Although our largest group of high volume purchasers are tackle
manufacturers, our experts at Glow Inc. are not avid fisherman. In fact, most
of them would run at the sight of a worm.
 But our bait-loving customers report great success with glow in the dark
fishing lures. To our surprise, they even claim that the fish prefer the glow
lures during the day.
Fish tale?...Possibly.
Quick Glow in the Dark Fishing Tackle
Although we supply pigment to many lure manufacturers, you do not need to buy
off-the-shelf glow in the dark tackle. We suggest you simply take a store
purchased spoon or lure and dip it in Ultra Green Glow in the Dark Paint. You
will need at least a 1/2 pint can for this to work. Then hang it to dry for 20
minutes. When dry, coat it with Krylon Crystal Clear Spray paint. Now go
fishing and enjoy yourself.
Professional Glow in the Dark Spoons
Manufacturers use airbrushes and masking to paint spoons. Proper airbrush
techniques can give you the ability to apply a smooth consistent surface with
impressive fading effects. For tips on using an airbrush, consult our painting
techniques section. Also remember to use a sealer.
Professional Glow in the Dark Lures
If you mold your own lures, you can add up to 10% of glow in the dark pigment
(powder) directly to the medium before filling the mold. This makes a lure that
glows from the inside and does not usually need a sealer.
Night Fishing with Glow in the Dark Paint by Rodney Long
When I received my bottles of Ultra Green Glow paint, I was really excited to
try it on my fishing gear. I wanted to see how much this stuff would make night
fishing easier.
I am impressed. This stuff really works and now I'm going to tell you how to
make your night fishing more productive.
The premixed glow paint can be
brushed or sprayed. An airbrush is the best way to get an even coat of paint
onto your tackle. But since most fishermen will not have access to an air brush,
this article will cover brush painting. If you are lucky enough to have an
airbrush, read the airbrush page on the Glow Inc. website.
The thicker you
apply the paint, the brighter and more effective it will be. That being said, a
light thin coat still does quite well.
Some of Glow Inc.’s products are waterproof and do not need an additional
coat. Others like the Ultra Green I used for my testing require a clear sealer
to protect them from moisture. I found that Krylon Crystal Clear spray paint as
recommended by Glow Inc. is the best solution. It is readily available at any
Wal-Mart or Home Depot for approximately $3. For fishing applications, I like to
add 3 coats of this sealer.
One of the biggest problems with night fishing is seeing your rod tips. Even
good lighting and brightly colored rods are a bit tough to see. The glow paint
helps out here a lot. But, I just could not bring myself to paint the end of
$200 fishing rods. A great solution is to use a coffee stirrer or drinking
straw, depending on the diameter of your tip. You cut the straw to a length of
about 2 inches and then cut a slit up one side. Paint the straw with a thick
coat of glow paint and sealer. Then slip it onto your rod. In fact, I personally
paint the straw after I have it on the rod because it looses some flexibility
after a thick coat of paint.
This works very well to let you watch your tips. But you still have to
directly watch them. I am lazy, which is what they say about all inventors. So,
I developed a way to have the rod notify me when fish are biting. I went to the
local craft store and bought tiny cowbells. Some have mentioned they like using
the ones they sell for fishing, but I don’t prefer them. Paint your bells with
your glow paint and sealer. Then attach them to the rod tip using a paper clip
letting the bell hang loosely.
Many people fish with floats at night. Paint the top of your floats with a
bit of Ultra Green and the sealer to make them visible.
When fishing at night or in deep stained water, you can use glow beads or
glow lures to bring attention to your bait. Glow beads can be made from a 1/4”
standard craft store beads painted with the glow paint. One or more of these
beads can be threaded onto your line just above your hook. When painting the
beads, we suggest that you string them on a line to keep the holes open.
I know they sell molded “glow beads”, but these are about 1/10 as bright as
beads painted with the Ultra Green glow paint. A single glow bead in front of
any lure or bait can really increase the number of fish caught at night.
Some have mentioned painting the glow weights. My experience is that the bead
method allows you to get the “glow” closer to the hook. The glow paint is also
much more durable on a bead than on a weight. Since the Ultra Green Glow paint
puts out the same color as natural glowing deep water animals, it does not spook
the fish in the least.
The final piece of advice I can offer is on charging your new glow items. You
will want a bright light source or a UV light source onsite to keep your glow
tackle not only glowing, but glowing brightly. An inexpensive way to accomplish
this is with used disposable flash cameras, which can be acquired free from most
photo developers. A better option is to buy a portable black light that runs on
AA batteries. These are available from Spencer Gifts for approximately $15.
