Made in Florida Series: Battery-Powered Fishing Lights

Wonder what goes into manufacturing the tackle, gear and accessories we all use today? Anglers often take for granted the tremendous effort it requires to engineer, design and build all of the equipment and countless components which combine to enhance our boating and sport fishing experiences. You name it, and somewhere in Florida is a team of dedicated professionals investing long hours to produce the assortment of fishing gear we so cherish. We wanted to learn more about these people and about the products they specialize in and know that you, too, will be fascinated with what we discover in our ongoing quest to find out “how it’s made.”

Few companies in Florida’s saltwater fishing industry – either commercial or recreational – deserve as much recognition as Pompano Beach’s Lindgren-Pitman. While the name may not sound as familiar as some of the other Florida big wigs, Lindgren-Pitman deserves credit for numerous innovations which continue to enhance our favorite pastime. As a matter of fact, Lindgren-Pitman was the first to manufacture an electric reel designed specifically for heavy-duty deep water fishing. Most of those original workhorses, including the very first one assembled in 1975, are still hauling in fish today.

Early on, the company took two directions with John Pitman heading off into a successful high-end marine electronics business and Pete Lindgren branching off into what he knew best, engineering innovative top-quality fishing products. He has since earned a well-respected reputation in the industry. Over the years, Lindgren has seen his company grow to more than 20 employees with more than 37,000 sq. ft. of industrial warehouse space.

In the recreational sector, Primeline® monofilament line and leader material, carbon-steel hooks, and the most innovative electric fishing reel in existence – the S-1200® – are just a few of this manufacturer’s leading-edge products. However, Lindgren-Pitman’s line of battery-powered fishing lights called Electralumes®, which are primarily used when targeting highly migratory swordfish, separate Pete and his dedicated crew far apart from the competition.

Fishing with lights is perhaps one of the most interesting developments in modern angling, especially when it comes to deep-dropping in near abyssal depths for demersal snapper and grouper and when plying the Florida Straits for powerful broadbill swordfish. Certainly there are prolific waters around the world where mighty broadbills are coerced without the attraction of fish lights, but those locales are the exception and not the rule.

Some sort of light source has been used by swordfishermen for years. The most primitive were developed back in the early 1970s by Cuban long-liners targeting swordfish off the coast of Miami. The foreign crews employed amber burning kerosene smudge pots, primarily to keep track of their relatively short long-lines. It didn’t take them long to realize that an increased number of swordfish were being captured directly below the lighted pots. Put two and two together, and shortly thereafter, nighttime fishermen everywhere were turning to relatively new chemical light sticks as an alternative to the not-so-user-friendly kerosene pots. Lindgren-Pitman was at the forefront of the chemical light stick industry too, as a leading representative of American Cyanamid.

Most commonly available in four-inch tubes, the light in chemical light sticks is created by the interaction of oxalate ester and an activator. When the plastic tube is bent, an internal glass ampoule cracks, allowing the chemicals to interact and create energy which is emitted as a light source: in one of many colors with green being the most popular. During chemical light sticks heyday, Pete and his crew produced more than 40,000 units per day in their South Florida warehouse – most, of course, were being used by commercial swordfishing fleets worldwide. It’s still somewhat of a mystery as to whether a submerged light source affixed adjacent to hooked bait (typically large squid) actually attracts forage or pelagic game fish; either way, no one can dispute the concept’s effectiveness.

While chemical light sticks have gotten the job done and continue to do so today, they do have their limitations. Plus, environmental concerns continue to damper the products use. Not only do the internal chemicals have a harmful impact on the fragile marine eco-system, hungry seabirds eager for an easy meal find the elongated tubes, which somewhat resemble dead sardines, quite appealing. After swallowing, the birds perish from choking or worse yet, from ingesting the harsh contaminants. Factor in tens of thousands of discarded light sticks washing up on area beaches, and it’s easy to understand why the National Marine Fisheries Service encouraged manufacturers to produce a better mouse trap.

