# How do you see rod tip in the dark??



## roostertail (Jul 7, 2012)

What do you all use to see your rod tip when night fishing with spiked rods? I think the little clip on light sticks would work but I think they are overpriced when you can get 5 light sticks at wally in the halloween section for .99. I just scotch tape them on the back of my rod tip. More ideas?


----------



## surfchunker (Apr 10, 2006)

I listen for the clicker to go off


----------



## AbuMike (Sep 3, 2007)

2" chemstick...


----------



## Fishbreath (Nov 11, 2004)

Those 2" chem sticks are good but IMHO a much cheaper and longer lasting option are those thin glow sticks that attach at each end that the kids get at parties. You can buy those at the dollar store and get a whole tube of those things for like $2. The nice thing about them is, they're thin, are long, have a long life, and can easily be taped to the end of the rod using electrical tape without interfering with either the rod tip action nor the line flow through the tip


----------



## AbuMike (Sep 3, 2007)

Nm.....


----------



## Nearly 50 Phil (Oct 20, 2012)

You have several choice here, both with their own pro's and cons.

1, Chemical lights, or Cyalumes, are not too bad but they seeem to go a bit dull when it gets too cold at night. Advantage is that their very cheap....a couple of cents each.

2, Tritium Isotopes. Lasts for literally years at a resonable price. About $15 a pop, but their not as bright as a chem light.

3, Delta tip lights. Battery powered and a couple of dollars each, they tend to be a bit bulky but the batteries are replaceable. 

4, Glowbugs...........Again battery powered tiplights made by delta. lower profile that the delta and alot less bulky. Battery is not replaceable,b but last for many hours.

5, and finally probably the best stuff in the world................."mightybright" tip tape. Extremely reflective tape that you apply to the rod tip. very efficient but you need a head torch.





Don't know where you'd get these in the US.........try looking on the UK version of ebay.


----------



## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

AbuMike said:


> 2" chemstick...


Yup or those litlle bell things...........


----------



## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

RuddeDogg said:


> Yup or those litlle bell things...........


 No man,not the "bell thingies"... Those things drive me crazy,especially on the planks with the winds here in Hatteras...


----------



## surfchunker (Apr 10, 2006)

I've never been able to hear the bells ... plus nothing like the sound of that clicker screaming on a run


----------



## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Take a glowstick and tie onto clothes pin. Clip clothsepin on to line and will fall of when it hits the rod tip


----------



## roostertail (Jul 7, 2012)

Fishbreath those are the same ones im talkin bout in the halloween crap at wally. You can get 5 for .99. Just sucks to pay 4 bucks for 3 of the little tiny ones you buy at the fishin stuff. Somebodys makin money. And you cant really listen for the clicker when your fishin for pomps or sea mullet.... Drum or Striper yes.


----------



## surfchunker (Apr 10, 2006)

pomps usually don't bite in the dark, they are sight feeders


----------



## Oldmulletbreath (Jan 7, 2006)

Hold your rod, I want to feel the bite........... "It's all about the pickup"


----------



## roostertail (Jul 7, 2012)

Yeah I havent actually caught a pomp at night. Plenty of sea mullet tho.


----------



## BreakTime (Sep 9, 2012)

Another vote for the cheapo glow sticks. Tape them to the back of the rod so they don't interfere with the line.


----------



## Ryan Y (Dec 1, 2005)

If conventional, while rod is spiked, put the glow sticks on your reel and wind it up a few turns. When the drum runs, the glowstick will go flying in the air. Youll see it from 100 feet away. If you arent paying attention and see glowsticks on the ground, you know something is up.


----------



## 9 rock (Nov 30, 2008)

roostertail said:


> What do you all use to see your rod tip when night fishing with spiked rods? I think the little clip on light sticks would work but I think they are overpriced when you can get 5 light sticks at wally in the halloween section for .99. I just scotch tape them on the back of my rod tip. More ideas?


I like the glow sticks also last night I used the ones that make bracelets nice and long and I dont get hypnotized watching them 5 for a $1


9


----------



## Fishbreath (Nov 11, 2004)

Ryan Y said:


> If conventional, while rod is spiked, put the glow sticks on your reel and wind it up a few turns. When the drum runs, the glowstick will go flying in the air. Youll see it from 100 feet away. If you arent paying attention and see glowsticks on the ground, you know something is up.


Interesting approach Ryan. May have to try that.


----------



## surffshr (Dec 8, 2003)

mostly I let the tip get siloueted aganist the sky. Then check every so often with flashlight.
does OK uunless it's very cloudy and pitch black out.