About the Author: Rodney Long is a designer of innovative fishing products
for several major brands. He owns the patents for dozens of products that are
used in the fishing industry. His biggest successes include the “Boomerang
Fishing Pro”, “The Long Shot Wiggle Rig”, “StandOUT Hooks”, “Mojo's Rock
Hopper”, and “Rig Saver weights”. More information on his products can be found
on his website at http://ezknot.com.
Review of Michigan Stinger's New Glow in
the Dark Lures by Daniel Clark
As a photoluminescent chemist, I didn't realize the level of bio engineering
that goes into designing fishing tackle. To say the least, I was surprised when
I received a phone call from the engineer at Michigan Stinger requesting
technical data. That call took place over two years ago. Since then, the
Stinger engineers have performed over a hundred laboratory and real-life tests
to design an efficient high end lure. As I write this review, their 2004 line
of glow lures are being distributed to tackle shops around the world.
Fish think about food like a hungry teenager. If they see something that
looks appetizing, they throw it in their mouth as fast as they can. Therefore,
the biggest requirement of a great lure is that it can be seen from a distance.
But the hard part is to design a lure that looks more appetizing than the local
feeder fish. Any mom that has to prepare healthy meals to compete with junk
food will fully understand the complexity.
There are about 10 companies currently manufacturing glow in the dark lures.
The majority simply took existing lures and added a layer of the Ultra Green
Glow Paint. While this definitely increases performance, there was a lot of
room for improvement. Therefore, I will detail some of the technical aspects of
the new Stinger line which sets them apart.
It is a fact that fish prefer their victims to have scales. For the last
20-30 years, it was thought that shiny, smooth lures had better performance. At
the time, this was true. Shiny lures improved visibility at a distance when
they reflected light from the surface. But photoluminescent pigment removes
that benefit. Careful observation of fish shows that a smooth, shiny surface
actually sometimes discouraged fish as they approached the lure.
To address this, Stinger's engineers stamped tiny random hexagons into the
metal of the lure. Although the lure now had scales, it was still a bit too
shiny, so they added a texture to the paint to eliminate reflections.
The second major fact is that fish like to eat raw fish. In Japan,
they call this sushi. The best sushi is colorful and as such is more
attractive. Once again, fish go crazy over something bright from a distance.
But as they approach, they want something that looks edible. While a 3-mile
island glowing green fish looks like caviar when you are starving, it is not so
appealing as a mid-day snack.
For many years, manufactures painted lures with a variety of contrasting
colors in fish inspired shapes. No one has a doubt that this highly increases
performance. But when it came to glow paint, that knowledge went out the
window.
When they started mimicking the colors and designs of the regular lures with
different colors of glow paint, they found it made a massive improvement. Tests
showed that fish would lock their radar at a distance and kept approaching right
through the attack.
As you can see, they made major technological improvements to something as
basic and simple as a lure. They now had a lure that was visible at a distance
and attractive as food at close range. But they decided to address another
performance concern that they witnessed late in the process.
Photoluminescent paint is highly visible in moderate to low-light
conditions. In moderate to bright conditions, this long range visibility does
not exist without some help. They addressed this issue with fluorescent
pigments, which convert UV light from the sun into a highly visible, almost neon
light. This is bright enough to increase long-range visibility, yet it is not
focused enough to discourage the predator.
Although it is an expensive proposition for any manufacturer, Stinger
actually adds regular pigment, fluorescent pigment, and photoluminescent pigment
to every color of their new line of glow lures.
To the regular human, these enhancements will not visibly be the most
impressive. In fact, lures made by other manufacturers are much prettier. But
to a fish, it is the difference between a greasy Chicken McNugget and a slow
cooked basted turkey.
I commend Michigan Stinger for doing the research to produce a truly advanced
product. If your favorite pass-time is sitting on a boat, relaxing, and
drinking beer, than these high-end lures are not for you. On the other hand, if
you like reelin' 'em in, then give technology a try.
You may consider glow lures the latest fad, but Michigan Stinger's long list
of national fishing trophies backs their ability to do one thing ...... Catch
Fish!
Michigan Stinger's Glow Lures are distributed by Advanced Tackle. You can
visit their website at www.mistinger.com. If you don't know the
difference between a mouse and a keyboard, you may be better off calling (800)
299-4353.
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