# Light limbo - how high or low is best?



## jgc (Aug 19, 2013)

reading here and there, I have seen a lot of opinions on lights. Underwater lights have their place for sure. Not positive how much reach they have. Once out of the water, I see lights below the deck, on the bottom bar of the rails, etc... On another fishing forum, read that for night fishing (not gigging), they recommended getting them up high - for better angles and light penetration. I suspect that overhead lights would be simply in the way f they were over you - or worse yet if they were behind you would cause shadows. 

I guess the question is not total penetration (we are not trying to attract fish, and can only see the bottom in shallow areas anyway), but how far out can you see the bottom and does light height make much of a difference (or is the limiting factor the giggers height)?

So, where do you mount them?


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## Death From Above (Sep 28, 2007)

jgc said:


> reading here and there, I have seen a lot of opinions on lights. Underwater lights have their place for sure. Not positive how much reach they have. Once out of the water, I see lights below the deck, on the bottom bar of the rails, etc... On another fishing forum, read that for night fishing (not gigging), they recommended getting them up high - for better angles and light penetration. I suspect that overhead lights would be simply in the way f they were over you - or worse yet if they were behind you would cause shadows.
> 
> I guess the question is not total penetration (we are not trying to attract fish, and can only see the bottom in shallow areas anyway), but how far out can you see the bottom and does light height make much of a difference (or is the limiting factor the giggers height)?
> 
> So, where do you mount them?


My lights sit about a foot above the water. I've never really cared how far I can see out in front of the boat. You can't gig them until they are in pole range anyway.


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## flounderslayerman (Jun 3, 2011)

Death From Above said:


> My lights sit about a foot above the water. I've never really cared how far I can see out in front of the boat. You can't gig them until they are in pole range anyway.


I agree with DFA here. Also the higher the lights you spread the light out,which kills light penetration.


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## Flounder9.75 (Sep 28, 2007)

flounderslayerman said:


> I agree with DFA here. Also the higher the lights you spread the light out,which kills light penetration.


Also the higher they are the more they get in your way.


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## Night Shift (Nov 5, 2012)

I agree with the three guys above. They summed it up.


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## jgc (Aug 19, 2013)

I figured getting in the way would be an issue. The people who were posting about getting the lights high were using 1000watt par 64 stage lights with a vary narrow spot lights for night fishing. The very narrow spot dealt with their spread issue (most gigging lights are flood lights), and they were trying to get the deepest penetration possible-shining as close to vertical.

The Par 64 lights have a good color index for attracting bait, not needed for gigging. For gigging, we would just as soon the fish not be able to see the light. The stage lights are worthless for gigging because they don't tolerate abuse when hot, the filaments break. I think some specialty par lights deal with that better than PAR 64 stage lights (locomotive and train lights must deal with shaking better).

Anyway, my understanding is Texas floundering involves acres of flats - where seeing as much as possible night be a good thing.


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## Fish-n-Fur (Apr 2, 2009)

Lighting angled at 49 degrees or less is reflected back off the water, away from the original light source. Lights angled vertical to the water have the max light penetration. Decide your angle, but make it b/w 50-90 degrees (perpendicular) to the water for your desired result.
White light has better penetration than cool white lights, but is scattered and reflected more by particles in the water than cool white lights. 
Good Hunting!


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## drifterfisher (Oct 9, 2009)

Fish-n-Fur said:


> Lighting angled at 49 degrees or less is reflected back off the water, away from the original light source. Lights angled vertical to the water have the max light penetration. Decide your angle, but make it b/w 50-90 degrees (perpendicular) to the water for your desired result.
> White light has better penetration than cool white lights, but is scattered and reflected more by particles in the water than cool white lights.
> Good Hunting!


I have no in put about the angle of the light,but I have hunted with LED cool white,halogens, HPS and MH lights. In dirty/stained water HPS is by far the best with halogens second. Cool white and MH fall short in dirty water. The whiter the light the more it reflects off particles suspended in the water. If your in super clear water the MH is the ticket for sheer light output. I run halogens, mainly because they are cheaper,and do well in all water conditions.


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