Charging Glow Spoons

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Hey Guys.

 

What is the best way to charge a glow spoon?

 

I bought the 12 hour ones from Angling Outfitters and they only seem to last a few minutes.

[GBW]

with an LED flash light like this.

http://images.auctionworks.com/hi/72/71560/14087-1.jpg

[Victor]

I've seen people do it with camera flashes as well.

[tdotfisherman]

Go to a second hand shop, or a pawn shop, and buy yourself a good camera flash from an old style camera. They will run on either 3 or 4 AA batteries, and the flash is usually very bright and makes the spoon hold a glow charge for 5-10 minutes.. It also depends on the style of spoon.. Some hold their charge for 5 minutes, others 20..

 

Spend between 20-35 bucks for a decent quality one..

[Jet]

Get one of these: http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Au...2BSpotlight.jsp

 

Got mine on sale for $15. Always seems to be one on sale at CT every Friday.

 

It is super powerful, can light up the landscape, has adjustable beam and best of all charges itself; no batteries!

 

To charge your Cleo just put cover the lure, turn on and it charges in no time. And when you're not charging lures it's a great light for night fishing and lighting up the scene so you can get your battles on video.

 

On full blast (3,000,000 candle power) it last for about 15 mins, so you can't keep it on all night.

[Fang]

hit any pawn shop and pick up a camera flash. I got one last year after my old one went in the drink. Bought it at Cash convertor for $7. works like a charm

[Headhunter]

Sorry Jet, but I bought one of those lights and it didn't even hold one re-charge before it hit the garbage can! I'll second the suggestion of using an old camera flash. Sure has put a nice glow on my Cleo's!

HH

[Jet]

I noticed some people had issues, but I've had mine for over a year and not one problem and use it frequently.

Regardless, having a light that you can use both to charge lures and light up your surroundings is a nice solution.

[LimbLifter]

A camera flash is definitely the way to go if you want a bright glow. That said, I have always had better luck with a very dull glow, so dull it is difficult to see the spoon in the water. This is especially true if you are fishing clear waters. For this reason, I just use a simple flash light and I don't bother even bringing the camera flash with me. In many cases, your lure doesn't have to glow at all. Rattle traps or lures that offer strong vibrations will often produce when nothing else will, especially on nights with a lot of moon light. It's surprising what these fish can key in on, whether they are using their lateral line, or can actually see the lure, I'm not exactly sure....probably a combination of both.

[craigdritchie]

Camera flash works really well. Go to a large camera store that does repairs, and ask the techs if they have some old beaters hanging around. A common problem with many old flashes is that the plastic mounting shoe that attaches it to the camera gets brittle with age, and eventually cracks or breaks off completely. It's not really repairable, but will still work fine for charging lures. Last time I went and asked, I got a half-dozen of them for $10.

[bassfighter]

What makes a glow product light up, Ultra Violet Rays found in most lights.

 

The best product to shine your glow lures is a Mini UV light used to check currency authenticity. Sold in some dollar store. I bought mine close to coxwell and Queen street in downtown toronto, cost $1 with extra spare 3 batteries, total six batteries.

 

Even if it only has one LED light and very small, it is pure UV, therefore it outshines any other light including the seemed-to-be powerful camera flash. Once you have them, you will never go back to using Camera flash to shine your glow lures. It is small, light and the batteries are way more efficient than a camera flash as well.

 

One set(3 ) of batteries lasted me for 2 season or two years fishing for salmon. 6 batteries will last me for 4 season.

[kickingfrog]

A camera flash does not work as well as a good LED light.

[[email protected]]

I bought a Mastercraft Head LED light from CT the other day.

 

It works good, but the paint loses it charge in like 5 minutes

[mepps]

I use the camera flash method myself, but as they said, LEDS work best

[morrashi]

Hi Bassfighter,

 

Would you please tell us the name of the LED LIGHT (UV) you have bought from Dollar Store?

