Illuminating the Catch: How StrikeTek’s Programmable Lure Lighting Elevates Your Fishing

Fish Vision Underwater: A Broader Spectrum Than Ours

Fish don’t see the world like we do – in fact, most game fish have an extra dimension to their vision. Whereas humans have three types of color receptors, many sportfish possess four cone types sensitive to red, green, blue and ultraviolet wavelengths[1]. This means fish can detect UV light that is invisible to us, perceiving a richer palette of cues in the water. Evolution has tailored predatory fish to capitalize on these visual cues. For example, baitfish often have markings only visible in UV, which they use to signal each other while staying covert to larger predators[2]. By tapping into UV and full RGB color, the StrikeTek™ smart lure essentially speaks the same visual language as the fish. It outputs light in all key wavelengths fish can see, including a UV flash that human eyes won’t notice but fish definitely will[3]. This broad-spectrum approach ensures the lure can be seen by your target species in conditions where ordinary lures blend into the background.

How Water and Light Conditions Affect Lure Visibility

Water is not air – it’s a natural filter that dramatically alters how color and light travel. Different colors fade out at different depths: red light disappears within just a few meters, orange and yellow follow, while green and blue penetrate the deepest[4][5]. It’s the reason open ocean water looks blue, and why a red lure might look brown or grey once it’s a few fathoms down. Time of day also plays a role. At high noon with the sun overhead, more light reaches deeper into the water, but in early morning or late afternoon, the low-angle sunlight means much less light penetrates the surface[6]. Add factors like cloud cover or murky water, and you can imagine that fish often hunt in a world of dim, filtered hues.

Different wavelengths of light penetrate water to varying depths. Longer wavelengths (reds, oranges) are absorbed quickly, whereas shorter wavelengths (greens, blues, UV) reach much deeper[4]. This is why choosing the right light color for your lure is critical for visibility at different depths and conditions.

Given these facts of physics, matching your lure’s light to the conditions is crucial. In deep or clear water, a blue-green light can cut through three times more water column distance than a red or orange light[7], effectively acting like a beacon to distant fish even 15+ meters away. Conversely, in shallow or stained water at dusk, you might choose a high-contrast flash – even a UV or bright chartreuse pulse – to stand out in the gloom[3][8]. The beauty of an app-controlled lure is that an angler can dial in exactly the color profile needed: for example, a subtle blue flicker under a bright midday sun (to avoid spooking fish in clear conditions), or an aggressive white strobe at night or in muddy water to grab attention when visibility is low. The StrikeTek lure’s Bluetooth app puts this control in your hands, letting you tailor the hue and brightness in seconds to match the water clarity, depth, and time of day.

Adapting Color to Species and Time of Day

Just as conditions vary, different fish species have their own visual quirks and preferences. Experienced anglers know that choosing the “right” color can differ for bass versus trout versus marlin. Part of this is biology: some fish have better sensitivity to certain parts of the spectrum, or superior low-light vision. For instance, salmon and steelhead actually shift their dominant eye receptors with life stage – in deep ocean they see blue-green best, but when they move shallow to spawn, their eyes ramp up red sensitivity[9]. Walleye, on the other hand, are legendary for their night vision; they have a reflective layer in the eye and an abundance of rod cells, giving them an edge in low-light and a strong response to luminous lures[10]. Bass are sight-hunters often found in varying clarity water; in clear daylight they may shy from gaudy colors and prefer natural hues, yet in murky water or low light they’ll strike boldly contrasting colors like chartreuse or black[11][12]. What this means for a smart lure is that no single color is “best” at all times – the best color is the one tuned to your target species and conditions at that moment.

Using the StrikeTek’s app, anglers can quickly select proven color programs for their target. A few examples:

·         Largemouth Bass: In bright clear water, try a subtle green or shad-like blue flash to mimic prey fish. In low-light dawn or dusk, switching to a darker blue or even a periodic black-light UV flash can create the contrast bass need to zero in[13][14]. Many bass anglers swear by chartreuse accents in stained water – with this lure you can program a chartreuse-green pulse that “pops” in algae-tinted water, taking advantage of how fluorescent chartreuse glows under UV[15].

