Do you even need a headlamp when fishing?
Many keen amateur anglers don't know what an LED light can be good for when fishing. One important reason why it is worth taking a head torch with you when fishing is, for example, for mounting bait. If you don't have a bite indicator, you need light to attach your bait, otherwise there is a high risk of injury. If you are fishing with natural bait, you may lose it without sufficient lighting.
Another reason why you should buy an LED light for fishing is for night fishing. As soon as night falls, many outdoor enthusiasts have to pack their equipment. With the right equipment, however, you don't have to pack up immediately after dark. A good headlamp or flashlight has a very bright beam of light with an adjustable light cone so that you are able to adequately illuminate distant and close-up areas. A headlamp gives you even more freedom when fishing: you can handle your fishing rod, select bait or fillet fish without having to hold a flashlight in your hand.
LED lights for night fishing
Night fishing can be a wonderful experience. The silence in the dark and the shimmering of the water seem almost magical. Of course, experienced hobby anglers know that there are also nocturnal fish. If you want to catch a pike, zander, eel or carp, for example, you have to fish at night. In fact, many anglers notice a higher chance of success at full and new moon. To successfully catch a fish in the dark, you need a special LED lamp for night fishing - lamps with colored light, for example, are often used for fishing as they have a reputation for being less noticeable to fish.
Good to know: Fish can be startled by a bright beam of light at night and swim away. This makes catching a fish relatively difficult. To prevent fish from swimming away, it is worth using a dimmable fishing light or opting for certain light colors.
Head torches for fishing: What features should they have?
The features a headlamp or head torch for anglers should have depend primarily on where it will be used. You may need it not only for a fishing trip, but also for a hunting or camping trip. If you want to buy a headlamp or flashlight for outdoor activities, you can use the following guidelines as a guide:
LED head torch for fishing - light beam & runtimes
In the great outdoors, it can seem to you anglers as if darkness suddenly falls. To avoid being left in the dark, it is important that you can rely on your fishing light. To produce a bright beam of light even at low wattage, modern head torches have LED technology. This allows you to save around 90 % of the energy with the same lumen output.
In practice, it is usually the case that you spend the whole day or night at the lake when fishing. A lamp should be able to last at least 6 hours with a medium-intensity light beam. When fishing, however, the headlamp is usually used in a low mode. If you opt for a Ledlenser flashlight or headlamp for fishing, the built-in rechargeable battery lasts up to 60 hours in low mode on many models.
Apart from the longest possible light duration, the light beam of a fishing lamp should be bright enough to illuminate the fishing spot. With an adjustable light cone, this also offers the advantage that both far and close ranges can be illuminated. An adjustable light cone or zoom function makes it easier for anglers to search for and position the bait. The lamp can also be used for different applications, for example when camping or hunting.
Our tip: Are you looking for a head torch with a long burn time for your next fishing trip? Then take a look at our HF6R Signature. Depending on the mode used, it can shine for up to 60 hours. It also has IP68 protection, which means that it is both dustproof and can be dropped into water to a maximum depth of 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes without being damaged.
Lamps for night fishing - light ranges & light modes
In order to be able to illuminate long-range areas well when fishing, hunting, camping or trekking, it is important that the fishing lamp has a long light range. This means that whether it is a flashlight or a head torch, an LED light for fishing should be able to aim at a point over several hundred meters. This is helpful, for example, to sufficiently illuminate long paths.
Additional light modes and functions are helpful, for example to save battery power or to draw attention to yourself in an emergency. The most important light modes for outdoor activities such as fishing include
- Low-Power: This setting allows you to save battery power, but the light is still bright enough to fish without any problems.
- Power or Boost: This is where the head torch develops its maximum lighting power.
- SOS: If you need help in an emergency, you can alert the emergency services with the SOS signal.
- Strobe: This is an extreme flashing light function that you can use to ward off danger.
Our guide to Ledlenser smart light technology provides you with more information on the subject.
Good to know: The lumen output of a lamp is not decisive for the light range. Although it serves as a guide, the built-in technology of the lamp also plays a major role in the light range and light intensity. You can find out more about the lumen output of a flashlight in our guide.
