Headlight or hand held spot light?

[supertech1979]

Hey All,

I’m looking to consider mounting a headlight on my 2012 Ranger 178c aluminum boat or use a handheld spot light. I’ll be crappie fishing at night and that’s why I ask. Thanks in advance.

[Lund]

As a reminder, headlights on the water blind other boaters and you will have let your eyes readjust when you turn it off.
I normally can see especially with the moon out without the need of a light but have used a headlamp.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[CrappiePappy]

If you're going to use it to navigate at night, just remember that it's illegal to keep the light on at all times. Supposedly, that's to keep from blinding the driver of any oncoming boat (but I think it was pushed by nighttime Bass anglers that were tired of being spotlighted, giving up their honeyhole banks/spots or spooking the fish on that bank. )

I've had/used both, mounted & hand-held, and prefer hand-held ... so that I can sweep the water in front of me when there's floating trash & trees (stumps/limbs) and I have to make a quick decision as to whether to cut left or cut right or shut'er down. Back when I fished at night, it was mostly at Herrington and usually on a weekend night. There were always Bass tourneys going on & boats running up and down the lake all night, but their spotlights didn't really bother me while running or while fishing.

[BAMA S]

Headlamps work well for tying on and taking fish off the hook. Hands free. Some of them are powerful enough for spotlight navigating as well.

[BuckeyeCrappie]

I carry my 20v Dewalt handheld on the boat for emergencies although we don’t night fish.

[Les Young]

I run a pair of 130 halogen seal beam aircraft landing lights. There were 2 on my old boat when i bought it but on another new one i bought i mounted one of the same ones on the trolling motor & it was plenty. I do turn them off if meeting another boat & my light will bother them. I fish Cumberland a lot at night & from spring when i usually striper fish at night until around the first part of July it can be very dangerous with huge trees floating everywhere. I have been pulled over once by a fish & wildlife officer & was told " Buddy you've got the brightest dang headlights i've ever saw on a boat. He also said he wasn't a **** about them like a lot of wardens & totally understood why we ran lights on boats. You can get by with one easily no problem. I also run them off & on when the lakes clear of trash instead of constantly.

[GreenLine]

I have a mounted light on my boat and use a hand held . If I meet a boat I kill the big light, slow down and use the hand held if needed, keeping it pointed away from the on coming boat.


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com