How to make a firefly for night fishing with your own hands? DIY fishing float. Types: luminous float for night fishing, nod float for summer fishing, electronic float DIY night float

What time of day do we usually fish? Quick statistics show: the majority of amateurs organize their fishing events around the world, that is, during the day, or at dusk, at dawn. But only a few are interested in purely night fishing.

Why? Everything is explained simply. When there is impenetrable darkness and ominous silence all around, and the reservoir has turned from a picturesque lake into a bottomless abyss, few people will want to leave the warm fire into the cool of the night and tinker with gear, even by the light of a flashlight. Especially after the “traditional” evening libations.

Night fishing and its meaning

However, all this is in vain, because at night the fisherman has a chance not only to enjoy the fight with a particularly large trophy, but also to fill the fishnet with tails. I will try to explain why in detail.

Did you know that after sunset the most inveterate robbers of the underwater world come out onto the main road? What exactly is it in the pitch darkness that giant peaceful fish - paranoidly suspicious during the day - become so self-confident that they approach the shore closely? That some underwater inhabitants have known the night so intimately and absorbed its essence that they walk and feed only in the dark?

And while the fisherman is sleeping in his tent, the unimaginable is happening on the other side of the water’s edge. There is the very denouement, the very culmination of the underwater action. Why not take advantage of this blessed time?

Of course, night fishing is more difficult and extreme than day fishing. You can no longer relax here, here you have to make more efforts and concentrate your attention more clearly, and this is often accompanied by discomfort from the night conditions. But, be that as it may, the game is worth the candle. And all the fisherman needs to do for the night to be successful is to study its secrets, but first of all, to properly prepare for it.

Fish that are caught at night

Just as people have their “larks” and “owls,” so among representatives of the freshwater ichthyofauna there are “day owls” and “night owls.” There are quite a few of the latter. Why do they choose night? There are several reasons for this:

Many diurnal fish are food items for predators. They are easier to catch in the dark, which encourages hunters to stick to the night mode.
On the other hand, there are predatory fish that are mainly active during daylight hours. This forces some of their potential victims to hide during the day and come out to feed at night.
The older the fish, the more experienced it is, and therefore the more careful and suspicious it is. Night is the most favorable time for her. As mentioned above, large specimens of many fish prefer to lead a purely nocturnal lifestyle.
On summer days, many reservoirs are noisy: people swim and fish, jet skis and boats rush back and forth. At this time, the underwater fauna prefers to hide in shelters. At night, the long-awaited silence comes, and the fish come out to feed.
The regime of ichthyofauna is also affected by the weather, or more precisely, the summer heat. It forces the fish to fall into torpor during the day, when the water temperature reaches its maximum. At night the water cools, conditions become more favorable and the fish become active.

Chub

The only drawback of the tent is the inability to visually and tactilely control the gear. Therefore, its use is justified only in the case when night fishing is carried out on donks with an audible alarm.

Bonfire

If during night fishing you do not intend to change the place of fishing, then lighting a fire next to it will make the process more comfortable. The only thing you need to do is to position the fire pit correctly.

The best place for it is to the side and slightly behind the fisherman. Such that you can warm up and periodically watch out of the corner of your eye. The “power” of the fire is set to the necessary minimum, because if it blazes “like a pioneer”, it will not only unnecessarily illuminate a good part of the fishing area and scare away some fish, but can also damage the tackle, especially the fishing line if we are fishing with a float rod or a boat. However, even with a moderate fire, there should be a small space between the seat and the water's edge - enough for you to stand up, take a step or two and, with complete safety for the fishing line, re-cast the tackle or bring out the fish.

Lighting

At first glance, it seems that everything is simple with lighting - a more powerful flashlight, and preferably with a hanging function. But in reality, the light is not suitable for night fishing. It must meet two requirements:

Be strong enough so that the fisherman can manipulate bait without straining his eyesight.
Be moderate enough so as not to illuminate the fishing area, so as not to create unnecessary glare near it.

Mutually exclusive points, aren't they? It is between them that we need to find a middle ground.

