1. Crappie light … a car headlight encased in Styrofoam, which floats on water shining down, with a long cord and alligator clips that attach to one of the boat batteries.

2. Fluorescent tube types …some sink, some float, come in different sizes, put out a green light and attached to battery the same way

. Advantage to crappie light is cost, approx. $10, and compact size. Primary disadvantage is heavy current draw. It can completely drain a heavy-duty battery in 4 nights, or 20 to 30 hours of use. However it does the job fine and I used one effectively for many years

. Advantage to Fluorescent tube types is minimal current draw and tests show green light travels under water 5 times farther than white light before being diffused. It can be run off any boat battery and cause little noticeable battery draw down. The small ones cost $20 to $40. The Hydro Glow is 4’ long, the most powerful, comes in a protective case… the Cadillac of the lot, but costs $220.

My experience is the Hydro Glow will draw plankton and shad quicker and probably more, however the crappie light will draw all you need with maybe a 20 minute lag time. I now use a Hydro Glow and carry a couple of crappie lights as spares.

The real question is no one knows how much plankton and shad are needed to effectively draw in stripers. Though a crappie light works effectively, the minimal current draw alone makes the Hydro Glow worthwhile for me, though that wouldn’t be as much of a concern if my trips were only a couple of nights long. My recommendation for someone new is to buy a crappie light and see how you like the night fishing experience. It’s inexpensive and will work fine. If you become hooked and night fishing becomes a major focus of your trips, then consider buying the Cadillac.