·         Walleye & Nocturnal Feeders: These fish feed at night or in dim “walleye chop” conditions. A program featuring intermittent glow or UV-powered pulses can be deadly. Walleye respond well to lures that emit a faint glow or flash in the 400–500 nm range (blue-green) because it remains visible at depth[16]. For deep jigging after dark, you might run StrikeTek in a slow-burst UV+blue strobe mode, essentially a glowing beacon that walleyes can track in pitch black where their vision gives them an advantage[17].

·         Trout & Salmon: In clear mountain streams or open water, these fish can be color-shy, so a gentler approach works. A soft UV or blueish flicker can imitate the spark off scales of minnows without scaring them off. Notably, trout are UV-sensitive[1]. In deeper lakes or ocean trolling, a blue/green oscillating flash helps maintain visibility since red/orange lures would be invisible at depth[4]. And when targeting salmonids that have turned shallow (e.g., spawning salmon), consider adding in some red flashes – their eyes at that stage actually pick up reds more strongly[9].

·         Saltwater Game Fish: Many pelagic saltwater species (tuna, mahi-mahi, billfish) are attracted to fast flickers and bright baitfish-like flashes. Blue and green LED sequences have performed best in field trials to concentrate ocean fish[18]. If you’re night-fishing under a moonless sky, a high-intensity strobe (common colors are green or white in commercial swordfish lights) can draw curious pelagics from afar. With StrikeTek you can replicate those deep-drop lights used for swordfish – for example, a bright green strobe to lure squid or baitfish which in turn draw the larger predators. Then, you might add a periodic UV blink to mimic the bioluminescence many marine creatures emit, tapping into cues swordfish or squid are used to seeing in the dark depths.

These are just a few scenarios – the key is that any time of day or target species can have an optimal lighting strategy. Because the StrikeTek lure is fully programmable, it’s like having dozens of specialized lures in one. Instead of carrying separate glow lures, UV-coated lures, or different colored lures for each fish, you can adjust on the fly. If the midday sun gives way to an overcast afternoon, you can instantly swap to a more vivid color or higher intensity pattern to maintain visibility. If the fish aren’t responding to one color, simply open the app and try another until you find what triggers a bite. Serious fishermen know that adapting to conditions is half the battle – and this smart lure makes adaptation effortless.

Pulsing and Strobing: Mimicking Life to Trigger Strikes

It’s not just what color you shine, but how you shine it that matters. The StrikeTek lure allows precise control of pulse rate, pattern, and duration – and these dynamics can make a huge difference in enticing fish to attack. Why? In nature, flashes of light often equate to movement. Think of the quick glint off a minnow’s scales as it darts, or the stutter of light when a wounded baitfish flails on its side. Predators are finely tuned to notice those sudden contrasts and flickers – it signals prey in panic, an easy meal. Lab tests have confirmed this: in a controlled swim-tank experiment at James Cook University, identical lures with flashing LEDs provoked 37% more feeding strikes than those without light[19]. Similarly, fisheries research using illuminated nets found that dynamic lighting sequences “herd” fish – blue-green flashing patterns concentrated schools and even increased catch rates by 20–60% for target species[18]. In plain terms, a blinking, throbbing lure appears alive and interesting, whereas a static one might be overlooked as just another piece of debris.

With an app-programmable lure, you have full command over these patterns. You can set a rapid strobe that acts as a long-range call – useful for open water when you need fish to notice the lure from afar. (Some offshore anglers speculate that an intermittent flash works better than a steady light because fish don’t acclimate to it – the novelty persists and piques curiosity every time[20][21].) On the other hand, when fish are already nearby or following, a throbbing pulse or irregular flicker can seal the deal by suggesting a struggling baitfish. The StrikeTek’s built-in Adaptive Pulse Logic™ actually automates this to some extent: using onboard sensors, it will speed up the flash when you crank the lure faster, and slow it down when you pause[22]. This mimics exactly what a real school of bait does – burst of frantic flashes on the chase, then faint flickers of “wounded” movement when motionless. Even without that mode, you can manually program similar behavior via the app – e.g. a program that cycles through fast flicker and rest, to simulate an injured fish that periodically kicks. Such patterns play on a predatory fish’s wiring: once the fish comes within close range, those chaotic micro-flashes can trigger a reflex strike[7], the same way a cat pounces when a laser pointer darts erratically.

