LED Light strips for night fishing - Now with Pictures!

[cyberflexx]

I've seen a few companies who are now making LED night fishing lights. Everything from Nucli-Eye, NightFishion.net and BlueWaterLeds, and the like. I dont mean to knock these companies, but c'mon, these things are expensive for what they are.

I have been looking at LED fishing lights for about a week or so and came across https://www.superbrightleds.com.

I found some LED strips that were weather proof and water proof and available in UV Blacklight at 80 and 180 degree angles and can be cut.

I ordered two 96 LED narrow 80degree beam UV waterproof LED strips, mounting clips for them too and ordered one 60 LED wide 180 degree beam UV weatherproof strip that I will cut in half. I ordered one 30 LED weatherproof strip in Blue ( moonglow ) and I will cut it in half, and I ordered one 30 LED weatherproof RED strip. These are all 12 volts. Total amperage draw from the specs are about 1.7 amps so I can run for over 3.5days on a 12volt battery if I wanted. LOL. I ordered all of these Shipped to my house for $115 which is ALOT cheaper than the name brand units and packages.

I plan to make a removable night fishing system that will mount to the side of my Skiff below the rub ring and also be able to use these on my Ranger 519.

Each fisherman will have the following lights in their area of the boat ( where there are 2 people in the Skiff).
30 LED wide UV strip near the top
96 LED narrow UV strip lower to the water ( water proof too) so the beam will go out past the wide beam without interference
and beside this stack will be 15 LED Blue strip

Crude ASCII Art of my idea..

**Front Fisherman**.....................................**RearFisherman**
**UV Wide-**.........**blue** **blue**.............**UV Wide**
**UV Narrow**..............................................**UV Narrow**

The wide beam will give me upclose UV light to see my line, the narrow beam will give me distance UV light to see the line and the blue LEDs should be enough to light up the bank to see cover.

The red will be cut in half and 15 red LEDs will be under my rear bench and under the edge of the front deck to give the floor some indirect light, and red wont attract bugs as much as other colors.

I am thinking each color will have its own on/off switch on the 1st run, so I can see how bright the thing is and wired to a 12volt outlet plug for easy connection in the boats. It might be too bright and if that's the case, I have enough LEDS to do both sides of my boat.


Let me know what you all think...

 

[cyberflexx]

My lights should be here in a couple days. I'm excited to get them rigged up and tested. I wont be able to get on the lake with them for another week though. Heading to to TN and then fishing Guntersville and Chicamauga for a long weekend.

 

[cyberflexx]

Just incase anyone is wondering, here is my order from https://www.superbrightleds.com


QTY 2 | WFLB-x96: WFLB-x96 series 96 LED Waterproof Flexible Light Bar| $ 26.95 |
WFLB-UV96: UV-BlackLight
------------------------------------------------------------
QTY 1 | WFLS-x-BK: WFLS-x-BK series Weatherproof High Power LED Flexible Light Strip - Black Circuit| $ 26.95 |
WFLS-UV60-BK: 100cm[39.3in] UV-BlackLight
------------------------------------------------------------
QTY 1 | WFLS-x: WFLS-x series Weatherproof High Power LED Flexible Light Strip| $ 11.95 |
WFLS-R30: 50cm[19.7in] Red
------------------------------------------------------------
QTY 1 | WFLS-x-BK: WFLS-x-BK series Weatherproof High Power LED Flexible Light Strip - Black Circuit| $ 14.95 |
WFLS-B30-BK: 50cm[19.7in] Blue
------------------------------------------------------------
QTY 50 | WFLB-x96-MB: WFLB-x96-MB Mounting Clips w/screws| $ 0.15 |
WFLB-x96-MB: Mounting Clips w/screws
------------------------------------------------------------

 

[whiteboots16]

Man I can't wait to start my lighting project. I have a 1648 semi-v that I am tricking out to be a cool little redfish chaser. I'm thinking about getting some leds that are sumergable to mount under the water line and under the hull in a few places, but the ones that I find are very expensive.

 

[JMichael]

Hmm I've missed this thread until now some how. I don't know about others, but I'd be very interested in seeing how your lighting project works out.

 

[fender66]

Hmm I've missed this thread until now some how. I don't know about others, but I'd be very interested in seeing how your lighting project works out.

Me too....but with pictures. :wink:

 

[cyberflexx]

I just got back from a long weekend at Guntersville and the bite was off.. but thats OK.. still had fun.

Havent had time to work on this yet but I did get an opinion and compare this idea to a dual Nucli-eye setup ( that he has about $500 invested) on my buddy's boat while we were at Guntersville.

