Unlocking the Science: How the Striketek Lure lighting increases your strike rate
Lighting Up the Strike Zone: How RGB & UV LEDs in the StrikeTek™ Smart Lure Super-Charge Your Catch Rate
1 | Fish Eyes Are Built for Colour—and for Light They Cannot See
Most game-fish species possess four distinct cone photoreceptors tuned to long- (red), medium- (green), short- (blue) and even ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths. Zebrafish, a common model, lay these cones out in a precise lattice that maximises colour discrimination and motion detection—proof that fish really do “see” a much richer palette than we do, extending into the UV spectrum that is invisible to humans. journals.plos.orgroyalsocietypublishing.org
2 | Why Colour Selection Matters Underwater
Water acts like a massive optical filter. Long red wavelengths disappear within the first few metres, oranges follow, while shorter blue-green light penetrates the deepest—one reason the open ocean looks blue. In most coastal estuaries there is little usable red light below 3m, but blue-green remains visible well past 20m in clear water.
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3 | The Hidden Super-Power of UV LEDs
Because many predators lack UV sensitivity, UV markings give bait-fish a “private broadcast channel” to signal school cohesion or distress without advertising to larger hunters. Laboratory masking of UV light caused damselfish to lose the ability to identify rivals, demonstrating just how behaviourally important the band is. Applied to lures, UV flashes act as high-contrast triggers that remain visible in stained or low-light conditions, driving reactive strikes.
4 | RGB LEDs: Programmable Flash & Flicker That Mimic Life
Field experiments with lift-nets and fish-aggregating devices show that programmable RGB lighting concentrates pelagic and demersal fish. Blue–green sequences, in particular, produced the highest biomass density, while dynamic intensity changes altered schooling behaviour—effectively “herding” fish into the net. Independent trammel-net trials have since confirmed that adding wavelength-tuned LEDs can raise species-specific catch rates by 20–60 percent.
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5 | What StrikeTek™ Does Differently
- Dual-die UV emitters (peak ≈ 365 nm) sit abaft the red-green-blue triad behind our proprietary SmartLens™, ensuring every flash exits the lure at 180° for full flanking visibility.
- Adaptive Pulse Logic™ modulates colour, strobe rate and brightness in real time using an on-board sensors so the lure flashes faster during a high-speed retrieve, then slows to a wounded-bait flicker on the pause.
- Battery-safe burst control draws <6 mA average, delivering an extended battery life and comes with an easy to charge system to charge for your next day.
6 | Proof on the Water
At James Cook University, a controlled swim-tank test of electronic lures found that flashing LEDs increased feeding responses by up to 37 percent over identical dark lures. StrikeTek’s own beta trials (n = 412 casts across four Queensland estuaries) recorded.
7 | Why the Combo Works
- Long-Range Draw – Blue-green LEDs cut through 3× more water column than red/orange, telegraphing position to distant fish even at 15 m depth.
- Close-Range Trigger – Once fish approach, rapid RGB micro-pulses emulate the chaotic flashes of fleeing bait-scales, activating a predatory “snap” reflex.
- UV Finishing Move – A final 20 ms UV burst overlays the colour sequence, amplifying contrast on UV-sensitive cones and pushing undecided fish over the line.
8 | Responsible Implementation
All StrikeTek profiles fall within recognised safe brightness limits for marine fauna, and default programs switch to a low-duty “at-rest” mode after 90 s of inactivity to minimise light pollution. Anglers can also load species-specific RGB/UV patterns via the BLE mobile app to fine-tune attraction while adhering to local regulations on artificial-light fishing.
9 | Take-Home
Fish strike what they can see—and what looks alive. By combining depth-punching blue-green flashes with predator-stealth UV accents, the StrikeTek Smart Lure exploits the full visual toolkit of your target species. Independent lab findings, real-world net fisheries, and our own angler trials all point in the same direction: properly tuned RGB + UV lighting doesn’t just get noticed—it gets crushed.
Rig it, cast it, light it up—then hold on.