Need Headlights for my boat?

[TomC]

Other than using a handheld q-beam are there any good lights that can be mounted on the front of my triton 190fs to help me navigate at night. I'd love to be able to see where I'm actually going at night? I've heard Golight makes some good lights but any input would be appreciated! Got the urge to start doing a little night fishing and my comfort level on the lake at night aint exactly stellar.


Tom

[GABoy]

Hey Tom -

What about getting some sort of a small adjustable clamp and buying two of those 3 million candle Q-beams for $ 25 each.....adjust them to where you want them and plug them in....not to mention you can always take them off when you aren't night fishing and you won't have them in your way.

You can buy a set of clips that you connect to your battery and converts it into a cigarette lighter outlet, which you can then plug your Q-beam into....i don't think there is a better set of lights than a 3 million candle floodlight...hee hee.....and you can alway loosen the clamp and take it out if you have a need to look around with it....the only thing you will have to figure out is the right type of clamp to mount in the boat, which should be too difficult. Just a suggestion.

Other than using a handheld q-beam are there any good lights that can be mounted on the front of my triton 190fs to help me navigate at night. I'd love to be able to see where I'm actually going at night? I've heard Golight makes some good lights but any input would be appreciated! Got the urge to start doing a little night fishing and my comfort level on the lake at night aint exactly stellar.


Tom

[Big Zig]

Got the urge to start doing a little night fishing and my comfort level on the lake at night aint exactly stellar.

Adding "driving lights" may make things worse for you. How well do you know the body of water in the daytime?
GPS or a compass are other options.

[Barnacle Bill]

How about a pair of those hologen driving lights from you local auto parts store or even Wally world? They can be mounted and give off a lot of light. Plus they are water proof.

[TomC]

Thanks and I think I'll look into figuring out some way to rig a high powered q-beam on some sort of a mount as I have a 12volt outlet in my console? I've got a good sonar/gps unit in my console and I'm not looking to go flying around the lake after dark and as a matter of fact I'm really not looking go much above idle speed.......I just want to be able to see whats in front of me and more importantly that someone else coming my way sees me. On a good moonlit night its fairly easy to ease you way around but on a dark cloud covered night its a little bit of a different story. My dealer is insalling a blinker trim switch and hot foot on friday so I'll see if he has any ideas on how best to mount a qbeam. Thanks!

Tom

[Crapbie]

Check out basspro and cabelas. Many remote controlled lights built specific for your kind of application. I'd rather buy something I know is ment for the boat to do what I want. If you want a mounted light I would not get a hand held unless it comes with a very very good clip unless you want it flying overboard one night.

[Moose1am]

How about getting some of those 12 volt spotlights and run them off a battery. They should not use so many watts and they may last longer than those 3 million candle power spot lights. Might get one of them bright spot lights and shine it way up ahead where the 12 volt lights don't reach. But you only really need to see so far out in front unless you want to get your bearing from things on the shore miles away. Usually on a lot of lakes there are corp lights along the shoreline or TV or Radio Towers.


And someone else mentioned using GPS to navigate the water at night. That works but it WILL NOT show you a boat that is parked out on the water or any logs floating along the river.

Thanks and I think I'll look into figuring out some way to rig a high powered q-beam on some sort of a mount as I have a 12volt outlet in my console? I've got a good sonar/gps unit in my console and I'm not looking to go flying around the lake after dark and as a matter of fact I'm really not looking go much above idle speed.......I just want to be able to see whats in front of me and more importantly that someone else coming my way sees me. On a good moonlit night its fairly easy to ease you way around but on a dark cloud covered night its a little bit of a different story. My dealer is insalling a blinker trim switch and hot foot on friday so I'll see if he has any ideas on how best to mount a qbeam. Thanks!

Tom

[fiddlefarter]

Stan Sloans Zorro lights are what I have on the front of my rig. They're bright as hell, but if there is a slight fog on the water them and any lights are useless. Sometimes it's even better to flip off the main boat lights although I don't advocate running far in all black.
here's a link
http://stansloanzorrobaitco.com/headlights.php

The lights are very good for locating bouys so you don't hit them. I knew a guy that threw his son into the front of the boat which knocked out his teeth and broke his jaw by hitting a big 'ol green bouy. I usually just run. Slow, WAO, it don't matter I know where I am and where I'm going most times. I used to fish tournaments with a guy that had a Stratos 201 with a 225ho we would hit 70+ on the money run at the end of the night sometimes and he was blind as a bat. He would stare at the GPS screen and tell me to look for any thing floating (boat, bouy, oak tree, telephone pole, hay bale. etc.) And I've seen all those floating after a good rain. We about hit the telephone pole long ways one night. That woulda left a mark.
Those are good lights tho. And I think the new ones may be a little smaller than mine.
Heres a pic of mine mounted.

[unknown 5]

I love to night fish. In the winter I am a coonhunter and when I fish at night in the summer, I use my coonhunting light which straps on my side and has the head mounted on my cap. So, everywhere I look, there is light. I can turn it on high beam and it is brighter than a car headlight and will light up everything in front of you for a long ways. I put it on low and have a red lens cap to keep the bugs away in the summer and see everything in the boat. I paid over $300 for my coonhunting light but you can buy an adequate light and head at www.huntsmart.com for around $100. I personally wouldn't use anything else. They are rechargable and there are 100 uses besides hunting and fishing.

[TomC]

thanks again and I've got some good options to consider. Fiddlefarter I know it wasnt meant to be funny but I just laughed my arse off reading your post about you and your buddy. I could just envision the two of you flying down the lake at night with your hand trying to block the wind from your eyes looking for obstacles while your buddies face was glued to the gps since he was blind as a bat anyway. Oh that was a good laugh!

Tom