I hate to throw out name brands because the die hards may think I am product slamming, but I am not, just using it as a comparison and because I like to tinker and make things cheaper and sometimes better than what I can buy them for.

my friend was real leery of this idea, so I took my LED strips on the almost 9 hour trip just to show him. At the hotel in Scottsboro, AL I pulled out one of the narrow beam waterproof strips and hooked it up to my truck battery and laid the strip along my fender. We got some fishing line that would glow and sure enough, even under bright parking lot lots, you would still see that line lit up like a light saber for about 10 feet. IF we would have tested this in pure darkness, I'm sure it would have been alot further. We then did the same test with the Nucli-Eye and couldnt even see it out 2 feet from the side of the boat, under the same parking lot lights. We then hooked up the moon glow blue in a 15 LED section and did the same thing with his setup. He said that will light up the bank and trees with no problem! and said I really under estimated these lights and I think you will have NO PROBLEM with this at all. He said I could probably even cut my original idea in half, instead of having each person their own set of lights, just put one in the middle on both sides of the boat so you can fish either side of the narrow creeks. So each side would have the following:
30 LED wide UV strip near the top
96 LED narrow UV strip lower to the water (water proof too) so the beam will go out past the wide beam without interference
and beside this stack will be 15 LED Blue strip to light up the bank in moon glow.

I dont have any pictures or anything, but will try to remember to take them when I go to make my proto-type for my boats. I am going to try to make this to where I can use it on my Ranger and Skiff

 

[cyberflexx]

Man I can't wait to start my lighting project. I have a 1648 semi-v that I am tricking out to be a cool little redfish chaser. I'm thinking about getting some leds that are sumergable to mount under the water line and under the hull in a few places, but the ones that I find are very expensive.

I bet those waterproof strips from Superbright LEDs website would work.. I am guessing you are going to use green.. Look at these for $26 bucks.
https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/flexible-strips-and-bars/se-wfls-x60-series-60-high-power-led-waterproof-flexible-light-strip/103/503/
They look to be sealed with silicone and caps.. says they are waterproof. You might want to call them to be sure though and tell them your application and see what they suggest. Dont forget to buy the mounting clips for easy install..

 

[cyberflexx]

Look what I found! Someone else had the same idea.. A huge deal of information about these are listed here! I guess I chose my lights wisely!

Mine will be setup a little differently though...Same Concept! =D> =D> =D> :mrgreen:

https://www.fishingtn.com/showthread.php?t=4782

 

[Hanr3]

ostpics:

 

[highgeardaddy]

The strips are really cool. I have not used the line-glow colors but that would work great working light jigs for smallmouth on summer nights. I have switched over most all lighting on my CConsole Skeeter to strips coupled with swapping the courtesy light bulbs with the LED panels. I guess you've messed around with them, but dont panic if they dont fire up on the first try, they are polarity sensative. Also the strips I have will seperate really easy at the connectors put some tape across the back. How are you attaching them to the boat where you can move them to your other rig (velcro?)

For guys looking at underwater lights, Chris at www.coastalnightlights.com has the bomb. I researched these things for months and I'm really happy with the big coastals on me' transom.

I'll be glad when the high power LED stuff to comes down in price. I'd like to move to those for boat headlights (yes, I run at night and I light it up). At this point the best stuff is coming straight out of little shops in China, but even if they offer a warranty It'd take forever to get service.

Let me know if you get down to the Kingston, TN area of Watts Bar/Emory River/Clinch River/Tennessee River. I hHad some big projects down there and learned some great bass spots. About now the Muskie start prowling the Emory.

Cheers.

 

[cyberflexx]

How are you attaching them to the boat where you can move them to your other rig (velcro?).

Iam thinking of mounting them to a section of plastic angle ( I'll have to check Lowes and see what they have). The gunnel of the skiff where the rub ring is located is rounded, underneath that area is where the bolts go through to attach the front deck and rear bench seat. I was going to use the "L" shaped angle bar and drill a hole in the top and use the existing bolts and use wing nuts to hols it on. the "L" angle bar will run the length of the boat, over the side. When I use this on my Ranger, well I haven't gotten that far yet but thinking take the light bar and somehow clamping it over the side. I plan on making the 'controller box' ( light switches ) like a wired remote and not perm. mounted either. Just plug the main wire into the lighter socket and flip the switches you want to turn off or on. I will have to make the main power wire long enough and thinking about using a radio shack project box as the base for the on/off switch controller and seal it with silicone just incase.

Don't worry, I plan on taking pictures when I get to working on this thing, hopefully this weekend.

