Spot lights can cause lots of glare and reflect of waves as well as boat surfaces.

Have always found it easier with natural light myself except for those moonless dark nights.

I have just fitted one under the bow though to try and avoid some of this for night docking and retrieving

Bow is better but more open to the weather/jetty/anchoring activities etc. and can slightly obscure view if installed too high. Roof mounted avoids this but make sure that before you install it permanently, you turn it on and move it backwards so the front of the roof casts a shadow on your bow, thus eliminating the potential glare from it. They are definitely worth the time and minor expense to install. Good luck.

 Awesome tips. Thanks guys! Hadn't really considered the reflection issue.

 No lights on inside the cab of the boat and plotter dimmed right down. 

I have a centre console dont have the issue of a windscreen admittadly. 

Have just mounted an ACR remote control light on the Port side bow rail, tried it out last Friday and works a treat. I mounted a Jabsco remote light on the hardtop of the last boat, and as others have mentioned, you tend to get a lot of glare/reflection.

I would recommend a remote control operated light rather than a fixed light, you need to have the ability to adjust the light up/down depending on your speed.

looking at options myself as tend to do more after hours fishing than daytime.
have been told flood beam or flood/spot is the go rather than spotlight.
I wonder how a lightbar would work facing more down than up just for avoiding pots etc ?

let me know what car you drive and i`ll make sure i have my spotties on when you drive passed me.

they are the worst thing on the water because they bugger your night vision any anyone around you

 Some of us aren't blessed with the greatest night vision (esp behind a tinted windscreen). so I am sure having us drive around partly blind will be just as much of an inconvenience for you. I don't intend on using them often, especially not when other boats are around. mainly just want to light the water just in front of the boat to make sure I am travelling safely, Especially during cray season.

thanks for the tips guys. I like the idea of the remote controlled light on the bow rail, will definitely look into this!

 double post

 I was always against lights for travelling, but ended up rigging up a light bar on a piece of ply onto bow.. great for spotting pots. The key is to have it as far forward as possible, so there's nothing for it to glare off. Light will only reflect back off objects. Pm if you want pics. I mounted it to to some ply and wedged it invetween the bow rail.. then to get it more forward added some stainless angle (painted black). Works a treat.. cuttle fish and floats are a dead give away 

 Lovely white bows and shiny bowrails can render you blind.  Flood is better than spot--spots are fine if you are driving a narrow strip defined by white lines   haven't found many at sea. As others have said, you need to mount them far enough back so you are actually putting a shadow over the bow if you intend to mount them on top. Or mount them out in front of the rail. Of course, with anything fixed, you will always have the problem of on/off the plane, and the resultant difference in aiming point. This is why spots aren't a lot of good. As most of you would know, I drove crayboats in the dark for a long time, and the only way to really see in the dark is to be up on a flybridge, nothing in front of you, with big lights mounted above. On my final boat, I ran one metal halide 240v spot that would light the coast up from over a mile out, and a 400w floodlight. 

Nowadays, I personally  avoid driving around in the dark. If I have to fish in the dark to catch fish, well, I just won't catch fish. 

I've got a combination spot/flood bar light on my bow rail. Works a dream

 I do a lot of night time fishing and just use a very bright spot headlamp or handheld spotlight. If there is moonlight and seas are smooth I leave them off and only occasionally switching on to double check. If no moon and or rough seas I leave them on unless close to other boats. I can look over my windscreen so so see pretty good, but if trying to see through tinted glass or even normal glass with salt water spray over it, it is hard to see anything. Lights of any kind stuff your night vision especially long distance but definitely help  with spotting craypots or any other debris or whales close to you and that's important. So basically I alternate between virtually no lights to switching on when needed .

 If you paint your bow black it helps cut the reflection from any lights as well.

 I recommend Suparee LED remote spotlight. This is a super light, well made excellent light so far, very bright also. The entire product has a very sturdy and durability quality. I am very pleased with it. Highly recommend!