The best option is two flashlights. One is a low-power head-mounted one (for example, with five LEDs), the second is a long-range manual one. The first one is enough to replant, and besides, it won’t scare the fish again, since it simply won’t reach it. The second one is needed in case you suddenly need to look at what is happening on the distant approaches to the fishing point.

Constantly sitting with a light on does not make any sense, because: firstly, all night gear is equipped with a bite alarm in the absence of lighting, and secondly, it harms the fisherman’s camouflage. Therefore, you should turn on the headlamp only when necessary - for a short period of time.

Night fishing gear

Theoretically, you can fish at night using any daytime gear, but in practice, with some of them this task becomes much more complicated. To make it easier to solve, various tricks and technical devices are used, mainly aimed at ensuring proper bite signaling. Perhaps they are worth considering first.

"Fireflies"

This is the name given to equipment elements that emit light. They are attached to floats, rod tips and bells - both temporarily and permanently, and can be chemical, electronic or phosphorescent.

Chemical fireflies

Photo 4. Chemical fireflies in a bag, completely ready for use.

The first category is small plastic capsules produced by the fishing industry containing a solution of oxalic acid ester and an ampoule of hydrogen peroxide. When light is needed, the capsule bends, the ampoule cracks, the substances mix and react, as a result of which hordes of photons are emitted. Scientists call this phenomenon “chemiluminescence.”

Photo 5. The glow is the result of a chemical reaction.

This thing shines for about 12-15 hours, which is enough for the whole summer night. Its weight is small, so it does not affect the sensitivity of the float much.

Electronic fireflies

Our electronic fireflies are mostly homemade, although overseas industry produces them in quite large quantities. They consist of a low-power LED and a pair of small batteries. The easiest way to make one is from a lighter with a flashlight. It is also quite possible to make a float with this filling, for example, from a cocktail tube or cotton candy.

Photo 6. LED float for night fishing (industrial production).

Such devices shine until the batteries run out. But they are definitely enough for one night - tested in practice. Unfortunately, due to the mass of the batteries, the sensitivity of the float suffers greatly, and the process of loading it becomes more complicated.

"Fireflies" from a phosphorescent nipple

Photo 7. Phosphorescent nipple.

Photo 8. The same one, shining in pitch darkness after charging with a flash.

Such “fireflies” are made from scraps of a “light-accumulating” nipple, which is periodically available in fishing shops. It is enough to put them on the float antenna. they shine quite well.

Photo 9. Goose float, adapted for night fishing. On the right end there is a firefly from the nipple.

Photo 10. This is what happens if you dim the light.

This firefly is very good, but nevertheless it has one drawback. The nipple must be periodically recharged with a light source, for example a flashlight. The brighter this source, the better. The time between recharges depends on the quality of the nipple. We came across some that glowed clearly for almost an hour, and some that needed to be recharged every 15-20 minutes. However, of all the fireflies for night fishing, the nipple ones are the lightest. Accordingly, floats equipped with them have maximum sensitivity.

Donka

This gear is most suitable for night fishing - even in a completely daytime version. Its obligatory attribute - a bell - will provide the fisherman with the necessary bite alarm. Some enthusiasts complement it with a firefly, which in my opinion is unnecessary, although depending on who you are. For me, it’s better to put the ten simplest ones.

If fishing is carried out exclusively on donkeys, the fisherman can easily relax, having tea by the fire, or while away the time in a tent listening to the radio. A suddenly ringing bell will notify him of a bite, and by the time the fisherman approaches the tackle, the fish will have time to detect it.

Float rod

Night fishing with a “float” is impossible without a float equipped with a firefly. Practice has shown that homemade options are best suited here, because store-bought ones do not have sufficient sensitivity.

You won’t be able to relax when float fishing at night, as you constantly have to monitor the float. And if during the day you don’t need to strain your eyesight to do this, then at night it’s the opposite. The fact that by the morning the fisherman’s eyes will be “in a bunch” is a fact, this should be immediately taken into account when planning to go float fishing at night.

But on the other hand, unlike the donkey, only the “float” allows you to fish for particularly finicky fish.

