# Homemade Crappie Light



## meats52

I hope it's ok to post these pictures here. It's not a fishing report but I did use it last night on Mosquito for fishing. Doboy told me about one he made so I told him I would post some pictures of the one that I made. Everything I used I had in my garage except for the alligator clips that cost $2.99. One old headlight from my truck, one floodlight clamp on fixture that I removed the fixture from, one piece of old extension cord, one piece of old three quarter inch plastic conduit, and a few nylon zip ties that I had bought at Harbor Freight 4 or 5 years ago. I think when I bought them they were 99 cents for 100 of them. I have 4 Down East rod holders that we use when we troll and the 3/4" pipe fit in one of them pretty good. Toughest part was getting the rectangular headlight to stay in the round fixture but a few nylon zip ties did the job. Its not pretty but it did work great.


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## Crappietrace

Nice light. 
How does the light help you when fishing?


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## snag

Crappietrace said:


> Nice light.
> 
> How does the light help you when fishing?



The light draws in minnows then crappie come from below and feed, they do work good a nice set up meats nothing in the water to tangle your baits or lures. We did that at l due and w branch yrs ago and did real good, even got a small musky at wb jigging a spoon under lights at about 1 am...


Sent from my iPhone using Ohub Campfire


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## Pooch

I made one a while back out of a tractor headlight and fit it to a piece of styrofoam. Floats. Seen one pre packaged at store and was like why the hell didn't I think of that. Also with the light down in the water and not hanging it helps a little with your "night vision".


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## BIGEYURK25

Actually at mosquito right now!! Where is the best spot for these lights on the lake?? At the bridge now and no minnows yet and it's been an hour....


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## meats52

BIGEYURK25 said:


> Actually at mosquito right now!! Where is the best spot for these lights on the lake?? At the bridge now and no minnows yet and it's been an hour....


 We fished the south end last night out from Imagine Station. We probably had 4 or 5 dozen minnows under the light but the crappie didn't seem to be there. Only caught 1 keeper.


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## Pooch

If your at the sunken bridge, slide south and west toward the island. Don't get on the west side of it though, the weeds are heavy to the surface. Get on the weed edge. Was there two nights ago. Not bad spot.


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## trapperjon

BIGEYURK25 said:


> Actually at mosquito right now!! Where is the best spot for these lights on the lake?? At the bridge now and no minnows yet and it's been an hour....


How long did your battery last?


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## BIGEYURK25

trapperjon said:


> How long did your battery last?



Well we started at 10 and ended at 1:30. The rain moved in..... Doesnt matter much anyway, not a single bite.


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## Daduru

Did the state regulations change on using lights to attract fish?


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## BIGEYURK25

Not that I know of.


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## Pooch

Just went through fishing regs and could not find anything about using/not using light for an attractor. Please post if you find otherwise.


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## RJohnson442

Lights and lighted bobbers are legal to use in ohio. Lighted jug fishing is also legal.

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## freyedknot

you can get a regular 12 volt light bulb for that in the camping dept at most stores . made for campers. little cheaper than the light you are using.


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## meats52

freyedknot said:


> you can get a regular 12 volt light bulb for that in the camping dept at most stores . made for campers. little cheaper than the light you are using.


 Thanks freyedknot I didn't know that. I used the headlight because it was just sitting in my garage.


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## Snyd

I bought a submerged light about 7 years ago. I have only used it a handful of times but they do work. That is awesome that you built your own.


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## meats52

Snyd said:


> I bought a submerged light about 7 years ago. I have only used it a handful of times but they do work. That is awesome that you built your own.


 My buddy and I are going to build a couple of submersible lights. He ordered a 6ft strip of green waterproof LED lights. That's enough to make 2 lights. I'll post some pictures when they're done.


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## papaperch

I admire people that want to build their own anything. But I went with store bought Green Magnet ) light for my night fishing purposes. My cousin built several home made jobs with the LED lights. They were never as light or as bright as the GM light. It lights up about a 16 foot radius which is as big as my boat. It will stay bright all night on a 16 amp/hr battery. I have had the light for 8 years now and no problems yet.


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## meats52

That is a nice light. What are the fish that are around it? The one I use now brings the minnows in but those fish look bigger than minnows. Are they shad?


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## papaperch

Correct meat they are shad, Originally I was trying to get a pic of almost a pet Bullhead that night. Biggest bullhead I ever saw. Set up camp right under the boat and fed heavily the entire nite. Every time I had the camera ready he was out of the light. Crappies and Walleye kept me busy most of the night also. Minnows stayed under the shad. between minnows , shad and fish my Humminbird was pretty useless the whole night. Entire screen was full. Forgot to mention the light is 4 foot long.


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## meats52

That light sure does light up the water. Did you buy it at a local store or over the internet?


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## BIGEYURK25

Is that at mosquito??


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## papaperch

Bought on the internet never seen locally.

Lake was Berlin on an early Fall night.


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## meats52

Thanks papaperch. If the new lights we're making don't work like we want them to I might have to get one of those lights.


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## Fishingisfun

Interesting posts just in time needed information. I'm looking at various manufactured lights but reading the reviews has me rethinking buying one of the self contained units that seems to have a problems leaking. I do like the idea of a self contained units so it does not need to be tethered to the boat. Thinking about a do it myself project using a water proof storage box. Post some pictures of your do it yourself lights. Thanks for posting.


