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We’ve been hearing rumblings from our southern fisherman friends about the Green Blob Fishing Light for a while now. Many types of sports fish are active at night, and adding light is rumored to attract them. Some have said it works great, while others think it’s a gimmick. So which is it? As with any new fishing technology, we took it upon ourselves to learn as much as we could about the Green Blob and report back our findings.
We started by learning how the Green Blob works as well as who’s using it for what types of fish. We then moved on to how to set up the attraction light successfully, along with existing consumer reports (both good and bad). Finally, we give our personal recommendations. So what are you waiting for? Let’s dive in.
What is the Green Blob Fishing Light?
The Green Blob Fishing Light is a column of green LED lights that are lowered underwater to attract fish at night. It comes in multiple sizes and lumen specifications (up to 15,000 for 12-volt batteries, and 30,000 for 110-volt wall sockets).
Authors Note: The 12-volt Green Blob Fishing Light is portable and can be used from a boat, while the 110-volt version is meant for mounting below a dock or waterfront property. The detailed specifications for each are listed below.
12-volt Green Blob Fishing Light
- Comes in 7,500 lumens (150 LED lights) and 15,000 lumens (300 LED lights).
- 7,500-lumen version is 9 inches long.
- 15,000-lumen version is 16 inches long.
- It comes with alligator clips for use with boat battery.
- Draws 4.5 amps DC.
- Works in both saltwater and freshwater.
- Covered by a 6-month limited warranty.
110-volt Green Blob Fishing Light
- Comes in 7,500 lumens (150 LED lights), 15,000 lumens (300 LED lights), and 30,000 (600 LED lights) lumens.
- 7,500-lumen version is 9 inches long.
- 15,000 and 30,000 lumen versions are 16 inches long.
- Included extension cord is either 30 or 50 feet.
- Works in both saltwater and freshwater.
- Covered by a 6-month limited warranty.
How Does it Work?
So how does an underwater light attract fish? Just as fishermen congregate in areas of water that have the fish they like to catch and eat, fish do the same with areas that have a high density of the food. Most fish like to inhabit water that is rich in smaller fish, plankton, or shrimp.
It makes their job of finding food much easier and allows them to thrive. This is how the food chain works; the smaller fish and shrimp in turn also enjoy hanging out where their food lives. This repeats as the creatures get smaller and smaller.
Many underwater creatures (fish included) have color receptors in their eyes that are optimized for light in their place of living. This allows them to sense changes in light density more effectively, which in turn helps them survive.
Fish that feed heavily at night typically have a prominent feature in their eyes known as the tapetum lucidum. This layer of tissue is a retroreflector and focuses the available light to the retina as a sort of biological night-vision.
Walleye have a very prominent silver tapetum lucidum, hence their names, but many other fish such as tuna have a prominent tapetum lucidum as well, and most mammals have them as well like cows, deer, and other animals, hence why their eyes glow at night when lights are shined at them.
Fish often have two receptors, one in the blue part of the visible light spectrum (425-490 nm) and the other in the near UV part of the spectrum. (320-380 nm). Plankton and shrimp also have blue and near UV light receptors, with the addition of green (530 nm).
Authors Note: This means that having a blue or green light underwater helps these creatures see their prey, and helps them feed. Since the shrimp, plankton, and small fish are attracted to the green light, the larger game fish then are attracted to the same area.
Ideally, the light should have the following properties:
- Emits light at a high intensity to cut through the water.
- Emits light in the color spectrum similar to what fish and fish prey can see.
- It is submersible.
What Type of Fish Does it Attract?
In theory, the Green Blob Light should attract many types of fish. Many common types of fish prey see in the green light spectrum and will be attracted to the light. Another thing that needs to be considered, however, is what types of fish are active at night (since during the day the lights aren’t bright enough to function).
The fish you’re fishing for has to be eating/active in order for you to catch it. The following types of fish are active at night and should work well with the Green Blob Light.
Freshwater
- Large and Smallmouth Bass (check out our bass reel guide too!)
- Walleye (we covered tips on ice fishing for walleye as well).
- Catfish.
- White bass.
- Crappie.
- Carp.
Saltwater
- Tarpon.
- Snook.
- Perch.
- Sharks.
- Redfish.
- Speckled trout.
- Cobia.
- Need a saltwater reel? Check out our best saltwater spinning reels guide!
Does it Actually Work?
The questions we’ve all been asking: does the Green Blob Fishing Light actually work? The short answer, yes – definitely. The science behind why the Green Blob Fishing Light is sound, and the fishermen we’ve spoken to have noticed a significant increase in baitfish and game fish where they use their light.
There are some stipulations and learnings, however. Several fishermen we talked to found a heightened success rate if they mounted their Green Blob Light to a fixed location (such as a dock) and allowed the fish to get used to it being there.
As the smaller animals get used to the light turning out every night, they tend to hide nearby during the day and come back repeatedly at night.
Author Note: It also depends on what other light sources are nearby. Fishermen have seen more success when using the lights in areas that would otherwise be pitch black without them.
The green blob light won’t catch fish for you, and if the fish aren’t actively feeding the light won’t make them magically bite, what the light really does for anglers is call in baitfish and keep them there, and this means if the predators are indeed active when you are fishing, they will likely be there.
Where Can I Buy One?
Lucky for you Green Blob Fishing Lights are stocked on Amazon. You can find the 12-volt portable one here and the 110-volt version here.
Final Thoughts
The Green Blob Fishing Light lives up to the hype. The reason why it works is backed up by science, and its application works for many types of fish – in both freshwater and saltwater. Unfortunately, our office isn’t close enough to water to mount a permanent one, but something tells me Finn will be purchasing one soon for his boat.
Got a Green Blob Light story you want to share with us? Shoot us a note in the comments below!
Happy Hunting!