Ship

One of those night gear that does not need a bite alarm (and is purely river-based, among other things). All bites on the boat are registered tactilely - by a sudden “jerk from the hands” or by strange changes in the tension of the line. You can also detect a bite by the sound of a splash in the area of the leashes (an experienced fisherman can distinguish this sound by ear from the usual fish “splash”). In general, it would be a good idea to periodically drive the boat to the fishing point and check the leads with a second (long-range) flashlight.

In Soviet times, the industry produced large inertial reels equipped with a ratchet, which was of no use as a clutch, but which could be successfully used as a bite alarm for a boat. Fortunately, the usual size of the tackle’s float planes (approximately 40 by 20 cm) created a tension that was just barely enough to overpower the tongue. And the rattle held the boat quite well while it was simply loitering in the current. But as soon as the fish bit, the ratchet was triggered by the jerk, and with a squeal (whoever heard it knows) it released the fishing line.

Spinning

The most difficult tackle in night fishing. And no tricks can make its use easier, except perhaps a night vision device. However, if a fisherman has straight hands, he will quickly become adept at throwing bait “blindly” and achieve quite acceptable results in night spinning.

By the way, about baits. The best of them for night conditions (at least at first) are considered to be surface ones - wobblers, poppers, etc. However, if the bottom in the fishing place is sandy or clayey - without snags and accumulations of stones, then it is quite possible to “tap” it and jig heads, as well as use spinners without hooks.

conclusions

The only conclusion that can be drawn from all of the above is that midnight fishing is not so difficult that it should be neglected. And if you also get your head around it, great prospects open up for the fisherman. But this is not the main highlight of night fishing. And in that romance that happens after sunset - on the banks of a river or lake, by the fire, and - under a breathtaking starry sky, in complete, absolutely cosmic silence.

When night falls, some species of fish go to rest, but life in the reservoir does not stop. It is at night that the activity of especially large individuals increases, hunting for resting small creatures. Night fishing has its own characteristics. In some ways it is easier than daytime, in particular, small fish will not interfere with the fisherman with false bites, but in some ways it is much more difficult. First of all, the difficulties of night fishing are associated with deteriorating visibility conditions, against which other factors, such as lower temperatures, requiring the use of warmer clothing, fade into the background. After all, if a fisherman does not see the behavior of the bite alarm, then it does not matter at all whether he is dressed warmly or not. Therefore, when fishing at night, it is necessary to use various means that make the bite visible (in extreme cases, audible). Such devices are special means of illumination, or fireflies.

General information

A firefly for night fishing is a light bite signaling device that can be installed on various parts of the equipment. Most often they are located on the tops of floats or on the tips of fishing rods.

As the name implies, this device is capable of emitting light, which makes the behavior of a float or any other bite alarm clearly visible. There are mainly two types of such products: those that use either a chemical reaction or electrical energy to produce light.

Chemical

Fireflies based on “chemistry” have one important advantage: they are light in weight and dimensions, that is, they practically do not affect the sensitivity of the gear. However, they are disposable and require replacement after working for several hours. In addition, their brightness cannot be adjusted.

Disposable fireflies for fishing with fastenings.

This device is a flexible capsule, slightly larger than a match. Inside the flexible capsule is another capsule, smaller and more rigid. To activate the firefly, bend the structure so that the capsule inside breaks.

After this, the liquid inside the hard capsule will mix with the one outside and a chemical reaction will begin, accompanied by a glow.

A firefly that is broken in several places shines more brightly and evenly.

This type of firefly is very cheap. On Aliexpress you can buy a batch of 50 pieces of similar products at a price of 160 to 190 rubles, i.e. approximately 3.5 rub. a piece.

Electrical

Electric fireflies are more flexible in configuration and more durable - with the correct selection of parameters, they allow you to not change the batteries of the power supply for a much longer time. They glow brighter and have the ability to regulate the intensity of the glow.

They use miniature batteries or batteries as power sources.

An electric firefly mounted on the tip of a quivertype.

The price of such products is slightly higher than chemical ones, but it will not hurt the pocket of any fisherman. For example, you can buy an electronic firefly from the Italian company Lineaeffe in Moscow (Big Game store) for 26 rubles. a piece.

