by Daniel Clark

As a photoluminescent chemist, I didn't realize the level of bio engineering that goes into designing fishing tackle. To say the least, I was surprised when I received a phone call from the engineer at Michigan Stinger requesting technical data. That call took place over two years ago. Since then, the Stinger engineers have performed over a hundred laboratory and real-life tests to design an efficient high end lure. As I write this review, their 2004 line of glow lures are being distributed to tackle shops around the world.

Fish think about food like a hungry teenager. If they see something that looks appetizing, they throw it in their mouth as fast as they can. Therefore, the biggest requirement of a great lure is that it can be seen from a distance. But the hard part is to design a lure that looks more appetizing than the local feeder fish. Any mom that has to prepare healthy meals to compete with junk food will fully understand the complexity.

There are about 10 companies currently manufacturing glow in the dark lures. The majority simply took existing lures and added a layer of the Ultra Green Glow Paint. While this definitely increases performance, there was a lot of room for improvement. Therefore, I will detail some of the technical aspects of the new Stinger line which sets them apart.

It is a fact that fish prefer their victims to have scales. For the last 20-30 years, it was thought that shiny, smooth lures had better performance. At the time, this was true. Shiny lures improved visibility at a distance when they reflected light from the surface. But photoluminescent pigment removes that benefit. Careful observation of fish shows that a smooth, shiny surface actually sometimes discouraged fish as they approached the lure.

To address this, Stinger's engineers stamped tiny random hexagons into the metal of the lure. Although the lure now had scales, it was still a bit too shiny, so they added a texture to the paint to eliminate reflections.

The second major fact is that fish like to eat raw fish. In Japan, they call this sushi. The best sushi is colorful and as such is more attractive. Once again, fish go crazy over something bright from a distance. But as they approach, they want something that looks edible. While a 3-mile island glowing green fish looks like caviar when you are starving, it is not so appealing as a mid-day snack.

For many years, manufactures painted lures with a variety of contrasting colors in fish inspired shapes. No one has a doubt that this highly increases performance. But when it came to glow paint, that knowledge went out the window.

When they started mimicking the colors and designs of the regular lures with different colors of glow paint, they found it made a massive improvement. Tests showed that fish would lock their radar at a distance and kept approaching right through the attack.

As you can see, they made major technological improvements to something as basic and simple as a lure. They now had a lure that was visible at a distance and attractive as food at close range. But they decided to address another performance concern that they witnessed late in the process.

Photoluminescent paint is highly visible in moderate to low-light conditions. In moderate to bright conditions, this long range visibility does not exist without some help. They addressed this issue with fluorescent pigments, which convert UV light from the sun into a highly visible, almost neon light. This is bright enough to increase long-range visibility, yet it is not focused enough to discourage the predator.

Although it is an expensive proposition for any manufacturer, Stinger actually adds regular pigment, fluorescent pigment, and photoluminescent pigment to every color of their new line of glow lures.

To the regular human, these enhancements will not visibly be the most impressive. In fact, lures made by other manufacturers are much prettier. But to a fish, it is the difference between a greasy Chicken McNugget and a slow cooked basted turkey.

I commend Michigan Stinger for doing the research to produce a truly advanced product. If your favorite pass-time is sitting on a boat, relaxing, and drinking beer, than these high-end lures are not for you. On the other hand, if you like reelin' 'em in, then give technology a try.

You may consider glow lures the latest fad, but Michigan Stinger's long list of national fishing trophies backs their ability to do one thing ...... Catch Fish!

Michigan Stinger's Glow Lures are distributed by Advanced Tackle. You can visit their website at www.mistinger.com. If you don't know the difference between a mouse and a keyboard, you may be better off calling (800) 299-4353.