----------



## RuddeDogg (Mar 20, 2004)

Drumdum said:


> No man,not the "bell thingies"... Those things drive me crazy,especially on the planks with the winds here in Hatteras...


LOL I don't use then either, although I have them in my bag. Got em as a gift one time. Reflective tape work well to.


----------



## gilly21 (Feb 15, 2006)

Fishbreath said:


> Interesting approach Ryan. May have to try that.


I can tell you that it is as exciting of a strike you will see on the sand. On a good run the glow stick flies 20 ft in the air and just flutters down. Best thing is nothing to worry about getting int he way on the cast or the fight.


----------



## KevinImX0 (Dec 25, 2011)

Oldmulletbreath said:


> Hold your rod, I want to feel the bite........... "It's all about the pickup"


yea maybe if your fishing for spot fish... or bait fish... here, nobody wants to hold a 12 foot rod all night... And what, you wanna go and hold all 3? or however many your using...


----------



## KevinImX0 (Dec 25, 2011)

RuddeDogg said:


> LOL I don't use then either, although I have them in my bag. Got em as a gift one time. Reflective tape work well to.


Bells are beast... well as long as its not windy and the waves aren't rowdy. You can just have such a nice time not worrying about anything just prepping or doing w/e to make the trip more enjoyable. Don't have to cock your head up all the time either. You can just wait and listen. 

like i said for bait fish, id hold. But the big rods are meant for big fish. And bluefish/red drum/striped bass... they'll jingle when they nibble. 

Only downside is taking the bells on and off, but its not too bad, just clip it to your pant pocket or if your T shirt/polo has a pen pocket or w/e that pockets called.

Other than bells, most of time i just see those glow stick. I saw one man, he painted about 2 feet on the tip of his rod with white. I asked him and he just taped it off for a nice clean edge and spray painted the whole tip. But it wasn't a regular white.. some kinda special paint... The white looked like the sun reflecting off the ocean. And it wasn't reflective tape. no way would tape look so clean, i woulda saw the tape spiral around, and he woulda missed the rod guide. ( it was a pier, so there was lights, idk how it would work without lights )


----------



## Thrifty Angler (May 5, 2002)

I like holding the rod. Nothing like feeling that first vibration to let me know something good is about to happen. It lets me know just when I need to take a tighter grip so I can control it and not have it go all over the place in case it turns out to be a big one. 
I'll have to try putting a glow stick on one when there's low light. Would make the reaction more visual for sure. I'm thinking velcro tape or rubber bands. Don't think fumbling with rubber bands in the dark would be best. Velcro might take a bit to get it off when it's time to put the rod away though. Not sure...probably will consider that Postal double stick tape. Well...that stuff has super grip power.....might have to leave the strips on til the rod gets washed.


----------



## DrumDum1986 (Oct 14, 2012)

Go to teamcatfish.com and pick up the Glow-Wraps, it is a super bright glow in the dark tape that wraps around your rod and works excellent. Also they are good for a long time and not just a one time use!!


----------



## roostertail (Jul 7, 2012)

If you could get a uv flashlight just shine the uv light on the glow part for less than a second and it would be recharged and glowing brightly! uv lights are magic on glow in the dark stuff. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-of-3-9-...8585891?pt=US_Flashlights&hash=item4d06530523 Also scotch tape works great for taping on glowsticks. I cant see rubber bands or velcro staying on with a good cast. Just tape a few rounds at the top and bottom of the glowstick and your set. The flourescent green is the brightest imo.


----------



## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Drumdum said:


> No man,not the "bell thingies"... Those things drive me crazy,especially on the planks with the winds here in Hatteras...


I HEAR THE BELLS! THEY WONT STOP THERE IN MY HEAD ITS THE BELSS AGAIN! 


surfchunker said:


> pomps usually don't bite in the dark, they are sight feeders


My little cousin was tryin tho catch me some shark bait one night on the end of the pier and started slayin 3/4 to 1lb pomps on one of them green beaded sea strikers lol


----------



## Oldmulletbreath (Jan 7, 2006)

You are obviously not a drum fisherman. Operator Error!!!


----------



## Oldmulletbreath (Jan 7, 2006)

KevinImX0 said:


> yea maybe if your fishing for spot fish... or bait fish... here, nobody wants to hold a 12 foot rod all night... And what, you wanna go and hold all 3? or however many your using...


You are obviously not a drum fisherman, and why would you be fishing a 12 foot rod for baitfish?


