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Obscure Adventures Magazine
provide enough light to shoot fish by. However, I find their range to be limited, meaning that fish away from the boat may be missed except in the clearest water. Still, the option to run silently is very appealing to bowfishers that frequent populated lakes, or just want to avoid the constant noise of a generator.
may be the case, my experience is that floating solids (mud) reflects nearly all lights equally, limiting visibility. However, yellow-tinted lights (warm colors) are easier on my eyes and I can fish comfortably for longer periods without the glare I experience under bright white lights (cool colors).
I consider high wattage LEDs to be 50W or greater. Newer offerings come in 80W, 100W, and even higher wattages, but the prices start to rise considerably. The forecast for LEDs technology points to even greater efficiency over time, but right now a 50W LED produces a higher Lumen/Watt rating than any other light style (100 L/W @ 50W)
These lights can be purchased with a 12/24V DC input, allowing them to run directly off of a deep cycle battery, or an 110V AC input for running directly off a generator. Options to run either light in the alternate manner can be accomplished by using converters, or inverters. See the feature article in our April, 2015 issue for more information on converters and inverters.
After LEDs, there are 2 more light options that attract bowfishers. The first being Metal Halide lights. Metal Halide (MH) uses a bulb filled with mercury vapors and other chemicals compounds. When the compounds in the bulbs are excited by an electrical charge they start to glow. The light
halogen lights, producing 65-100 lumens per watt. Popular wattages for MH lights run from 150W – 400W and these lights require 110V AC power.
Ballasts
When current is introduced to this style of light it needs to be regulated, or the light itself could continue to draw increasing amounts of power until the light burns out, or the power supply fails. To prevent this, an electrical ballast is used to regulate current during start-up, as well as while the light is running.
Ballasts come in a few different forms. Magnetic ballasts are typically heavy and often are included in the housing if the lights are repurposed from a commercial application, like parking lot lighting. The ballasts can be removed from these housings and the wires extended to allow them to be placed in a remote location helping to remove weight from the front of the deck. Once removed, many fish-ermen elect to have custom light housings made to reduce the footprint of the light on the deck.
Another form of ballast, the electronic ballast, is significantly lighter than the magnetic ballast. Often these ballasts also have the capability to run at different current levels, allowing for more effec-tive power management, however light intensity will drop at lower power levels. Most fishermen that run lights that require ballasts ultimately move toward the electronic ballast.
The final lighting option, and arguably the most popular, is the High Pressure Sodium light (HPS). These lights are the most efficient of the group in regards to Lumens (L) per Watt (W) at higher wattages (106 L/W @ 150W and 127 L/W @ 400W). Additionally, the warm color of these lights is favored by many fishermen. Many bowfishers that use these lights swear that they work better in stained, muddy waters better than any other light.
Similar to MH lights, it is necessary to use ballasts to start and run these lights and the popular wattages of 150W to 400W are most commonly used. In addition to great light output, MH and HPS lights also claim long bulb life.
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Let’s get back to the big 3 questions that we started with now that you have an understanding of the types of lights that can be employed.
Higher wattage LEDs offer significant improve-ments in coverage and the added benefit of variable coloration. Certain light colors are perceived to penetrate the water better than others, and while this may be the case, my experience is that floating solids (mud) reflects nearly all lights equally, limiting visibility.
emitted can range in color depending on the mix of chemical compounds in the bulb, but by far the most popular colors are in the cool color ranges, producing a bright white light.
MH lights are very efficient compared to
27W LED Floodlight
Magnetic Ballast
Digital Ballast with multiple voltage settings
Metal Halide Bulb