head lamps - how not to be a lighthouse

[cowherder]

The other night I was fishing in the front of an inlet where a flashing light shines. It was a little crowded, and these guys kept putting their lights on and forgetting to turn them off. Eventually I left to a place that was darker. I only put mine on if I can't see and try to turn it off quick. Any other tips on here from the guys who use them all the time?

[dogfish]

Some guys are total idiots, maybe they just never learned the right way. Some tips-

I NEVER shine my light on the water.
When I need to use it, if I'm walking the surf, I go to dry land and turn my back on the water.
Buy the led lights, less of a high beam.

[voyager35]

Use red, green, whenever possible. It's not as distracting. The beam is less intense.

[bababooey]

Guys need to use common sense. If they have none, there isn't much you can say to teach them.

[clamchucker]

Guys need to use common sense. If they have none, there isn't much you can say to teach them.

If we could all be a little more respectful of our brother and sister anglers out there, it would be nice. I know that's not probable. It's nice to aspire to that, though.

[stripercrazy]

When no one is around, it's up to you how much you want to spook the fish. When there's a crowd, you want to use your light as little as possible. Red is good.

[7deadlyplugs]

What about the idiots that drive on the beach and shine their truck headlights on until they get out and all set up? :burn:

[bababooey]

What about the idiots that drive on the beach and shine their truck headlights on until they get out and all set up? :burn:

we'll be happier campers when everything switches over to LEDs.

[storminsteve]

and these guys kept putting their lights on and forgetting to turn them off.

I was walking the beach at 6:15am this morning. At that point it is a little light out and you can see. This idiot guy starts walking down the beach with his light shining in my face! When I told him to stop shining in my face, he said "well I need the light to see!http://stripersandanglers.com/Forum/images/icons/icon13.png Googan!

[Monty]

This idiot guy starts walking down the beach with his light shining in my face!
Ridiculous, 2 weeks ago two guys with their head lamps on walked the length of the beach past me. Was plenty of moon light to see. Dumb and dumber. What goes on in their minds??

[DarkSkies]

Steve, we had that happen to us last night.
A guy comes down the beach with a huge 9V flashlight. I didn't think they made them anymore. (He might as well have brought a Coleman lantern with him).

Shined the light directly in our faces. :huh:
I asked him what the eff he was doing with the frikkin flashlight shining in our eyes...he said "Oops, I didn't see you, no need to get crabby about it....WHAT A WAY TO START OUT THE NIGHT!!!!" :scared: :argue:


I told him he would have a better frikken night if he wasn't going around shining that intense beam in peoples faces. ...:)


I've been going to the Finchaser school of diplomacy...:laugh:
The lessons are hard, but well worth the tuition price.... ;)



Let's face it people, we're all getting older. My eyes suck as bad as anyone else's do...but if you turn your lights off, for just a minute or so, your eyes will adjust to the darkness, and you will be fine without going around like a lighthouse beacon....:kooky:

[surfstix1963]

My new favorite saying"YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID" and damn if it isn't true no matter how hard you try.

[Blazin420]

Oh and here is a heads up for some of the new guys out there...When your fishing at night DONT KEEP YOUR HEAD LIGHT ON THE WHOLE TIME!!!! Drives me and others out there CRAZY!! Between shining in the water and then my eyes it was real annoying..Had at least 2-3 guys do that last night!!!iF YOUR THAT SCARED OF THE DARK DONT FISH AT NIGHT!!!!!!!....Sorry rant over...http://www.stripersurf.com/images/smilies/wave.gif

[seamonkey]

Oh and here is a heads up for some of the new guys out there...When your fishing at night DONT KEEP YOUR HEAD LIGHT ON THE WHOLE TIME!!!! Drives me and others out there CRAZY!! Between shining in the water and then my eyes it was real annoying..Had at least 2-3 guys do that last night!!!iF YOUR THAT SCARED OF THE DARK DONT FISH AT NIGHT!!!!!!!....Sorry rant over...http://www.stripersurf.com/images/smilies/wave.gif

ROFL so true! Even had that happen to me during the full moon. That's what the moonlight is for to help you see out there and not put on lights so guys won't know when you're catching. Almost as bad as the guys who come up to the beach where the parking lots are right there and shine their headlights on to see who is fishing and what they're catching. so irritating!

[madcaster]

My opinion is that there is no proven fact that signing a light into the water spooks fishfrom that light. I just think it’s a myth and fisherman personally just do not likeit, because of the myth that it spooks fish and lowers there odds of catching.
No one likesa light shining in there face …yes that I agree. That’s a whole different subject..
But when this subject come up the theories are all over the place
Steady lightis ok …but your shadow will spook fish when you walk in front of a steady light…. You only catch shorts ……bigger fish get spooked ….the fish has to readjustto the flash of light …their eyes are made to feed in the dark and I have evenhear that you can only catch bass at night ….I catch more fish in the dark …even one has a theory
Yes I get ityou want to improve your odds and you like fishing in the dark ….I do the same.but truck heads light in the wash and a flash from a head light ….my opinion doesnot scare fish away
Hell mighteven attract them

[storminsteve]

I think you made a good point that it might not always spook the fish. There are lights along bulkheads and piers all the time. I also agree about the steady light and your shadow sometimes spooking fish. I also agree with blazing that the lights are damn obnoxious! Shining lights on someone when walking down a path or a beach is just not cool. Even though the guys may not know they should def be more considerate. So many times this has happened to me I lost count.

[hookset]

[COLOR=#000000][FONT=verdana]Oh and here is a heads up for some of the new guys out there...When your fishing at night DONT KEEP YOUR HEAD LIGHT ON .

I agree we should give the new guys a little leeway. some of these do guys do it all the time .you would think common sense would tell them to be respectful of others.

[J Barbosa]

When I first took up kayak fishing I was concerned that my safety light would spook them. It turns out that the light actually attracted stripers to the kayak.

Sometimes you have to break conventional wisdom in order to see the other side of things.

I'll stick to keeping my light off for unhooking fish and turning my back to the water when I need to light up the inside of my plug bag (use a dim red light).

Princeton Tec Remix headlamp with red & white leds. Has a high and low version of both red and white. Mine has seen a lot of rain/splashing over the years and is still going strong.

[robmedina]

I use my light to flash others as they are approaching. I use the universal "go away" flashes.

[storminsteve]

Princeton Tec Remix headlamp with red & white leds. Has a high and low version of both red and white. Mine has seen a lot of rain/splashing over the years and is still going strong.

Great light. I have had mine for a few years as well.

[baitstealer]

Thanks for the recommendation will have to check those out.

[clamchucker]

Steady lightis ok. but your shadow will spook fish when you walk in front of a steady light. You only catch shorts bigger fish get spooked .the fish has to readjustto the flash of light their eyes are made to feed in the dark and I have evenhear that you can only catch bass at night .I catch more fish in the dark . even one has a theory
Yes I get it you want to improve your odds and you like fishing in the dark .I do the same.but truck heads light in the wash and a flash from a head light .my opinion doesnot scare fish away
Hell might even attract them

There are a lot of docks in the barnegat bay area that would not hold fish if the lights were not on. I agree and think the steady light is what does it. When you have intermittent light it is different. As for the headlamp issue I think it is a matter of simple courtesy. What has happened to us that we forgot how to be considerate of others?

[VSdreams]

Love this thread funny and informative too thanks guys. Here is a pic of a giant headlamp lol