Written by Jason Holland

With more fishermen discovering what illuminated pots can deliver, one of Alaska's best-kept fishing secrets may not remain under wraps for much longer.

Commercial fishermen are rarely willing to reveal the secrets behind a successful season. But in Alaska's Pacific cod fishery, one closely guarded innovation is beginning to emerge: underwater pot lights that can dramatically improve catches.

While illuminated fishing pots have been around for several years, widespread adoption has been limited by unreliable products. Many fishermen have had to rely on inexpensive imported lights or models which break or leak after only a handful of soaks, making them difficult to justify as a long-term investment.

That may now be changing, however.

Responding to a request from a long-standing customer in Kodiak, Alaska, engineers at U.K.-based Fishtek Marine have developed a new pot light specifically designed for the demanding conditions of commercial cod fisheries. Renowned for developing technologies that improve both the efficiency and selectivity of commercial fishing gear, the company has produced the only D-cell powered fishing light on the market rated to depths of 1,000 meters.

Manufactured from the same ultra-tough polymer used in riot shields, for example, Fishtek’s new PotLight PRO ‘SuperBright’ series  combines high light output with up to 500 hours of battery life from a single D-cell battery, offering fishermen a more durable and dependable alternative to existing products.

The idea originated with Kodiak fisherman Frank Miles, who fishes approximately 300 pots aboard the FV Sumner Strait. After trialing early versions of the lights, he quickly realized just how much of an advantage they could provide.

"For a couple of years, I kept very quiet about Fishtek's PotLights because I was out-fishing the rest of the fleet here in Kodiak by two-and-a-half or even three to one," Miles says. "Eventually, a few other fishermen cottoned on and started using them too – also seeing the benefits – the word was out!”

Amid growing demand, Fishtek Marine has now granted Miles local distribution rights for Kodiak Island through his new company, 49th State Marine Solutions, a venture he hopes to develop further as he gradually hands more of the fishing operation over to the next generation.

"When Frank first approached us, it quickly became clear that the issue wasn't whether lights worked – it was whether they could survive the realities of commercial fishing," says Tom Day, Fisheries Specialist at Fishtek Marine. "It was clear that fishermen needed a product that could withstand repeated deployments in harsh conditions, deliver reliable performance, and remain cost-effective over an entire season, so that's what we have built."

A wider shift in pot fisheries

According to Fishtek Marine, the growing interest in illuminated pots reflects a broader resurgence in pot fisheries around the world.

Increasingly recognised for producing premium-quality seafood while maintaining a low environmental footprint, pot fisheries are attracting renewed attention as fishermen look to improve efficiency, reduce operating costs, and fish more selectively.

Norway offers perhaps the most striking example of this movement to-date. Its cod pot fishery has expanded significantly in recent years, but unlike the baited pots commonly used in Alaska, Norwegian fishermen don't use bait at all. Instead, underwater lights attract krill, prawns and other small marine organisms, which in turn draws in predatory cod – a natural chain of events known as a “predatory cascade.” 

The result is a pot that effectively fishes continuously without the need for fresh bait, reducing both operating costs and time spent rebaiting gear.

Norwegian fishermen also use floating-frame pots that lift clear of the seabed, eliminating unwanted catches of benthic species such as snow crab. These crabs have also been shown to respond positively to artificial light, with Canadian fisheries reporting catch increases of up to 60%. Fishtek Marine advises there’s no evidence of lights working on any king crab species. 

Although Norwegian cod pots are typically only around one-sixth the size of those used in Alaska, individual pots can still produce catches exceeding 200 kilograms of premium Grade A cod.

"What's really exciting is that we're seeing interest from fisheries that are thousands of miles apart but facing many of the same challenges," says Day. "Whether it's Alaska, Norway or elsewhere, fishermen are looking for ways to reduce operating costs, improve catch efficiency, and fish more selectively. Something as simple as a light is becoming another tool that can help achieve those goals."

Fishing smarter

With commercial fisheries globally facing rising operating costs, changing environmental conditions, and increasing pressure to improve sustainability, technologies that enhance fishing efficiency without increasing fishing effort are attracting growing interest.

For pot fishermen, illuminated gear offers several advantages: higher catch rates, reduced hauling time and, in some fisheries, the opportunity to eliminate bait altogether while maintaining product quality and reducing environmental impacts

These benefits are also now being reported by other Alaskan fishermen, with Captain Zack Vargo of the F/V Polar Star saying the lights proved particularly effective on gear set overnight.

"When testing with the pot lights, I noticed an increased catch rate for pots that were set at night, sometimes up to 25%, making more hours of the day productive for hauling gear," says Vargo.

Interest is also beginning to extend beyond pot fisheries, with Pacific cod jig fishermen among those now experimenting with underwater lights to increase catch efficiency. Captain Eddie Perez of the F/V El Capporal recently compared two jigging machines fishing side by side: "We tried a Fishtek light on one jig machine and no light on another machine – the one with the light came up full and the one without the light only had three fish.”

Miles believes this innovation uptake reflects a wider shift across the industry.

"As the industry continues to evolve, we're seeing guys look to new technologies or modifications that improve efficiency without increasing fishing effort. For many fishermen, it's no longer simply about catching more fish – it's about making every trip, every haul, and every gallon of fuel work harder," he says.

For Miles personally, however, the verdict is much simpler: "The lights are now an integral part of my fishing. I couldn't imagine going cod trapping without them."