----------



## dres79 (Sep 10, 2010)

I use http://www.fishermansheadquarters.com/tt_breakaway_rod-tip-light.htm

Red LED tip lights


----------



## Tacpayne (Dec 20, 2008)

gilly21 said:


> I can tell you that it is as exciting of a strike you will see on the sand. On a good run the glow stick flies 20 ft in the air and just flutters down. Best thing is nothing to worry about getting int he way on the cast or the fight.


This is true, nothing like seeing them go flying


----------



## hifu (Aug 3, 2006)

dres79 said:


> I use http://www.fishermansheadquarters.com/tt_breakaway_rod-tip-light.htm
> 
> Red LED tip lights


 red eyes, these work great and can be used over and over. A lot of night fisherman will glue the base to the rod....


----------



## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Oldmulletbreath said:


> You are obviously not a drum fisherman, and why would you be fishing a 12 foot rod for baitfish?


Well seing as i use some pretty big fish/rays for bait And drum fishin on the beach, holdin the rod is best


----------



## Oldmulletbreath (Jan 7, 2006)

NC KingFisher said:


> Well seing as i use some pretty big fish/rays for bait And drum fishin on the beach, holdin the rod is best


Pretty sure you aren't using a 3 foot shock leader


----------



## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Oldmulletbreath said:


> Pretty sure you aren't using a 3 foot shock leader


Yeah its more like a 3ft bite leader and a 20ft or so shock lol


----------



## Oldmulletbreath (Jan 7, 2006)

NC KingFisher said:


> Yeah its more like a 3ft bite leader and a 20ft or so shock lol


Kids, but they are learning ...... we hope


----------



## FishingFreak (Sep 17, 2012)

I clip a glowing bobber onto my line and let it slouch a little bit, when there is something on the line it pulls the bobber up and closer to the pole... been fishing moving water like that for years.

Matt


----------



## chest2head&glassy (Jul 2, 2002)

Growing up fishing the Pax river (MD) at night for chopper blues (yeah, back when there were chopper blues up there), we would wrap a few strands of reflective tape on the end of the rods. One lantern would easily reflect the entire row of rods. Also, this was reflective tape used to make road signs for VDOT and were highly visible even in low light conditions.


----------



## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Oldmulletbreath said:


> Kids, but they are learning ...... we hope


What is that supposed to mean? The 20ft shock is for the pylons and its usually heavy braid....


----------



## castingsfun (May 28, 2010)

Glow in the dark solid yellow caution tape from the corner hardware store. On A cloudy night the tip reflects off of the grey clouds. On A clear night it's pitch black and I see nothing but an occasional shooting star


----------



## Manlystanley (Sep 22, 2010)

Here's a nice 100 pack. About 10 cents each: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Glow-Sticks-100-Pack-Assorted-Neon-Colors/11061468


----------



## Drumdum (Jan 6, 2003)

NC KingFisher said:


> What is that supposed to mean? The 20ft shock is for the pylons and its usually heavy braid....


 Not knocking braid as shocker,but imho heavy mono is more abrassion resistant to pilings... Just a thought.... 

Oh,and pleeaaasssee tell me you are NOT one of those "bell ringers"....


----------



## NC KingFisher (Nov 20, 2011)

Drumdum said:


> Not knocking braid as shocker,but imho heavy mono is more abrassion resistant to pilings... Just a thought....
> 
> Oh,and pleeaaasssee tell me you are NOT one of those "bell ringers"....


Naw im a clicker buzzer. Like i said...THE BELLS NOT THE BELLS ITS THE BELLS THERE IN MY HEAD! I honestly dont know why but for me if a fish takes my 60-80lb mono in the pylons.......slack. Braid....PULL HARDER U CAN GET EM OUT And im goin to even longer shock leaders know, so i can really hammer them big rays and try and haul em off the bottom


----------



## jlentz (Sep 11, 2005)

Glow powder that is used in concrete can be mixed with some rod finish and applied to the tips and works very well. Glows bright for a very long time and is especially visible using a UV light. It is also available as a water or solvent based paint. Another angler showed me this stuff and it works very well. No fumbling with a light or glow stick to put on and off the rod. Just hit it with some light and it glows bright for a looooooong time.

http://glowinc.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=3

John


----------



## surffshr (Dec 8, 2003)

jlentz said:


> Glow powder that is used in concrete can be mixed with some rod finish and applied to the tips and works very well. Glows bright for a very long time and is especially visible using a UV light. It is also available as a water or solvent based paint. Another angler showed me this stuff and it works very well. No fumbling with a light or glow stick to put on and off the rod. Just hit it with some light and it glows bright for a looooooong time.
> 
> http://glowinc.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=3
> 
> John


Is the rod finish a better way to go than their pre-mixed paint?


----------