Battery-Powered Fishing Lights Are Not All Created Equal

One may be under the misconception that a battery-powered fishing light is a battery-powered fishing light, right? WRONG! The crew at Lindgren Pitman, led by Pete’s enthusiasm and engineering background, clearly saw the need for a more efficient and versatile light and stepped up to the plate in a huge way. The LP crew commenced on nearly a decade of exhaustive research and development, testing alternative light sources, colors, brightness, durability, longevity, and flash sequence – all factors that affect a fish light’s catchability. After a hefty investment of time, manpower and money, and an ongoing evolution of fine-tuning, the Electralume® has emerged as the next generation of environmentally-friendly battery-powered fishing light – the most versatile of its kind anywhere in the world.

What sets an Electralume® apart is LED illumination, rather than chemical, which means that Electralume® fish lights can be used over and over and don’t fade over time like chemical light sticks which typically have a one time use with a six hour burn time. Available in green, blue, white, red, aqua, two color, three color, and multiple color combinations in slow spectrum and fast spectrum flash sequences, and with a multiple use long-lasting battery life of up to 500 hours, Electralumes® offer a consistent high-intensity illumination that outperforms any other similar product. Plain and simple, an Electralume® lasts longer, penetrates deeper, and catches more fish!

What color Electralume® is the most effective is still debatable, though extensive research and testing, and a clear understanding of the aquatic light spectrum, proves that green, blue, white, or any combination thereof, will put you in the game. As far as ‘flashing’ or ‘steady on’ is concerned, it appears that as a game fish circles a squid before committing for the kill, even a ‘steady on’ two color light appears to be flashing – similar to the natural coloration of a pulsating squid.

Another common concern by recreational swordfishermen is precisely how far from the hook bait to affix the light. The general consensus among those who know best, the team who engineered, tested and continue to manufacturer the Electralume®, is approximately two fathoms (12 feet). While the distance can easily be adjusted to meet existing light conditions and moon phases, the recommended rule of thumb is the darker the night, the further from the bait the Electralume® should be placed.

While tens of thousands are in use today around the entire state of Florida and beyond, most recreational swordfishermen aren’t aware that Electralumes® can be fished in different positions. The split-ring and line clip can be applied to the bottom of the Electralume® so the light shines up into the water column rather than down. Doing this with a multi-colored or Mardi-Gras light which feature a light in the cap is an effective means of changing things up a little.

From 30 components to 13

After a long evolution process that started with more than 30 individual components nearly a decade ago, today’s construction of an Electralume® has evolved into a science and starts with the housing which must maintain a watertight seal to protect the fragile components in depths exceeding 2,000 feet – far from an easy task under such extreme pressures. Increasing the challenge is that along with manual operation, Electralumes® offer a patented user-friendly ‘auto on’ feature which works by compression. Once the Electralume® reaches a submerged depth of approximately 15 feet, the top and bottom portions of the housing compress and the light illuminates. Because swordfish are notorious for grabbing bait and racing to the surface, most anglers choose the manual on position.

The unique two-piece housing is injection molded of bulletproof optical-grade polycarbonate in a local South Florida facility before being shipped to LP for final assembly. The shape of the housing has been carefully scrutinized to produce maximum light in the optimum direction, down into the strike zone where swordfish are likely feeding. This is when a pair of specialized lithium batteries are inserted into the base of the housing which output just the right amount of juice to produce the most ideal brightness, a carefully considered and thoroughly tested factor. Once the batteries are in place, a pre-assembled circuit board containing the minuscule LEDs is inserted into the top portion of the housing and permanently pressed into place.

Lubricated O-rings are inserted, the two piece protective shell is married, and a line clip is added with the use of a large split-ring. From there, the finished product is off to the retailer before finally making it into the hands of anxious swordfishermen searching for beastly broadbills.

Touring Lindgren-Pitman’s state-of-the-art facility, it’s easy to see that these guys take their business of producing top-quality, durable fish-catching innovations super seriously. They do not, and have never, produced a product that there was not a clear need for. They also do not copy existing products. The Lindgren-Pitman crew is comprised of innovators not duplicators! So the next time you are out swordfishing, take a few seconds to pay tribute to Pete Lindgren, Eric Brooks, and the rest of the LP gang for working so hard to insure our swordfish adventures are as successful as possible. Thanks guys, this broadbill is for you!