Mounting fireflies

There are many ways to attach fireflies to different types of gear. They even sell entire sets of fastenings that allow you to attach fireflies to floats, fishing rods, nods, quivertips, etc. There are even mounts for securing fireflies to fishing lines. Let's look at these structures in more detail.

On the float

Perhaps this fishing device is used most often. Typically, silicone tubes are used to attach the firefly to the float. Often they even come complete with fireflies.

Attaching the firefly to the antenna.

If you use a regular float when fishing, then the firefly is attached to its antenna. In the case of a narrow antenna, either fastening with a clamp is used, or the antenna itself is thickened with the help of several nipple rubber bands placed on top of each other.

When using large floats, for example, when catching predators, the capsule can generally be inserted inside the float. The firefly is closed with a cap on top. The cap can be permanently attached to the float or come complete with a firefly.

Floats with capsules and caps for placing fireflies.

Quivertip mount

Firefly is often used for feeder fishing. To attach them to quivertypes, two silicone rubber bands are most often used. Usually, first the firefly is broken, and then it is attached to the 1st or 2nd segment of the quivertype.

Fastening the firefly using two silicone rubber bands.

Attention! To avoid the fishing line getting caught on the body of the firefly, a slightly unaesthetic, but very practical method of fastening is used - the firefly is completely wrapped with tape.

Attaching the firefly with tape.

Mounting electric fireflies is completely similar to mounting chemical fireflies. In this case, stationary or makeshift fastenings can also be used.

Attaching an electric firefly to a quivertip.

DIY making

There are no problems in making your own fireflies for fishing. The current selection of elements for creating various homemade devices is very extensive and includes a wide variety of components.

There are several ways to make a backlight for a fishing rod, float or quivertip with your own hands. They can be based on a variety of principles of operation of the light source, i.e. firefly can be:

chemical;
glowing;
reflective;
electronic.

Let's look at each method in more detail.

Making such a device yourself is relatively easy. You just need to first prepare several small containers for the fireflies, a container in which the luminous composition will be mixed and some kind of device for pouring the luminous liquid onto the bodies of the fireflies.

As a firefly body, you can use any sealed container of small volume (2-5 ml) with an elongated shape. Mixing the components can be done in a glass container, and the resulting glowing composition can be poured over the fireflies, for example, using a 10 ml medical syringe.

Ampoules with lids are one of the firefly body options.

Almost all luminous liquids have approximately the same composition: it contains luminol and something that creates an acidic environment. There are many such mixtures. Let's consider making one of the simplest luminous compositions; For this you will need the following components:

luminol – 0.2 g;
dry potassium hydroxide powder – 30 g;
dimexide – 40 ml;
any fluorescent dye of the desired shade – 5 mg.

The components are stored in separate containers and mixed immediately before use.

Attention! Potassium hydroxide (KOH) is an extremely active substance. Its other name is potassium alkali. You need to work with it carefully, avoiding contact with the skin of your hands.

The mixture is prepared as follows:

Dimexide is poured into a glass container and dye is added. Mix well.
Potassium hydroxide is added to the resulting mixture and mixed well again.
Close the container with a lid. As a rule, the solution is already glowing.
After 2-3 minutes, open the lid and use a syringe to pour the luminous composition over the fireflies.
The firefly containers are securely sealed and attached to the gear.

Fireflies made in this way retain the ability to glow for more than 1 hour. Next, you need to make the luminous composition again.

The only advantage of fireflies of this type is their low cost. But they have a lot of disadvantages: a relatively short glow time, the need to work with several (including dangerous) chemicals, the difficulty of sealing luminous containers.

Therefore, such devices made independently are justified only in the case when there is a large amount of raw materials at hand and there is nowhere to put it. If the described materials are not at hand, then it is better to use another method of making a firefly.

Using a luminous coating

This is perhaps the easiest way to make fishing fireflies. To do this, you just need to paint those parts of the gear that should glow. The advantages of this solution are its simplicity and one-time use: having applied the paint once, you don’t need to do anything else.

The disadvantage is that this kind of light sources need regular replenishment of their “luminous resource”. Simply put, once every 20-30 minutes they should be illuminated with a bright enough light so that they can luminesce again.

