drag on the kayak.  Not sure she was convinced since she immediately with a little attitude asked if I needed a few more in the front and back to balance everything.  Haven't told her about the high end batteries I am scouting around for.  Dang they are pricey!

That HMW board is probably plenty of support for the lights.

I'm going to be interested in your results. Reading the product info, it sounds like the two lights will be the equivalent of a single 100W halogen.

Down here, the squiders working the docks at night use lights in the 500-1000W range. (They plug in or use small generators.)

I am ordering the smaller 3 inch so I think its more going to be like a 60 watt halogen.  I am 90% sure its going to be a KILLER addition to the arsenal for some lake fishing.  It doesn't get dark here much in the summer. Maybe 2am to 5am.  But more than once when I was a fishing nut, I'd stop at a roadside campground on a lake for a break, shine my headlights into the water at the launch and watch the fish congregate. 

I hope its enough lighting but too much more and I'll need a mirage drive type system just to keep the lights on...or tow behind a mini-"barge" with a car battery or two...hmmm...lol...I was going to say a generator, then i could power a motor...then all the sudden its a power boat again.  I'll stick with these lights for now...

The big test will be the saltwater and if it helps anything other than looking cool and maybe help a little in avoiding a collision with another boat.