by Captain Cefus McRae,Nuts &Bolts of Fishing
I’ve always enjoyed fishing at night for several reasons. The seas are usually a bit calmer,the weather is more comfortable,and the fishing can actually be a lot better,especially on a full moon. When I was first introduced to the concept of the Esca,it made perfect sense…using bioluminescent light to attract game fish. I’ve known for years the benefits,actually the necessity,of using light to bring big swordfish up from the depths. However,the lights commonly used are simply strobes or chemical light sticks. They put out plenty of light,but they do not truly mimic the way real sea creatures use their light organs to feed,attract mates or escape predators. Sea life with bioluminescent capabilities each as a distinct color,and light pattern,much like birds of the same species have similar songs.
Esca has combined the correct light color and on/off patterns to attract predator fish in for a quick meal. And the electromagnetic field that is created around the lure light itself adds another dimension to the Esca’s fish attracting qualities…the game fish senses that the lure is actually alive.
Now I must admit,I was somewhat skeptical when I first saw the Esca,and really didn’t know how well it would work,or how much it would increase my hook-up percentage. There are a lot of products out there that claim to work magic on bringing fish to the hook. So I decided on a real-world test. I would fish with two of the same lures and rigs…one with the Esca,and one without. I really liked the fact that there’s no battery required. Saltwater is all that´s needed. Should you loose one to a toothy critter,you can feel good about not contaminating the environment. And a coincidental by-product is the fact that this electromagnetic field is very similar to the same biological ‘electricity’ that living beings have.
The first test was going to be a hard one…high-speed,daytime trolling with big lipped plugs and skirted lures. In the clear water of the Gulf of Mexico,the light would have little effect,so we could see whether or not the electromagnetic field had anything to do with the bite. Fishing was a little slow this day,almost no current offshore,and bright sun. We caught a total of 3 fish,including one of the biggest Spanish Mackerels I’ve ever seen. Every fish hit the lure equipped with an Esca. In fairness,we did have a couple of knock-downs on other rods without Esca’s,but the fish did not stay connected. Perhaps this is a testimony to the effectiveness of the electromagnetic field.
As the sun went down,we anchored up for our nighttime Esca trial. Again,we fished with rigs equipped with the Esca,and identical rigs with no Esca. During the early part of the evening,the mangrove snapper were biting anything we would throw at them… whether equipped with an Esca or not. However,as the evening wore on,and the fish became more wary of our presence,and the current began to slow,it became clear the rigs getting the most bites,and hook-up’s,were all equipped with Esca’s. We also found this particular group of snappers preferred the blue,fading version over the green or the blinking versions. But that’s what fishing is all about. Figure out what they want,and then give it to them. We also discovered the bite was significantly stronger,and more deliberate on the rigs with Esca’s. They just seemed attack the rig more voraciously.
In this case,we found out that these fish definitely zoned in on the Esca’s. Although our study was somewhat less that pure science, it’s fair to say that the Esca out-performed the non-Esca rigs by at least 3 to 1.
This trip we went “catching” instead of fishing,and the Esca definitely made a believer out of me.
Captain Cefus McRae
Nuts &Bolts of Fishing
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