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Red light headlamps

For what it's worth, I don't target bass, but the sheer number I get as a by catch when codding tells me that lights make no difference.
Normally I've got a bright head lamp and a parrafin lamp on the go.
 
Shirleycodlin said:
For what it's worth, I don't target bass, but the sheer number I get as a by catch when codding tells me that lights make no difference.
Normally I've got a bright head lamp and a parrafin lamp on the go.
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I'm guessing you are not your codding in shallow, calm and clear water. You only have to turn your headlight on when wading after bass to a ny the fish retreat at a rate of knots into the darkness. The only fish that seem unmoved are dogs, when they are doing that weird swimming on the surface thing they do in late spring early summer
 
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Valleyboy said:
I'm guessing you are not your codding in shallow, calm and clear water. You only have to turn your headlight on when wading after bass to a ny the fish retreat at a rate of knots into the darkness. The only fish that seem unmoved are dogs, when they are doing that weird swimming on the surface thing they do in late spring early summer
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I might be wrong, but I’d guess Shirl’s codding is at range too, not 20 yards out in the surf?
 
Mr Fish said:
I might be wrong, but I’d guess Shirl’s codding is at range too, not 20 yards out in the surf?
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Interesting discussion. Smash Fishing has many foraging videos where he catches bass wading through crystal clear rockpools and shallows with a torch on and gets them in a foraging net.
 
Thrasher said:
Interesting discussion. Smash Fishing has many foraging videos where he catches bass wading through crystal clear rockpools and shallows with a torch on and gets them in a foraging net.
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I think there’s probably an initial shock moment for the fish and of course pools are enclosed.

I’ve come across wrasse and other small fish while wading pools at night for spider crab and they do seem disoriented and not quite sure where to go - I guess it’s a totally alien thing to them and not part of the natural order!

Eventually they retreat to another part of the pool and I just do my best to ease past without disturbing anything too much.
 
Certainly when actually fishing, I think it’s the sudden light that does it. Ambient light from nearby street lights or homes is constant and something they get used to, whereas suddenly shining a beam at the water isn’t.

Which imo is why you might well catch bass under bridge lights because they attract smaller prey and to the bass, they’re always on so it’s ‘normal’
 
Mr Fish said:
Certainly when actually fishing, I think it’s the sudden light that does it. Ambient light from nearby street lights or homes is constant and something they get used to, whereas suddenly shining a beam at the water isn’t.

Which imo is why you might well catch bass under bridge lights because they attract smaller prey and to the bass, they’re always on so it’s ‘normal’
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Yes the smaller bait fish are attracted to the lights , can you remember when we used to take a Tilly lamp to the pier and tie it to rope and dangle it over the side to attract the pollack
 
John Mitchell said:
Yes the smaller bait fish are attracted to the lights , can you remember when we used to take a Tilly lamp to the pier and tie it to rope and dangle it over the side to attract the pollack
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No lol. I did have a Tilley but the glass broke enough times from rogue waves that it wouldn’t have been anywhere near the water! 😱

Hated the things but such lamps were all we had for a few years.
Even the headlamps of the day were heavy unreliable things.

The advent of LEDs and light, relatively cheap but very good headlamps was one of the biggest advances for shore anglers imo
 
Mr Fish said:
No lol. I did have a Tilley but the glass broke enough times from rogue waves that it wouldn’t have been anywhere near the water! 😱

Hated the things but such lamps were all we had for a few years.
Even the headlamps of the day were heavy unreliable things.

The advent of LEDs and light, relatively cheap but very good headlamps was one of the biggest advances for shore anglers imo
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We didn’t have head lights in my day , 😟
 
A bit of an update… didn’t actually fish with these red lamps over the weekend as I was set so far back to avoid the wave surges and my main lamp was on its lowest setting, I didn’t see the need.

But I spent a few minutes trying the cheapy light out and can report the red light is nice and dim, can see rod tips or bait up and not much else. It doesn’t penetrate more than a few feet at best.
The white setting is pretty bright if needed though and has two spot and two flood settings.

It might not suit if people struggle to see in the dark, as I know some people with eyesight like that, who need a brighter light.
But I could certainly see the tip tape on my rods well enough if one was suddenly to lurch over with a good bass bite and there was enough light to see reeling in or baiting up.
If you needed to see a bit more of a lighter developing bite or a slack line, could always switch it to a lower white flood setting.

There’s not a great deal of autumn bassing time left, but I hope to try it out properly for at least one more trip at some point in the next couple of weeks.
 
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