There is a huge variety of colorful coatings with the addition of phosphor that can glow in the dark for quite a long time. Moreover, the variety of choices does not depend only on color - light-accumulating paints can also have a different base - be oil, enamel, acrylic, etc.

Luminescent paints in the form of a spray are the most popular solution today.

It is recommended to use acrylic paints for painting fishing gear (floats, nods, fishing rod tips, etc.). They are chemically neutral and do not dissolve the material from which, for example, floats or tails can be made. Gear can be painted in any convenient way and in any number of layers.

Models with reflective coating

As in the previous case, those parts of the tackle that should be visible are painted. However, this method works differently: in this case, there must be a light source on the shore that will constantly illuminate the colored areas. The advantages of this method include the higher brightness that reflective paints provide compared to light-accumulating paints.

Such a source usually emits light that is not visible to the human eye (ultraviolet or infrared). When this light hits an area painted with fluorescent paint, it causes the paint to glow in the visible range. Naturally, objects on which paint is not applied will not be visible in the dark.

Portable currency detector - optimal illumination for fluorescent fireflies.

Any ultraviolet radiation device can be used as such a source. For example, a UV lamp or UV LED of a portable currency detector. It is simply placed on the shore, turned on and directed with the emitting part in the direction where the fireflies are located.

Attention! Even low levels of ultraviolet radiation are harmful to the eyes. It is advisable to reduce the beam angle of the UV lamp using any kind of shielding (at least cardboard) so that it does not shine into the fishermen’s eyes. Reflected light no longer poses any danger.

Electric lighting

This method is the most optimal in terms of cost and efficiency. In addition, it is the safest for humans, since it does not require the use of chemically active substances or various sources of harmful radiation.

In addition, using an electronic method, you can quickly change the brightness of the glow of objects, the methods of their location, the direction of the glow and other parameters.

Miniature power sources for electric fireflies.

The easiest way to create homemade fireflies is to directly connect the emitter to an energy source in the form of a battery or accumulator. In this case, sources of small dimensions and weight are used. For example, models of the CR, LIR and other series with a diameter from 5 to 24 mm, having a voltage from 1.5 to 3 V.

The simplest firefly consists of an LED and a battery.

It is best to use LEDs as an emitter, since they have the longest glow time due to their low current consumption. In addition, their weight and size indicators are the smallest among electric light sources.

A more reliable design - the LED is attached to the battery using electrical tape or adhesive tape.

This design has a number of disadvantages. In particular, the LED will shine very brightly and for a short time. Moreover, if a battery with a voltage of more than 1.1 V is used, the LED may even burn out after a few minutes of operation.

Therefore, it is recommended to limit the current consumption of the LED by adding a resistor with a value of 10 to 100 ohms to the circuit. It should be soldered to one of the LED electrodes. The higher the resistance, the less brightly but longer the LED will shine.

LED with resistor to ensure long glow time.

To ensure tightness, the resulting structures can be filled with silicone using a glue gun. An alternative is to place the entire structure in some kind of airtight container that has an elongated shape.

As such a container, you can use a transparent cap for a pen, the previously mentioned ampoules with caps, or the body of a 2-5 ml syringe. In this case, you need to use batteries of small diameter, for example, types LD or LR60/LR63.

Firefly made from an LED and three LD-type elements with the outer shell removed.

The container can be sealed using the same silicone and a glue gun. Next, the resulting structure is installed on the tackle using any convenient fastening method.

Using fireflies when fishing at night helps anglers see bites in low light conditions. Currently, fireflies are used based on chemical or electrical principles of light generation. You can purchase fireflies or make them yourself without any problems.

A night bite alarm is used when fishing at night:

on a fishing rod
to the feeder
on a spinning donk
when fishing with a bait donkey

Bottom fishing at night is quite effective, but reliable bite alarms are needed. Bite alarm for evening and night fishing - bells combined with a firefly (flashlight).

Night bite alarm.

firefly bell bite alarm

The firefly (flashlight) shows us where our donka is standing.
The bell gives a signal about a bite.
By the oscillation of the firefly, you can determine which bottom is biting, especially when a large fish has bitten, for example, bream or catfish, and in some cases, for example, with a one-time jerk of a white bream, the bottom on which it is biting will still need to be determined, for example, you can additionally use bells with different sounds.
A rod with a firefly will be easier to grab when biting.
The firefly will prevent the bell from getting lost at night.