 

[cyberflexx]

I had a few minutes this afternoon during a conference call and I designed the schematic for the wiring of my setup. This is a crude drawing as the free design software didnt have a couple of the components so I made due with what I had..

There is about 1 amp draw from the lights (minus the red leds for under the seats- not in this schematic).

Example: if your deep cycle battery is 115 amp hours, then these lights will have the ability to last 115 hours @ 1amp draw. :mrgreen:

Tell me what you think..

 

[highgeardaddy]

The control box will work, the challenge is how to keep the multiple LED leads from turning into a birds nest-particularly once you take the set-up on and off a few times. You will be able to use tiny wire and virtually any cheap 12V switchs on the box.

On my Tracker Tincan CC there is a nice flat surface right under the rub rail where it seems like you could stick 3M weatherproof velcro. Maybe not a continuous strip, but just short intervals. I have not played with the mini light bars referenced on the TN fishing link but the flat strips would stick well to velcro. Note he makes some great points, particularly the key to getting them below your line of sight on the casting decks to keep your night vision tuned in. They must have bumped up the intensity on these, seems like it would take several of the ones I have on the Skeeter to get it done where you could see the bank from casting distance. I want to try to stack blue or green w/ the UV or blacklight color strips as opposed to buying another blacklight. Red seems useless to me, that light wavelength does not travel very far...

Cheers.

 

[cyberflexx]

Good point on the birdnest. I have thought about putting the control box near the battery so there isnt a very long tether to it, off the main power power cable. I was going to use zip ties to hold the wires together and put it in flex loom to help keep the mess down. I'm still in the planning stage on the wiring. It's hard for me to work on the little Skiff boat after work as it is in a friends garage about 5 miles from my house. I am mainly going to use the lights on the little boat, but want the option to use them on the Ranger. I'll have to see if I can get started on it during the weekend.

I have some switches in my electronics junk box at home and I may even have small project box to use. I am wondering if I should make it modular, so I can add and remove LEDS from the light bar if it's too bright or too dim. I have alot of ideas flowing in my noggin..

 

[highgeardaddy]

Yup I'm with ya' on the time crunch. Getting dark earlier every day, the project boat is in the driveway so I'm having to work with mother nature and under work lights after sunset. Trying to get the Tracker 1654 modified as a utility Duck Gun boat. The neighbors love me. At least its not another trailer suspension renovation with air hammer work

A few more thoughts on the LED setup.
-Those simple two prong 12V plugs may be the ticket for keeping it modular (being able to seperate power leads from the lights and the control box) and polarity straight. This also allows you to have varying power lead lengths for different applications. See ebay item No. 261095027159 . I use these plugs on headlight/driving light setups with the lights on RAM arm mounts so I can move the lights around on my ATVs, UTVs, BOATs etc. Just put a power lead and RAM ball on each rig and you are ready to roll.

-Bonded two conductor trailer wire is plenty big for the LEDs and keeps down the clutter.

 

[cyberflexx]

Not much of an update:

Bought 3 SPST plastic toggle switches from Walmart. I couldnt find any, in my electronics junk box.
Gotta love working in the I.T. field...I found some old netcom headset cables at work from the headset styles we don't use anymore and they have some neat quick connects. They were heading for the trash. I cut one open and its 2 pair shielded but not for sure if the wires would handle the 1amp current as these are made for phone audio. I might get away with about a 6 inch section or less, just enough to splice some larger cable on to it so I can still utilize the connectors. This would be awesome for making it more modular and they fit together really snug.

 

[cyberflexx]

I went to Lowes and picked up some supplies. After walked around for an hour trying to find something to use as the light mount, i finally settled for a 10 foot section of white vinyl gutter. this turned out to be the perfect choice. It was lighter than aluminum angle and a whole lot cheaper too!.. I also grabbed some 16gauge red and black hook up wire, small electrical box, plastic lid that didnt fit and had to be cut down, wing nuts, wire flex loom, washers and a few other things..

 

[cyberflexx]

We fit the gutter under the gunnel of the boat, drilled holes so it would line up with the bolts for the deck and the rear bench and used a wing nut to tighten them down. We had to cut the 10 foot section of vinyl gutter down some to fit and also trim the bottom off as it got in the way..For some reason the pic wont attach..

 

[cyberflexx]

made a control box from a black electrical box and a lid that didnt fit. We had to dremel cut the lid to fit and drill holes for the switches. I wired my positive connections in series to the switches and the other side of the switch wll have the positive to each light strip. All of the ground are connected together and ran to the 12volt lighter plug adapter.