im going to start doing a lot of my fishing at night, especially for species like walleye, catfish, bullhead, etc... it turns out though that bugs absolutely love white light.. but the fish targeted tend to flee from it, and that red light has almost no effect on either fish, or bugs, but still offers light

 

i dont think i want to go with a lantern to be honest, theyre expensive, cost a lot to fuel in comparison, and theyre inefficient in the sense that all the light produced, most of it are lighting up areas youre not even looking

 

so.. i got to thinking about headlamps and i was wondering how good of an idea it would be to take an LED flashlight, red diffuser, mounted to a headband to use for fishing?

 

what solution would you suggest for this purpose?

Sticking a light in a headband may work for a minute or two but I think it would uncomfortable and the light is bound to shift and occasionally fall out.  Last thing you want to do is be in the middle of landing a fish with one hand and keeping the light from falling in the drink with the other hand.   If you have a Mini Mag Lite, they sell a neoprene head band with a sleeve for the light and red filters for the lens.

 

However  I think the best alternative is to get a real headlamp.I've been using headlamps for years and find them essential for night fishing.  Last year I upgraded my old Petzel Tikka headlamp to a Black Diamond Storm and love it.  On high it has a powerful, focused beam that throws a long way (great for finding a lure stuck in a tree or finding the landing or dock when heading back in).  On low there is a warm glow that illuminates the entire boat. The high and low settings are also adjustable within their range.  The Storm also features built in two red LEDs if you don't want the strong light to kill your night vision or attract insects.   I use the white LEDs 99 percent of the time because I usually don't have the light on long enough to attract too many insects. It's off unless I'm landing and unhooking a fish or tying a knot.

 

 

Great light, I highly recommend it to anyone who fishes at night and it isn't too expensive as headlamps go. About mid priced. 

ok.. im going to take this discussion into two different paths.. first, i do want a headlamp. unfortunately, i have about $50 in total to spend on lighting, and i need to get atleast 2 headlamps, preferably a third as people fish with me.. so they need to be inexpensive.. i notice some 300 lumen cree headlamps, one has a red filter, for the ones that dont i imagine i could just fabricate one myself to make a red light.. so im looking for low cost solutions to this

 

the second thing im looking for, though this can be a completely different topic, is a new flashlight.. something i can find a lot of add-ons and accessories to.. the maglite produces only 84 lumens.. id like something around 300 or more, something really bright... and preferably takes AAs, definitely no D-cell flashlights.. i can always get a headband mount (with a loop for the flashlight) or a ball cap mount if i wanted to use it as a headlamp, but i have other things id like a good reliable light for too

I know you said you're on a budget, but consider Streamlight lights. I have one on my turnout gear and keep a smaller one in my tool bag. Neither has ever not worked properly and are made in the USA. They make many styles, including red LED models.

Www.streamlight.com

Best of luck

Rayovac SPHLED. B sportsmen headlight, red/white LEDs, AAA batteries, in your price range should work.

Tom

those rayovac lights dont look very bright at all

Clearly safety is the main priority.  However, I use a dim red lens head lamp to change baits, tie knots, unhook fish, etc.   Otherwise, I try not to use any light at all, especially white.  It totally kills your "night vision" for close to 30 minutes.  Moonlight nights are easy and dark nights are more of a challenge, especially if you're target casting your presentation.  Letting your eyes acclimate to the darkness takes several minutes but is usually sufficient on all but the darkest of skies and or against a blacked out back round; like the back of a wooded cove.

 

A-Jay

those rayovac lights dont look very bright at all

 

That's a good thing when you are night fishing.

 

Like Ajay said, use just enough light to allow you to safely complete your task at hand. Otherwise, enjoy the dark.

maybe.. ive been looking at those nebo redline flashlights though.. was thinking of getting a red filter for it, and a clip mount i could clip it to the brim of a baseball cap with.. it has multiple brightness settings and would allow me to use this light for other things outside of fishing too.. so im really thinking of going that route

http://www.batteryjunction.com/energizer-capr22ode.html?gclid=CMvL_c_aurgCFWYV7AodySsAAQ

 

 

I use this light. It has 3 modes - first click is a red LED light, second click is a dimmer white LED, third click is a spotlight LED. I only use lights when nightfishing for tying lures, baiting hooks, handling fish - otherwise, I sit in the dark and enjoy the stars.

those rayovac lights dont look very bright at all

It's your budget!

