Headlight or hand held spot light?

Hey All,

I’m looking to consider mounting a headlight on my 2012 Ranger 178c aluminum boat or use a handheld spot light. I’ll be crappie fishing at night and that’s why I ask. Thanks in advance.

As a reminder, headlights on the water blind other boaters and you will have let your eyes readjust when you turn it off.
I normally can see especially with the moon out without the need of a light but have used a headlamp.


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If you're going to use it to navigate at night, just remember that it's illegal to keep the light on at all times. Supposedly, that's to keep from blinding the driver of any oncoming boat (but I think it was pushed by nighttime Bass anglers that were tired of being spotlighted, giving up their honeyhole banks/spots or spooking the fish on that bank. :Rofl )

I've had/used both, mounted & hand-held, and prefer hand-held ... so that I can sweep the water in front of me when there's floating trash & trees (stumps/limbs) and I have to make a quick decision as to whether to cut left or cut right or shut'er down. Back when I fished at night, it was mostly at Herrington and usually on a weekend night. There were always Bass tourneys going on & boats running up and down the lake all night, but their spotlights didn't really bother me while running or while fishing.

Headlamps work well for tying on and taking fish off the hook. Hands free. Some of them are powerful enough for spotlight navigating as well.

I carry my 20v Dewalt handheld on the boat for emergencies although we don’t night fish.

I run a pair of 130 halogen seal beam aircraft landing lights. There were 2 on my old boat when i bought it but on another new one i bought i mounted one of the same ones on the trolling motor & it was plenty. I do turn them off if meeting another boat & my light will bother them. I fish Cumberland a lot at night & from spring when i usually striper fish at night until around the first part of July it can be very dangerous with huge trees floating everywhere. I have been pulled over once by a fish & wildlife officer & was told " Buddy you've got the brightest dang headlights i've ever saw on a boat. :Rofl He also said he wasn't a **** about them like a lot of wardens & totally understood why we ran lights on boats. :dono You can get by with one easily no problem. I also run them off & on when the lakes clear of trash instead of constantly.

I have a mounted light on my boat and use a hand held . If I meet a boat I kill the big light, slow down and use the hand held if needed, keeping it pointed away from the on coming boat.


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I think at the end of the day it would be a good investment to have a headlamp regardless of your decision.

You never know when you're going to be in an emergency and need an extra light. Theyre helpful if your landing had light issues. Plus they're great on and off the boat.

Look for auction houses in your area. The zoom auction, buy it now I watched last night had hand held and headlamps of good quality for $10 and 15.

I keep a hi power flashlight and a headlamp onboard. Last fall, I also bought a clamp-on (waterproof) floodlight from Coast. It's meant for use at construction sites, but I clamp it on my windshield and use it when coming in to the dock after dark. Comes in handy for those early morning launches too. I always motor along slowly and very cautiously in the dark, and having these lights available are handy for sure.

I would carry a hand help flashlight for backup. Were you planning on running far? I think a spotlight is good but many mount large running lights on the front. But I hate them in the way in daylight. If your using just fishing buy one of the clamp on lights with large aluminum reflector . We cut off the cord and add battery clamps and use a large 12 volt bulb instead of 110v bulb it is designed for.

I MOUNTED ONE STATIONARY ON A BOAT AND IT WAS ALWAYS IN THE WAY .