Welcome Woodguy. This is a great board and you will find lots of good tips on it. I have been nitefishin for over 20 years, first for trout in the Finger Lakes and now for crappie on Lake Wylie SC. I have always used a clamp on "mechanics lite" that is available at any hardware store. I cut the plug of and attach terminal connectors to the split cord for hook up to the battery. I use 50W incandescent 12v bulbs available at RV dealers. I clamp the lite on the bow rail and angle it so it shines on the water about 3' out from the boat. It brings up the bait just fine. I have tied up with guys using submersible lites and haven't noticed any difference in performance. But lites are like anyother piece of fishin equipment, everyone has their favorite. Good luck.
One taste of the bait
is worth the pain of the hook
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