Aqua vu type cameras

[WTL]

The thread on Biosonix and the ascendancy of side imaging in bass fishing made me think to ask about the other kinda goofy, but intriguing electronic device out there; underwater cameras. Who uses them? Do they add to your fishing? How often do you need them?

[cassidyta]

While I don't own one, I do fish with a buddy who quite often brings his along.
I don't know that they really add anything to the experience for me other than a coolness factor. I have gotten to see how a fish investigates my bait and how changes in my presentation will either bring more attention or in some cases scare them off.

I consider it no different than recording a golf swing. It allows me to see the results of minor tweaking. So for me, it is more about research than finding and catching a particular fish on a particular day.

Since my buddy has one of the cheaper models, (relative) it does not give the greatest clarity in deeper water. I think that past 20 foot, my on board electronics shoed me more fish than the camera.

[Bender]

I had an older Aqua-Vu. It was pretty cool to see what is really down there even though you can't see very far. I really wanted to use it for ice fishing but it died and they wanted too much $ to fix it, especially since I paid very little for it used.

I don't think it really helped any but I still wish I had it. Even when you see something on side-imaging it is nice to see what it really looks like with a camera. Plus you can see what types of fish you are marking on your sonar. It was really cool seeing all the gobies swimming around rock piles on Lake Erie.

If I ever have extra money sitting around I might get another one. The old one I had showed a direction arrow on the screen so you knew where the camera was pointing too.

[Ebbetsguy]

A friend of mine has the Cabela's model. He has spent hours using it to match up what he is seeing on his depth finder, it was a good learning tool, as i was with him for some of those trips. We also used it to find a rod and reel that went overboard, never found it again,sorry to say

[pro reel]

You need to have very clear water for them to work decent. If you do have clear water, they can be a great tool to show you what the under water world really looks like. Hihg dollar down and side scan units probably show almost as much as a camera now.

[BigBassin144]

We use the Cabela's model ice fishing. It's interesting to watch, but very hard to see in sunlight. I don't think it would be very practical on a boat.

BB

[Raul]

You can see as far as the water clarity allows you, so, for very few places I fish I can find some benefit of having one, however why do I need it if I can see them ?, but for the most part I see no point in shelling out the money for something with such a limited usefulness, better save that money for a side imaging unit, sonar waves are not limited by clarity.

[WTL]

Thanks everyone, this has been very illuminating.



I don't think, prior to asking that question, that I had ever heard of someone saying the cameras were a big portion of their strategy, and yet the novelty of seeing underwater struck me.

I guess I will wait another few years for the side imaging to slowly work its price down. Or my income to quickly rise, one is as good as the next.