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## meats52

Fishingisfun said:


> Interesting posts just in time needed information. I'm looking at various manufactured lights but reading the reviews has me rethinking buying one of the self contained units that seems to have a problems leaking. I do like the idea of a self contained units so it does not need to be tethered to the boat. Thinking about a do it myself project using a water proof storage box. Post some pictures of your do it yourself lights. Thanks for posting.


 My buddy saw a video on You Tube on how to make a submersible light so he ordered a strip of waterproof green LED lights and some clear rigid tubing. Everything else he got at home depot. We put everything together with marine adhesive and marine sealer that he already had from when he replaced the transom in his boat. We used extension cord that I had in my garage. Cost was about $35 and it made 2 lights. I'm not sure what you can buy them for but we're both retired so it gave us something to do besides fishing. The sinkers we used were ones that I poured and we put them on a old shower curtain holder. We still have to test them out.


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## Skippy

I bet that light will really work for you. The cost of 35 dollars and parts laying around the garage can't be beat. 
What diameter pipe is that and is there any way you could of slid a piece of rebar down the tube the lights are on or in-cased the weights in your end cap? I know this is your first one but my pea brain is already working. I'm retired also and always messing around with fishing stuff.


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## meats52

Skippy said:


> I bet that light will really work for you. The cost of 35 dollars and parts laying around the garage can't be beat.
> What diameter pipe is that and is there any way you could of slid a piece of rebar down the tube the lights are on or in-cased the weights in your end cap? I know this is your first one but my pea brain is already working. I'm retired also and always messing around with fishing stuff.


 The clear pipe is 2". I didn't think about using rebar that's a good idea. The lights have a sticky back on them and we used 1" pipe to stick them on then put it in the 2" pipe. The inside of the 1' pipe is 3/4" and a piece of rebar would have fit inside. That would be a better idea then I wouldn't need the sinkers. The sinkers would have fit inside the 1" pipe too wish I would have thought about that. Thanks for the tip I'll remember that if I make another one. This is one of the reasons I joined OGF because there are a lot of good ideas here.


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## BIGEYURK25

Has anyone tried them out recently at any of the lakes in the area?


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## meats52

BIGEYURK25 said:


> Has anyone tried them out recently at any of the lakes in the area?


 We're going to try out the new light Friday at Mosquito. I hope we do better than our 2 previous night trips which we only caught 2 crappie total and one wasn't even a keeper. We don't have a problem catching fish in the daytime on Mosquito I don't know why we can't get them at night.


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## BIGEYURK25

Any chance we can get an update when ur done?


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## meats52

BIGEYURK25 said:


> Any chance we can get an update when ur done?


 I'll post how we do whether it's good or bad.


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## BIGEYURK25

Sounds good!!


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## meats52

The light worked good. We caught some fish but we still haven't quite figured out the night bite.


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## Doboy

Thanks a ton Meats & Papaperch!

I have to make a couple more lights for night *shrimping & crabing* the NC OBX, & your inputs will greatly help me decide. 
(go youtube 'NC OBX night shrimping'!)
I'll look for that GreenMagnet with the 16'r!

Meats, I think I gave you my number? 
We'll have to talk,,, I have some more Mosquito spots for you to check out, with those lights..


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## Doboy

Hey Meats,,, what was the address of that youtube 'make-it' vid?

My son is an electrical engineer,,, he told me to get a LED headlight bulb off an import, at a junk yard??? But I'm concerned about HEAT & cracking.?

I came up with these ebay lights, to COPY. 
That Green Magnet is way too expensive for me!

[ame="http://www.ebay.com/itm/12V-LED-Green-Underwater-Fishing-Light-Lamp-Fishing-Boat-Light-Night-Fishing/181340618671?_trksid=p2047675.c100009.m1982&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D24192%26meid%3D2fdb45e65b2a455890628feafe9d3780%26pid%3D100009%26prg%3D10284%26rk%3D7%26rkt%3D10%26sd%3D281297845821"]12V LED Green Underwater Fishing Light Lamp Fishing Boat Light Night Fishing | eBay[/ame]

[ame="http://www.ebay.com/itm/FLL712UV-OPTRONICS-COMBINATION-GREEN-UV-LED-FLOATING-FISHING-LIGHT/271562108694?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D24192%26meid%3Df5133b8e20444c4f8b772b96e418e048%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D10284%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D181340618671&rt=nc"]FLL712UV OPTRONICS COMBINATION GREEN/UV LED FLOATING FISHING LIGHT[/ame]


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## meats52

Doboy said:


> Hey Meats,,, what was the address of that youtube 'make-it' vid?
> 
> My son is an electrical engineer,,, he told me to get a LED headlight bulb off an import, at a junk yard??? But I'm concerned about HEAT & cracking.?
> 
> I came up with these ebay lights, to COPY.
> That Green Magnet is way too expensive for me!
> 
> 12V LED Green Underwater Fishing Light Lamp Fishing Boat Light Night Fishing | eBay
> 
> FLL712UV OPTRONICS COMBINATION GREEN/UV LED FLOATING FISHING LIGHT


[ame]http://youtu.be/8idZ-UgJFtk[/ame]
Hey Doboy here's the You Tube video on how to make the light. The cheapest I found the Green Magnet was $130 plus $13.65 shipping. Definitely too expensive for me too. I have your number and I'll send you a pm with my cell number. My wife got rid of our home phone 6 years ago.


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## Swervage

Hell yeah good idea.&#65279;


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