Take a look at Mountain Gear headlamps, good quality at a fair price, however above your budget.

Tom

well i cant really sit in complete darkness.. been hearing snakes around where i fish and it takes a bit of walking to get to it.. maybe that cap light posted above would be best.. i can simply attach it to a baseball cap and carry an extra flashlight for other stuff

I have a cheap $20 Energizer headlight from Wal Mart that has either one bright regular light or a dimmer red light. Takes 3 AAA batteries that I usually have to change out once a season. I use my light as little as possible. If you go without a light for about 5-10 minutes your eyes will adjust and you'll be amazed what you can see at night. I spent all night last night flipping and skipping docks and only hung up twice on something I didn't see on the dock. 

im actually concerned with the headlamps due to the size of my head to be honest.. id wear a size 8+ or XXXL size hat.. i have a HUGE head.. the brim mounted light might be the best bet, then i can be sure it fits, and adjust the cap accordingly to be sure the lamp points in the right direction.. i read some are incapable of stretching that large and if they do, the wires inside dont

im actually concerned with the headlamps due to the size of my head to be honest.. id wear a size 8+ or XXXL size hat.. i have a HUGE head.. the brim mounted light might be the best bet, then i can be sure it fits, and adjust the cap accordingly to be sure the lamp points in the right direction.. i read some are incapable of stretching that large and if they do, the wires inside dont

I have the same problem. The one I have still has room left to adjust though and the angle of the light is very easy to adjust. 

then ill order a couple of the lights that go on the hat.. then i'll have an excuse to buy a new hat.. i actually dont even own a hat because no one sells hats so large.. sad, isnt it?, ill get one off amazon

i actually opted to order some headlamps.. just to avoid getting a product i dont like, i ordered both the 7-LED energizer headlamp, and the rayovac version for the same price.. both produce similar light, use the same batteries, but this way i can see which is better and if one breaks ill know to buy another one like the one that didnt

ok.. im going to take this discussion into two different paths.. first, i do want a headlamp. unfortunately, i have about $50 in total to spend on lighting, and i need to get atleast 2 headlamps, preferably a third as people fish with me.. so they need to be inexpensive.. i notice some 300 lumen cree headlamps, one has a red filter, for the ones that dont i imagine i could just fabricate one myself to make a red light.. so im looking for low cost solutions to this

 

the second thing im looking for, though this can be a completely different topic, is a new flashlight.. something i can find a lot of add-ons and accessories to.. the maglite produces only 84 lumens.. id like something around 300 or more, something really bright... and preferably takes AAs, definitely no D-cell flashlights.. i can always get a headband mount (with a loop for the flashlight) or a ball cap mount if i wanted to use it as a headlamp, but i have other things id like a good reliable light for too

 

 

Check Lowe's or Home Depot and look at their battery selection, there should be headlamps nearby- I stick to the Energizer models- cheap, work great and are bright as hell.  Also all the ones I've ever bought had a red light setting included.  I've never spent more than $20 on an energizer headlamp and they regularly outperform friends' Black Diamond and Petzl headlamps, which cost far more.  

 

I use mine for everything- camping, automotive work, fishing, etc. etc. etc. 

at some point im just going to build an 18650 based flashlight, probably using a solarforce l2 host (surefire 6P alternative), and get a hat clip for it with a red drop-in LED module in my tackle box for red light... as i like being able to make one tool perform multiple tasks such as this, but for now the headlamps will suffice

well, i got the two headlamps in the mail today.. im glad i ordered the two because i could try each one on.. see what i liked, and i really believe the energizer 7-LED to be a superior lamp to the rayovac sportsman, but more-so the rayovac head band had to be stretched to its limits to fit my massive size 8 1/8 hat size head, while the energizer fit comfortably with room to spare... i have people who fish for me, they can use the rayovac just fine as their heads arent so big.. so im glad i got one of each instead of two of the same only to find out the rayovac was a tad too small

anybody know which one has a dedicated button for the red light?

i'd like to turn red on immediately instead of having to click thru low beam white and high beam white to get to red

Rayovac SPHLED. B sportsmen headlight, red/white LEDs, AAA batteries, in your price range should work.

Tom

 

These. I bought 2 of them at wal mart exspressly for night fishing, plenty bright and you can go from white to red light, your choice.