The UV Advantage: Unseen Light That Fish Can’t Ignore

Ultraviolet lighting is a secret weapon in fishing that most anglers have never actually “seen” – literally, since we humans can’t perceive UV. But many fish can see into the UV spectrum[1], and it gives them an edge in low-light environments. UV light penetrates water almost as well as blue light does[23], which means a UV-emitting lure remains visible even when the water is murky, stained, or the sun is low. Moreover, a lot of modern lures use UV-reactive paint or fluorescent colors because under UV illumination these pigments glow brilliantly[24][15]. For example, the popularity of fluorescent chartreuse and hot pink lures isn’t just because they’re bright to our eyes – under UV, they look like neon signs to fish. StrikeTek’s dual UV emitters exploit this by layering UV flashes into the lure’s output. A quick ultraviolet strobe can make the lure “pop” by energizing any UV-reactive surface on the lure or simply by directly stimulating the fish’s UV-sensitive cones. Importantly, UV light doesn’t scare off predators that lack UV vision (they simply won’t see it), yet it adds contrast for those species that do see UV, acting like a glowing outline around the lure[25]. Think of it as adding a special fish-only highlight reel to your presentation.

In practical terms, UV lighting is especially helpful for dawn, dusk, and deep-water scenarios. Consider low-light freshwater situations: walleye and crappie anglers often report better success with glow jigs or UV-coated lures at night – now instead of a passive glow, you can emit active UV flashes to continually recharge that glow and maintain visibility[17][26]. In saltwater, deep-dropping for species like swordfish often involves clipping a UV or violet light to the leader; StrikeTek builds that in, so your lure can serve double-duty as both lure and attractor. Another interesting aspect of UV is how prey fish use it: studies found that baitfish like damselfish rely on UV patterns to recognize each other and signal distress, a “private channel” invisible to larger predators[2]. By simulating those UV flashes, you’re effectively hacking the prey’s communication system – sending out signals of distressed bait that certain game fish can detect instinctively. Finally, StrikeTek’s approach of overlaying a brief UV burst at the end of an RGB sequence (a “UV finishing move”) is designed to push tentative followers over the edge[27]. If a fish has trailed the lure but not yet struck, that sudden UV flicker can appear like the gleam of scales or fins – a sign of life that triggers a last-second hit.

Programmable Eye Ring: Targeting the Strike Zone

One unique feature of the StrikeTek lure is its illuminated eye-ring – an RGB LED integrated into the “eye” of the lure, which the angler can also program. This isn’t just for looks; it serves a tactical purpose in eliciting strikes. Predatory fish are often hardwired to aim for the head of their prey – the location of the eyes and brain – to quickly immobilize it. Lure makers have long known that realistic eyes on a bait can trigger an instinctual response in predators[28]. In murky water, even a small glint from a holographic stick-on eye can draw a bass or pike in for a closer look[29]. Now imagine that effect amplified by actual light. A glowing eye-ring acts as a natural target focus for the fish, essentially shouting “Strike here!” to an incoming predator. By programming the eye LED to a contrasting color or pulse independent of the main body, you create a two-part visual cue: the body flash gets the fish’s attention, and the distinct eye glow guides their attack to the head of the lure. This can improve hook-up ratios, since a head-focused strike is more likely to snag the front treble hook solidly.

