There are many things to consider when comparing HID and LED fishing lights. Some fish lamp companies use LED lights as the terminal system. Although LED lights are relatively bright compared to regular lights, as consumers, we are used to using them every day, but they are not always bright and can illuminate large areas through the dock. LED lights also don't generate heat; therefore, they can't clean themselves. This will result in excessive aquatic growth, such as barnacles and algae, which accumulate in the light of the water and render the light useless. To sum up, LED lights struggle in two ways; they are not very smart and can't clean themselves.

The type of light installed in the permanent dock is the HID light. These bulbs are more than 300% brighter than LED lights and can be cleaned automatically. The heat generated by these bulbs is sufficient to burn the aquatic growth that is trying to grow on the bulb. Because of this, high-quality fish lights run on photocells and are turned on every morning every night. This will ensure that the lights are turned on all night and can be kept clean every night, without barnacles/algae. Photocells also set up a feeding cycle for fish, telling them that they can find food through the dock every night so they will keep coming back.

It is also important to be wary of the lumens posted on many fishlight websites. Some companies claim that their 175-watt bulb emits 22,000 lumens. This is absolutely false. Unfortunately, the tools required to measure lumens are expensive, so no customer can dispute the claims made by these customers. When comparing fish lights, look at the wattage of the lights. The 250-watt lamp will have 14,500 lumens, and the 175-watt lamp will have 9,000 lumens, no matter what the company claims. If you want to compare companies, be sure to look at the various components they use to build the fixture. While some use simple extension cords (which are illegal), other companies will use UL approved underwater rated lines.