 

Thanks

[Fang]

Another way to get a good glow is to actually use the little tiny glow sticks. The trick is getting them on your lures. A while ago I was at Party Packagers and found glow-in-the-dark earrings. They were clip on earrings that held a tiny glow stick in a spring attached to a split ring. I bought 10 packs and most of my peir chucking spoons and such now have these springs attached to the back treble hook. All I do is crack a little glow stick insert and I can fish for 3 hours without ever having to worry about a charge

[johnnyb]

Some good ideas on this thread....I just picked up a moonshine spoon, and holy crap do those things ever light up bright! Of course, the dull glow may be better....and these spoons do hold a duller glow for a long time...

[[email protected]]

I wonder what truly is better. The full on glow or the slowly dying glow....

 

I can't remember if I caught my salmon on a dull or bright spoon..

[mikeymikey]

Any light source will work for charging, including leaving it out to sunlight (if there are any these days).

 

It also doesn't have to be a LED but it can be a lot more brighter + longer battery life. My 5500 lux @ 1metre led light sure can charge up those super long glow spoons very well.

 

The best method is to get yourself a nice powerful UV LED flashlight. If you really want those super long hour glow spoons to last long time, you should atleast let it charge up for about 10 minutes. Don't bother with those small finger size UV LED lights as it does not produce enough light. I forget the location but thtere is a flashlight store near Kipling & Rexdale and i believe they have one of those flashlight with like 13 UV LED emitters on it.

I personally use a 1watt uv led flashlight.

 

I don't think I have ever seen salmon caught on a full bright glows before... also remember that cooler temperature discharges the glows much faster too.

Edited October 2, 2009 by mikeymikey

[castgame]

i took the lid off a pop can and used the reflective inside to hyper-charge the lure. way better than the palm of your hand i should think.

[CLofchik]

A true UV or blacklight is the best, but really it doesn't take much with the new generation of super glo paints (Moonshine et al). It got to the point where I was zapping my spoons at home in a glo box (tin foil lined tackle box with a decent blacklight in it) and they would stay lit up for hours. Unless the water is really coloured, I like a duller glo, but if the fish are really fresh & aggressive a bright spoon might work better.

 

i took the lid off a pop can and used the reflective inside to hyper-charge the lure. way better than the palm of your hand i should think.

 

Heh I've monkeyed around with all sorts of contraptions, the one that worked the best was wrapping several layers of tinfoil around a camera flash to make a "pouch". Drop the spoon in, ZAP, blind everyone on the pier with your glo brilliance. But again with the new super glo paints I don't bother anymore. If you're using stock glo spoons they could use an extra oomph, but Super Glo's work better with a longer light soak than a single bright zap.

[johnnyb]

tinfoil pouch. GENIUS

[canadadude]

I use a camera flash, to get a duller glow I'll put a couple of fingers over the flash when I charge the lure. I also somtimes will put my thumb on the spoon then flash it this leaves a dark spot on the spoon and only the edges of spoon glow. I've caught alot of chinnies on the first cast of fully charged spoon so I don't know if bright or dull makes a huge difference, it's fun to experiment though. Everytime I think I got the answer, the next time I go out is always a whole new ball game

[bigfish1965]

Another way to get a good glow is to actually use the little tiny glow sticks. The trick is getting them on your lures. A while ago I was at Party Packagers and found glow-in-the-dark earrings. They were clip on earrings that held a tiny glow stick in a spring attached to a split ring. I bought 10 packs and most of my peir chucking spoons and such now have these springs attached to the back treble hook. All I do is crack a little glow stick insert and I can fish for 3 hours without ever having to worry about a charge

 

That might be illegal, actually. I remember reading something about it in the regs...attaching a light source to a lure..or something similar.

[johnnyb]

shoot...you could be right, Rick...totally forgot about that one! The regs state that the following is illegal: (bold parts added by me)

 

• Use artificial lights to attract fish EXCEPT

– to fish for smelt, or to fish for lake whitefish or lake herring with

a dip net

– if the light is part of a lure attached to a line used in angling.

 

I'm thinking that, by "part of a lure", they mean originally made by the factory that way...although it may boil down to the CO's interpretation. Good catch, Rick.

Edited October 3, 2009 by johnnyb