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Thread: Starfire II vs. Night Blaster Comparison

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Default Starfire II vs. Night Blaster Comparison


    I'm really new to night stalking but I'm warming up to it very quickly, as I've managed to catch from 12 to 45 crappies on each of the only 5 times I've tried it. And in each case, I was finished for the night by 10:45 pm. For my striper forays, I had bought a 4 foot long green light (Hydroglow clone) and finally a Honda generator/Sodium light set-up.

    Well, I had success with both but I was eager to avoid the generator noise if possible. After advice here, I bought a Brinkman Starfire II and also had enough Bass Pro points to get an Optronics Night Blaster also. The starfire II is 250,000 cp and the night blaster is 300,000.

    So I tried it three nights ago with one at the bow and the other at the stern. The short answer after one trip is I am delighted with the ability of both to draw bait. Within 30-40 minutes, my depthfinder stopped reading the 27 ft bottom and read 3 to 4 feet for the next hour!

    Of the two lights, the Starfire is now my personal preference after 1 night of trying. It broadcast a nice circle of light. The Optronics is a little weird. It's shaped like a "potato masher" if anyone remembers those. It has the bulb sealed in plastic so it tries to float when placed in water. You have to hold it under water to allow the air to escape so it will sink. It has rattle beads in it for fish attraction .the package says it rattles and bubbles to attract fish....hmmm... don't know about all that. It is a bit brighter (300K vs 250k) but it broadcasts straight down due to its design, so it would be hard to see rod tips using it without extra light.

    But in my rough tally (21 crappie boated in 2 hrs with 8 or 9 missed), it appears the bites were pretty evening distributed. (Usually, because I was by myself, a crappie would bite way up in the front and as soon as I got there, his smarter cousin would eat my minnow in the far back of the boat!:rolleyes:

    So in the end, with each selling for less than $15, I don't think you could go wrong either way.

    Feel free to post comments, experiences, or opinions if you use one or the other.

    Great fishing!

    William
    Remember....Good Things Come to Those Who Bait......

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
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    Thanks for the review. One of these days I'll have a boat powered by more than my arms and will be able to take up night stalking. This is the kind of info I'll want to be armed with when I go shopping to equip that "someday" boat.

  3. #3
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    Fisher-o-Men are you fishing the darkness between the two lights, and are you tightlining minnows or using corks? By the way what lake are you nightstalking on I see your from Elberton?

  4. #4
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    Great questions, countrytime! I certainly had a ton before I went out the first time, but bear in mind I am still learning so I'm not sure what I say is the best method yet. I fish in both direct light right up against the light with tightlines and I also use a pole and float to fish farther out in the circle of light. Finally I cast a slip float or three out a pretty good ways from the boat and light. The last time I went all caught fish but the cast floats did the best. I feel like the thing to do is try em all and give every fish near or far a chance!:D :rolleyes:

    So far, I have fished Russell each night of the five. However, I plan on fishing the upper end of Clarks Hill soon. I hope to combine catching crappie and hybrids/stripers on the same trip!!
    Remember....Good Things Come to Those Who Bait......

  5. #5
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    also thanks for the review on Starfire II vs. Night Blaster Comparison. I am glad to hear that they both work good at drawing bait fish. I have been using the floating type lights for the past 15 years and Coleman lanterns before that with good success. Now I am ready to start using a submerible with a floating light and got lucky this past winter by purchasing a Night Blaster on clearance for $6.50. I could not beat that price or I would have bought a starfire II. Well thanks for the advance notice about Having to hold it under water to allow the air to escape so it will sink.

  6. #6
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    May 2006
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    Trouble seeing floats ebay has 1.5" chemical lights you can get 100 for 12.99 dollars, and a bag of rubber bands at wally world attach to floats stem works great,i have 2 night blasters,white and also 2 green tube lights from BPS the 15 dollar ones and they do great. i can't afford 129 for lights

  7. #7
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    I used the foaters, but I like the starfire II. You can get them at Walmart pretty cheap and they work good.

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