We attach the bell with the firefly closer to the tip of the rod since the tip has a large amplitude of vibration and you can better see the bite signal.

Donkey fishing at night

Budget night bite alarm

Bottom fishing at night will be more successful if you use a reliable budget bite alarm. This bell can be used as a bite alarm not only for bottom fishing at night and during the day by removing the flashlight. Flashlights for the alarm are sold separately from the bells and cost the same as the bells. The signaling device is easy to assemble - there is a hole on the bell into which a flashlight can be inserted. The design of the flashlight is also simple: a collapsible body, an LED, two batteries. The flashlight is turned on by turning the batteries over.

Additionally, of course, there should be a flashlight at night... if the battery on the bite alarm runs out, or spare fireflies for the bite alarm.

On this alarm, the flashlight is constantly on, and the batteries run out accordingly. The batteries will last for one night and maybe for a second. But if you replace the LED with the LED from a lighter flashlight, the batteries will last 20 nights, for the entire season.

Watch the video - night bite alarm

There are various models of night bite alarms on the market for fishing at night. There are models where the flashlight is combined with a bell, and there are models without a bell; both of them can be either constantly glowing or light up during a bite.

Night bite alarm - a flashlight without a bell that glows only when there is a bite

This indicator flashes green until there is a bite; during a bite, the indicator flashes intensely yellow-red. There are models in which the LED is constantly on before the bite and flashes during the bite. You should definitely check how the alarm works when purchasing. The signaling device is attached with clamps to the tip of the feeder. Plus there is no scary sound. Such a signaling device can be used during the day when silence is required while fishing.

It costs 10 times more than the budget one.
SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS, ADD ONE-CLASS TO YOUR FEED ASSNIKOV, ON THE WALL IN CONTACT...

Night bite alarm for fishing with a bell and a flashlight that is triggered when bitten

combined bell and flashlight in the signaling device

This type of fishing indicator flashes only when there is a bite. It also costs 10 times more than the budget one. More often, such devices are used as a night bite alarm for the feeder.

It should be noted that fishing alarms with a built-in electronic circuit, triggered by a bite, are quite capricious; you may have to struggle to set them up, unless these Chinese inventions break down at all while fishing. But when fishing bottom at night, it will be difficult to set up a capricious alarm. The budget one will be guaranteed to work, but until the battery dies.

But there is an option when fishing on the bottom at night, using two signaling flashlights of different types.

We are all sitting and waiting for a bite!

Luminescent varnish (luminous varnish) for night fishing instead of a night bite alarm

To prepare gear for night fishing, you can use luminous varnish as a signaling device for night fishing:

so the varnish can be applied to the bells themselves and if the circuit malfunctions or if the batteries run out, the bell will glow
varnish is also applied to the rods themselves, first of all you need to varnish the tip of the rod, and the rest of the rod can be covered with strokes, dots
The varnish can also be used as a night bite alarm for the feeder.

LED signaling device for the girder. Feedback on…
Donka from a spinning rod. Donkey's choice. Donka for...

Night fishing, especially in the warm season, is no less popular than daytime fishing. This is due to the fact that in summer a nighttime drop in temperature can well activate the fish. On ponds, when night falls, you can count on catching large crucian carp or crucian carp, while on rivers there is a high probability of catching a good bream or even catfish.

With the onset of autumn, burbot may also appear in the catch on suitable rivers. In order not to miss a bite, a wide variety of float illumination is used - reflective materials, LEDs, firefly float and other methods.

Some designs are more convenient, while others often do not work as they should. Fireflies for fishing are most widespread, primarily due to the simplicity and reliability of the design.

The most common fireflies for night fishing are chemical ones. They look like a hermetically sealed plastic capsule, inside of which there is another container with a reagent that easily collapses when pressed. To start working, you need to put a little pressure on such a firefly, or bend it a little so that the inner capsule bursts, but the outer one remains intact. Once mixed, the chemicals begin to glow, most often a yellowish-green light, but other variations are possible. Due to its simplicity and reliability, as well as low cost, this design is most popular among fishermen.