Head torches for anglers - robust design & high durability
LED headlamps or flashlights are suitable for fishing. However, to prevent them from being damaged in the great outdoors, they must meet certain requirements:
- IP protection: when fishing, it can happen that the head torch falls into the water or into a puddle. It is therefore important that it is both waterproof and dustproof. A waterproof rating of at least IPX8 offers you good protection. This means that the lamp can be dropped into water up to 1.5 meters deep for around 30 minutes without being damaged.
- Comfort: The fishing light should be easy to operate, even when wearing gloves. If you opt for a head torch when fishing, it is also important that the torch fits comfortably on your head. Some Ledlenser headlamps, such as the HF6R-Siganture, have a silicone section on the headband. This ensures that they are comfortable to wear on the head, even if the headlamp is worn for several hours.
When choosing a flashlight or headlamp for fishing, you should also ask yourself which power supply you prefer.
Basically, you have the choice between a rechargeable battery or non-rechargeable batteries. Compared to batteries, rechargeable batteries have the advantage that they can be charged via a cable or a power bank. Ledlenser power banks are shock, water and dust-proof and can also be used as a storage box for your rechargeable battery. If a lamp requires batteries for power supply, you always have the option of stowing a few batteries in your luggage. To protect your batteries from the weather and water, Ledlenser offers battery boxes that are also equipped with a quick-charging function for rechargeable batteries.
Fishing head torches with red light function
A useful function that a head torch for fishing can have is colored light. Headlamps with red light have the reputation of being barely noticed by many fish, if at all, which means that you cannot scare them away. This is because red light has a fairly long wavelength, which means that the light cannot penetrate as deeply into the water.
In addition, red light does not impair your night vision. If you use white light, your eyes will need a relatively long time to adjust to the darkness when you switch the lamp off again.
| Light color | Advantage |
| Red light | Preserves visibility at night and is suitable for observing fish, attaching bait and searching for and sorting equipment |
| Blue and green light | Alternative to red light |
The best headlamps for fishing from Ledlenser
It's not that easy to find the right fishing lamp. There are hundreds of models on the market with a wide variety of functions and for a wide range of applications. To make your search easier, we have compiled a list of the best fishing lights and headlamps from Ledlenser. This means you can optimize your fishing equipment without having to do a lot of research.
HF6R Signature
If you are looking for a fishing light with a high light intensity, the HF6R Signature is the right choice for you. It is the perfect all-rounder outdoor head torch for fishing or hunting.
The advantages of the HF6R Signature at a glance:
- Blue light, green light & red light function
- Adjustable light cone
- IP68 protection
- Maximum light range of 170 meters
- Luminosity of up to 1000 lumens
- Operating temperatures from -20 to 40 degrees
HF4R Signature
The advantages of the HF4R Signature at a glance:
- Blue light, green light & red light function
- IP68 protection
- Maximum light range of 140 meters
- Luminosity of up to 600 lumens
- Operating temperatures from -20 to 40 degrees
Lanterns and flashlights as fishing lights
With the right equipment, you can fish both during the day and at night. A head torch is generally more suitable for fishing than a flashlight, as it leaves your hands free. Nevertheless, a flashlight or lantern can be an important addition to your fishing equipment.
P7R Signature
A flashlight can also be a valuable addition if you already have a head torch for fishing. The fact that the flashlight can be operated by hand means that you can use the light more flexibly than a head torch. The P7R Signature not only impresses with its elegant design and state-of-the-art technology, it can also be used for a variety of outdoor purposes. The advantages of the P7R Signature at a glance:
- Red light function
- IP68 protection
- Maximum light range of 330 meters
- Luminosity of up to 2000 lumens
- Operating temperatures from -20 to 40 degrees
- Different brightness levels
ML6
The purchase of an additional lantern can also be useful for your fishing equipment. The Ledlenser ML6 lantern models in the Outdoor series have a battery life of up to 12 hours and also have a red light function. Thanks to our micro-prism technology, the lanterns provide efficient, glare-free and targeted illumination at any time of day or night. Two hooks, a removable stand and a magnet ensure that the lanterns can be attached flexibly. If you want to charge your cell phone in an emergency, you can simply use the lanterns as a power bank. When fishing, however, make sure that the lanterns do not fall into the water. They have IP66 protection, so they should not fall into the water. However, splashes and jets of water are okay.
The benefits of the ML6 at a glance:
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IP66 protection
Red light function
Luminosity of up to 750 lumens
- Operating temperatures from -20 to 40 degrees
- Different brightness levels