You can experiment with different eye colors to see what local fish respond to. For example, setting the eye to a pulsing red while the body flashes white might suggest blood or gill flashes – a subtle trigger for feeding aggression. Red light fades quickly in water, which actually can work in your favor at close range: the red eye may not be visible from far away (letting the main blue/green flash do the long-distance attraction), but as the fish nears, suddenly that eerie red “eye shine” becomes visible and presents an enticing vulnerable spot. In clear water where fish can get a good look, a natural-looking eye (like a steady dim amber or green) might be better to avoid spooking wary fish. The point is, the eye-ring gives you yet another customizable tool to make the lure appear lifelike. Much like an angler adding a dab of glowing paint to a jighead or using lures with 3D eyes, you’re leveraging the predator’s own targeting instincts. And since it’s programmable, the eye can be synced with the rest of the LEDs or set to its own rhythm – perhaps a slow “blink” while the body strobe is faster – creating a multi-layered illusion of a living, blinking baitfish. In the underwater arms race between angler and fish, these fine details can translate into more strikes from educated trophy-sized fish that might ignore a standard lure.

An All-Conditions, All-Species Solution for Serious Anglers

The ultimate goal of the StrikeTek smart lure’s lighting system is flexibility. We designed it to be programmable to cover as many species and scenarios as possible, so anglers from the bass lakes of freshwater Midwest to the bluewater offshore reefs can all fine-tune it to their needs. Both saltwater and freshwater environments come with their challenges, and no single static lure is ideal for everything. But a dynamic lure can be, because you adjust it to become the optimal lure for that moment. Through the mobile app, you’re essentially carrying a tackle box of infinite colors and patterns in your pocket. If you’re a muskie or barra fisherman up before dawn, you might program a vigorous flashing sequence to fire up those apex predators in the low light. If you’re a finesse trout angler at noon, you can run a subtle glimmer that adds just a touch of life-like flash to your presentation. The lure can do rapid strobes for attracting open-water hunters, or slow pulses for coaxing finicky feeders. It’s all user-choice, and it can all be changed on the fly in seconds via Bluetooth.

Importantly, we also considered the practicalities for hardcore anglers. Battery life is managed by efficient burst-control circuitry[30], so you don’t end up with a dead lure mid-trip even if you’ve been running an aggressive light program. The LEDs are arranged behind a special lens to give 360° coverage, meaning fish approaching from any side get the full effect of the flash[31]. And for those worried about “too much” light, default profiles include an automatic dimming mode after a period of inactivity, so the lure can rest with a faint glow rather than spooking fish once you’ve paused it[32]. We’ve also kept in mind that some fisheries have regulations on artificial lights – the app allows you to download species-specific or region-specific patterns that comply with local rules[32]. In other words, this isn’t a gimmick – it’s a thoughtfully engineered system to augment your angling skills.

Conclusion: Light Up Your Lure, Elevate Your Game

When it comes down to it, fish strike what they can see and what convinces them it’s alive. StrikeTek’s programmable RGB+UV lighting system is built on that simple truth, backed by both science and on-the-water testing. By combining depth-reaching blue/green flashes with predator-enticing UV accents, and by tailoring pulse patterns to mimic the erratic signals of prey, this smart lure essentially hacks the visual senses of fish to your advantage. Independent studies and trials have shown that properly tuned lights on a lure don’t just get noticed – they provoke more strikes[19][18]. The ability to adjust color and rhythm at will means you can confidently tackle any water, any time, targeting any species, knowing you’re offering the fish precisely what triggers them in that moment. For the expert angler who already “knows their stuff,” this technology is a force multiplier – it lets you apply all that knowledge (about fish behavior, habitat, weather, etc.) instantly to your lure’s presentation. For the recreational fisherman, it provides a shortcut to optimizing lure performance without needing a garage full of different baits.

In the end, the StrikeTek philosophy is simple: Rig it, cast it, light it up – then hold on tight. By the time you see that flash of a fish turning on your lure, it’s often already too late for the fish to resist. With smart lighting in your arsenal, get ready to experience more aggressive strikes in all conditions. It’s not magic, it’s science – and it’s lighting the way to better fishing success[33].

Sources: The information above is supported by research on fish vision and lure lighting, including studies on fish cone photoreceptors[1], NOAA data on light penetration in water[4], the observed effects of UV and LED lure enhancements in both lab and field settings[18][19], and expert angling resources on effective lure colors for various species and conditions[34][24]. These references and trials underpin why the StrikeTek lure was designed with programmable RGB and UV LEDs, dynamic pulse control, and an illuminated eye – all aimed at leveraging fish biology for a higher strike rate.