Photo 1. Chemical firefly in action.

The kit usually includes adapters for attaching the firefly to floats with different antenna diameters, as well as sometimes plastic fasteners for fixing the device to the feeder tip.

Photo 2. Can be inserted into a float instead of an antenna.

In addition to the color of the glow, such a firefly on a float may differ in the duration of operation, as well as the volume of substances that provide the glow. The most successful options are considered to be fireflies with a working duration of about 7 hours - they will be enough for almost any night. The luminous float must remain bright; if only a dim residual glow is visible, it is necessary to replace the capsule with a new one.

Photo 3. Use options.

Important! When fishing with a feeder at night using a firefly, you need to be especially careful when casting. The fact is that the cord often gets caught behind the firefly, which threatens to break the top.

Photo 4. Attaching to the top with silicone rubber bands.

LED lights

Glowing floats for night fishing can be found on the shelves of almost any fishing store. Most often they have the shape of an ordinary float, but inside this design there is an LED and several batteries hidden. This option has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of such a float for night fishing include the possibility of its repeated use (unless it is, of course, the cheapest Chinese product, which will most likely fail on the first fishing trip), as well as a brighter glow. The disadvantages include the low reliability of budget options, as well as heavy weight, and as a result, less sensitivity of the float (a heavy float can also scare away cautious and inactive fish at the moment of biting, since in order to sink such a structure, more effort is required).

You can also find removable designs with LEDs on sale. There are both options with fastenings for the feeder tip and for the float. At the same time, using tubes of different diameters, you can attach LED backlighting to almost any antenna, except perhaps the thinnest options.

Homemade firefly options for night fishing

The simplest option is to cover the finished float with reflective tape. Although this method does not provide a luminous float, it allows you to maintain sensitivity when using delicate gear, in which case neither chemical fireflies nor LED ones can be used. For normal visibility with this design, you need to use a light source. When using a high-quality LED strip, even a weak flashlight with diffused light is sufficient.

How to make a firefly with minimal time and materials? The easiest way is using heat shrink tubes. For this you will need:

LED of the required power and glow color;
heat shrink tube;
coin cell battery;
silicone for filling the tube;
silicone tube, as well as a lighter or other source of fire.

The battery is placed in a heat-shrinkable tube of a suitable size, so that approximately 1-1.5 centimeters of tube remain on both sides. After this, first on one side, then on the other, the silicone tubes are fixed inside the heat shrink by heating.

Important! The diameter of the lower tube must be selected based on the size of the float with which the firefly will be used.

The next stage of manufacturing will be filling the upper silicone tube with silicone, which, in addition to insulating the structure from water, will also fix the LED. This kind of firefly is easy to make with your own hands, and to turn it off when there is no longer a need for lighting, you just need to pull out the tube with the LED. The only drawback of this design is the impossibility of replacing the battery.

Important! If, after inserting the LED, it does not light up, you should insert it the other way around - perhaps the contacts were connected incorrectly.

Fans of night feeder or bottom fishing sometimes use improvised fireflies if, for one reason or another, more successful lighting options are not available. Many people have lighters with a built-in LED flashlight. It can be pulled out and attached to the tip of the feeder or donkey using tape. This method is not suitable for float fishing, since such a firefly does not have insulation from water and will quickly become unusable.

Preparing the fishing site

You must arrive at the place where night fishing will take place before sunset. While it is still light, you need to decide on the fishing point on the pond, and clip in if you will be using feeder rods. You should also place fishing rod stands, a landing net, a fish tank, a folding chair or an armchair on the shore in advance, as well as place groundbait, bait and spare elements of gear so that in the dark, when illuminated by a headlamp, they can be quickly found. All this work is carried out before dark, since it is extremely inconvenient to do it at night.

The fishing point should also be fed in the evening, before sunset. This way, not only will the fish be collected on the bait table as quickly as possible, but also the angler, in the case of feeder fishing, will get used to the casting distance, and it will be easier to re-cast the equipment at night.

While fishing, you should maintain camouflage - it is advisable to avoid not only noise, but also using a flashlight too often.

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