Anglers who spend a lot of time fishing on lakes have seen a fair share of sparkling bass boats. If you’re used to seeing regular and camo-painted fishing boats, you’d be surprised to learn there are many glitter-painted boats on the water these days.
So, why are fishing boats sparkly? There are several potential reasons why fishing boats are sparkly. Most anglers believe that the light reflections created by sparkly glitter paint attract fish. Also, using glitter paint is a good way to hide scratches, scuffs, and damages to the boat’s hull caused by rocks or overhanging branches.
Keep reading to learn why some fishing boats have sparkly glitter paint. This article will also tell you how to paint a fishing boat with glitter paint.
Why Do Some Boats Look Sparkly?
Most fishing boats have a solid color or plain matte paint jobs, but many bass boats have sparkly hulls. People assume sparkly paint is a marketing trick designed to lure fishermen into spending vast amounts of money on a new vessel. But there’s more to it than meets the eye.
Here are the main reasons why fishing boats have sparkly paint:
1. Glittered Paint May Attract Fish Under Right Conditions
Many anglers believe that under the right light conditions, fish are attracted to glittery reflections in the water caused by the boat’s sparkly paint. The flecks of light likely look like fish scales falling through the water column and attract fish in freshwater and saltwater conditions.
Many trolling fishermen tie flashers to their lines to attract fish from further away. Shiny spinnerbaits, spoons, and lures with glitter patterns are often used to draw fish in.
Although these lures attract fish, there’s no scientific research on the effects of glitter-painted boats on fish.
The glitter paint reflects flecks of light in the water, but that doesn’t make much difference most of the time. On sunny days, too much light can be reflected from the boat and repel fish from the bait.
2. Glitter Pain Hides Scratches, Scuffs, & Damages
Passionate fishermen will use their fishing boats for many years or even decades. It’s common for fishermen to bump into debris, rocks, or trees or even drift into overhanging branches during a fishing trip.
A glitter paint finish is ideal for concealing all the scratches and scruffs on the hull. The glitter paint’s sparkle makes damage less visible and helps keep the boat looking as good as new.
Besides improving the appearance of the fishing boat, glitter paint also prevents the vessel from heating as much during hot sunny days. Dark-colored boats absorb more heat than light-colored boats during warm and sunny summer days. Sparkles and glitter reflect the sun’s rays, preventing the boat from overheating.
3. Glitter-Painted Boats Look Expensive
The most likely reason boat manufacturers paint fishing boats with glittering paint is that glitter looks more expensive than matte paint finishes. People perceive shiny objects as more valuable and costlier than plain objects, and the fishing industry found a way to monetize that fact.
Wealthy anglers like to buy expensive-looking things, and fishing boat manufacturers know it. Boat manufacturers care the most about what sells the boats, and if anglers what sparkly boats, that’s what they’ll get.
Do All Bass Boats Have Sparkly Paint?
Not all bass boats have sparkly paint. Many new bass boats incorporate more metal flakes and less glitter gel coats into paint finishes.
Whether or not the bass boat will have sparkly paint depends on the fisherman. Some fishermen prefer the metal flake look and will choose those types of bass boats, while others look for sparkly bass boats.
Glitter paint is far better at hiding scratches and scuff marks than metal flake paint. This is a significant disadvantage of metal flake paint and one of the reasons why so many anglers choose sparkly bass boats.
How to Make Your Boat Sparkle?
Glitter-painted boats look great, but brand-new sparkly boats are expensive. The good news is, you don’t have to buy a new boat to enjoy some sparkle.
To make your boat sparkle, buy glitter paint and apply it to the boat. Besides possibly attracting fish in certain light conditions, the glitter pain will also make the boat look nicer and newer.
In addition to paint and transparent gel coat, you’ll need to buy concentrated glitter paint or glitter for paint. Keep in mind that glitter paint colors are more expensive than matte paint colors but are still a lot cheaper than purchasing a new sparkly boat.
Here are a few steps to follow when painting a fishing boat:
- Sand and polish the boat first to remove old paint
- Prepare the boat for painting by removing all impurities and dusting everything that’s left after sanding and polishing
- Paint the boat with a base color. Choose white or any other color as the base color of the boat
- Mix the glitter with a transparent gel coat and paint the boat
Although it sounds simple, painting a boat is tricky and time-consuming. Consider hiring a professional if you haven’t sanded and painted anything nearly as big as a fishing boat.
Conclusion
There are a few potential reasons why fishing boats are sparkly. The most common belief is that sparkly fishing boats attract fish, making it easier for an angler to go home with a catch.
Although glitter color may help under specific conditions when fishing for bass, having a sparkly boat doesn’t guarantee a catch. Factors like fishing equipment, presentation, and the type of bait used are more likely to attract fish than sparkly boats.
The most likely reason why manufacturers make sparkly boats is that these vessels look sleeker and more expensive than matte-painted boats. The fact is people, are attracted to shiny things and many anglers across the country want to own a sparkly fishing boat.