Question, Observation, and maybe a Suggestion.....I guess this is mainly for trollers, but maybe casters also....So I'm pretty sure more and more of us are into varying degrees of Glow on our gear, but how many of us are aware of the effective duration of that Glow after we've ' Charged' various pieces with glow lights? ..... The other night, after being overly impressed with some new pieces I'd just completed, I invited my wife to come downstairs, into a dark room, where I'd just laid out a few newly charged fishing trinkets.....I said what they were for, she said they were 'cute', and 'so how long will that glow last underwater?' ..... And come to think of it, I didn't really know for sure....I figured at least 5 to 10 minutes....So....so today I took some time to check about 8 different pieces out....some dodgers, some lures, some with tape, some paint, and some that came labelled 'glow'....My initial findings: .... some that said 'glow' didn't glow at all (or just a tiny part did), some customized paint pieces lasted 1/2 hour!, some glow tapes are way better than others, 10 to 20 mins. max...... and a couple of the store bought 'glow' pieces actually lasted 25 mins. in my dark room.....so there is a lot of variance out there, and it may be wise to check yours out before hitting the water.....I'm using a blue lite, UV Glow flashlite for charging, but small, only 4", with 9 leds.....any you guys using something different, more effective for duration??? Guluk....
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Great post. I always wondered about that. Now I have another little project to do.
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[#0000FF]Did you test any of my ice glow stuff? I make them with the super glow space age powder (strontium alumino silicate). That stuff glows for hours.
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]Glow in the dark works with some fish; not so much with others. The science behind what fish see and how is very complex. Fluorescence doesn't work in deeper water because UV light is absorbed very quickly as depth increases. Phosphorescent material re-emits light in colors we see but may or may not be seen by some fish. And I have no clue as to which fish species see it or don't see it.[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]So, it is possible that phosphorus coated lures may be nothing more than snake oil. But hey, if you like 'em, buy 'em. Pat has probably forgotten more about this subject than I'll ever know. I have some 'glow in the dark' lures but have no idea if they have increased my success rate or not. I just know that going fishing is enjoyable for me and that's enough.[/size][/#800000][/font]
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[#0000FF]You are onto something...or just "on" something. Even under the ice the use of glow is variable in effectiveness. Early in the ice season, in shallow clear water, with good visibility, glow is not needed and may even be a deterrent. But late in the season...under thick ice with heavy snow cover...a bit of extra visibility CAN bring fish in from a greater distance.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]A lot of anglers who fish for nocturnal feeders swear by having some glow enhancement on their plastics or hardbaits. Others fish with black stuff...with no glow...and claim to do just as well. The fish will let you know.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Had an interesting bit of feedback from a guy who bought some of my jig heads with glow...to use on walleyes at Utah Lake. On one occasion he was fishing for white bass...with only marginal success. After breaking off on a snag he retied and immediately began really whacking the whities...on a jig head seemingly no different than the one he had just lost.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]The rest of the story? When he got home he was walking through the house with his rods and his wife asked "what's that?". He looked down at his rigged rod and in the dim light of the living room noticed a brightly glowing jig head. He believes. Sometimes in murky waters or just low light conditions a bit of an "aura" from your lures might be just the catalyst needed to stimulate a munch.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Like all things fishing, there is no hard and fast rule about glow being better than non-glow. But it can't hurt to have some as an alternative for "those days".
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Hey T.D. -- I did glow-test 2 of your white/red eye jigs, and 2 of your firetigers....same blue glow lite charger, same time, about 12 to 15 seconds....nice glow first half hour, and graduated down to barely noticeable after 1 hour and 10 mins.....I think that was really good....and for nite time crappie fishing on ice, or ice fishing 40 to 50' deep for the perch, I want every little advantage I can get, and yours certainly do that for me.....
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Hey Bob -- my comments/observations aren't on whether or not glow is effective, as I'm sure that can be argued pro or con, with evidence either way....I know it gives me an edge, trolling for kokes or trout, and nite time ice fishing for crappie, or deep for perch on ice.....my main point is that for us that are using glow, and relying on different pieces to glow when we want them to glow ..... is that we maybe should check them at home first, so we'll know how often to re-charge when out on the water....and sometimes if there's good sunlight I'll just hold them up for 10 to 15 seconds......and I'm going to do a little comparison test on that also, vs my uv blue/glow lite..[fishin]
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