Do Glow-in-the-Dark Lures Work?

You might think glow-in-the-dark fishing worms or fishing lures that light up are a bit extra. After all, there are times wherein the ol’ trusty lure works just fine. But, more and more anglers are using them, so do glow-in-the-dark lures work?

Why Use Glowing Lures?

In shallow waters, the successful colors for bait tend to be the ones that are natural. But, the deeper a jig needs to go, it should have fluorescence or glow to maintain visibility and color as it goes much deeper into the water.

There are a lot of factors that contribute to the amount of light that’s able to travel deep into bodies of water. Among them is sunlight reflecting from the water surface resulting in light loss.

The light that can penetrate through bodies of water highly depends on the reason, time of day, clarity of the water, and geographic location. When brilliant rays of the sun pass through water, they’re absorbed and then scattered by particulars and water molecules.

As the depth of the water increases, longer wavelengths (red and orange) are the ones that are absorbed and scattered first. This means as you go deeper below the surface, visible light’s orange and red wavelengths will no longer be present.

For this reason, you’d want glow-in-the-dark ice fishing lures or any glowing bait to elicit strikes from curious fish.

Do Glow in the Dark Lures Work?

Yes, they do. As a matter of fact, glowing jigs are commonly used throughout the winter season when ice fishing with ice fishing gloves.

A good time to witness for yourself the answer to the question, do glow in the dark lures work, is when there’s milky ice or heavy snow cover that blocks the sun’s penetration on water.

Using glow bait is also common when fishing in stained water and heavy brush piles.

Types of Glow in the Dark Lures

The different kinds of glowing lures you’ll be choosing from are as follows:

Glow Ghost Wobblers

They are recommended to use whenever you need bait that has the most contrast to the bottom of the lake or any body of water. They’re great at catching the attention of fish when there’s complete darkness, especially when there are lots of weeds.

Bass and pike perch are particularly attracted to the lures. Wobblers that glow in the dark feature convex eyes. They float well from the rattle chambers that are within them.

The optimal working depth for this specific type of lure is up to 7 feet. Should you use it in shallower waters and in daylight, ghost wobblers can appear as glowing albino fish.

When it’s nighttime or you’re fishing in muddy waters, anglers get the full advantage of using the bait for their luminescence.

Glow Soft Shrimps/Worms

These ones are best for nighttime jigging. They work perfectly in both saltwater and freshwater.

Usually, the rigs come in kits or packages. The glow color can vary from bluish to greenish hues and they are rarely more than 5 inches long.

Some glow worms are scented in order to simulate the smell of live bait. They can come in various styles and lengths to attract various species of fish. Panfish and bass tend to bite glow worms more than other species.

Glow Grubs

These are the finer version of the glow soft worms which usually don’t exceed 2 inches. They’re also sold in kits or packages of 10.

Glow grubs help optimize the jigging technique for pikeperch, crappie, and bass. They are also suitable for finesse fishing.

Glow Spoons

Glow spoons are lures that resemble spoons. They are made of metal and they’re used in attracting fish nearby by reflecting light as they move randomly.

Their design is very simple. They’re oblong, concave metal pieces with a fluorescent or metallic finish, and single or treble hooks on the end.

While the most basic principle of their design stayed the same through the years since their conception, their use and application have changed.

Before, they were used simply for casting and retrieving. Now that trolling motors with trolling motor batteries are more popular, new versions of the classic were invented.

Glow Spinning Jigs

Glow spinning jigs usually have a soft plastic or steel material construction. They have a specific movement when placed on water due to their willow-leaf spinner blades.

They have bodies that consist of silicone or softer plastic with glowing additives.

Fish Attracted to Glow in the Dark Lures

Which species can be caught using glowing bait? Most anglers use glowing lures to entice pikeperch.

The crepuscular species usually lie still during the day on the bottom, but they will come out at night en masse for them to forage in shallower waters. Pike perch prefers small fry, and glowing lures attract them more than any other kind of lure.

Glow in the dark lures also work on salmon, bass, and trout. Nighttime is particularly great for grayling and trout fishing.

Conclusion

Glow in the dark lures absolutely work. Glow baits are used for jigging and fly-fishing and they can come in various forms such as shrimps, snails, flies, butterflies, grasshoppers, baitfish, and woodworms.

As an angler, you’ll get the opportunity to attract cautious predators through the use of glowing lures that appear as their natural prey with bioluminescence. You can increase your chances of landing your target species using glowing lures that offer full-on audio imitations.

So, when it’s winter or during a period when there are lots of particles in the water like algae or silt, give glow in the dark lures a shot. Fluorescent greens and yellow appear most colorful below the water surface.

Red and oranges won’t work well as they are filtered out first. Apart from the color, don’t forget to mind the action, shape, and size of your lures!