Ice Fishing Iowa board sponsored by

Author Topic: Using a camera in Iowa waters  (Read 2861 times)

Offline Dave R

  • Team IceShanty Addict
  • *
  • Posts: 765
Using a camera in Iowa waters
« on: Oct 19, 2020, 06:27 PM »
I am thinking of getting an Aqua View micro. Not sure which one. I live and fish in Central IA and have concerns about how much I will really be able to see? I intend on using it primarily to see what's down the hole I dill, but not when fishing. With our water quality I have concerns on whether it will be useful. So I would like to hear from others in Central IA who have an Aqua View and what your experience has been.

Offline matzilla

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 2,180
Re: Using a camera in Iowa waters
« Reply #1 on: Oct 19, 2020, 09:20 PM »
https://www.aquavu.com/AV-Micro-II_2 Is whatd id get

I think it truly depends...some places I fish are crystal clear one year and chocolate milk the next. You can always use a camera to scout areas for cover...weeds or wood

Catchin' Fish

Offline kayl

  • Team IceShanty Addict
  • *
  • Posts: 929
Re: Using a camera in Iowa waters
« Reply #2 on: Oct 19, 2020, 09:25 PM »
I have and love a Micro Revolution 5 Pro. The reel system is amazing! You can save 30% off most products at Aqua Vu with code VIP2020  ;) ;)

Offline Dave R

  • Team IceShanty Addict
  • *
  • Posts: 765
Re: Using a camera in Iowa waters
« Reply #3 on: Oct 19, 2020, 09:43 PM »
https://www.aquavu.com/AV-Micro-II_2 Is whatd id get

I think it truly depends...some places I fish are crystal clear one year and chocolate milk the next. You can always use a camera to scout areas for cover...weeds or wood

That's what I was thinking of using one for. I will check out the link.

Online hardwater diehard

  • Iceshanty Militia
  • Team IceshantyInsanity
  • *
  • Posts: 12,477
Re: Using a camera in Iowa waters
« Reply #4 on: Oct 20, 2020, 05:24 AM »
Whatever camera you chose make sure you you can turn all the lights on and off especially the IRs. Also a screen cover and shield is great to have. Now for size ..sounds like your using it for scouting .. so smaller screen/size may be better also make sure the camera can be pointed in multiple angles . For scouting I use my AV Micro II w/DVR with the camera pointed 45 deg down a quick spin and then mark the holes with any structure . Cameras are affected by clouds cover ..snow cover.. clarity and thickness of water/ice.
Give a man a fish he eats for a day .Teach a man to ice fish he has an obsession for a lifetime

Offline matzilla

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 2,180
Re: Using a camera in Iowa waters
« Reply #5 on: Oct 20, 2020, 08:14 AM »
I have and love a Micro Revolution 5 Pro. The reel system is amazing! You can save 30% off most products at Aqua Vu with code VIP2020  ;) ;)

nice! with promo code you can get a Micro Stealth 4.3 out the door with tax/shipping for 175.98

Catchin' Fish

Offline hnd

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,806
Re: Using a camera in Iowa waters
« Reply #6 on: Oct 20, 2020, 08:30 AM »
its usefulness is 50/50 for me.   We have a recon 5 but we use it mostly to find things people drop off the dock. lol. 

Offline IceAddict87

  • Team IceShanty Addict
  • *
  • Posts: 582
Re: Using a camera in Iowa waters
« Reply #7 on: Oct 22, 2020, 07:09 PM »
I live in central iowa and haven’t even thought of a camera for fishing around home, that being said i plan to get one for when i go up north to IGL’s or South Dakota. Fished a lake in SD last year that you could sight fish which was about the only way you could catch fish. The perch bit so lightly that the best way to catch them was to wait until you saw the jig in its mouth.

Offline Shack man Shoney

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 1,009
Re: Using a camera in Iowa waters
« Reply #8 on: Oct 22, 2020, 07:15 PM »
I have the AV 5c and Vex 800 in my DV pack and like them both.  You just have to know it won't work real well in all central Iowa's waters.  I have had situations where I found a camera to be invaluable especially on a high stress body of water. Some years we get that heavy rain in November and December and its less effective. I have used both on Red Rock with some degree of success on a given year.  I own 2 cameras so at least IMO they help put fish in the bucket.

Offline SchlitzBeer

  • IceShanty Rookie
  • **
  • Posts: 62
Re: Using a camera in Iowa waters
« Reply #9 on: Oct 23, 2020, 08:16 AM »
Matzilla is right on. I mainly use my camera up at Clear Lake for finding the yellows. I do fish central Iowa with it, but its hit or miss with water clarity.

Offline Agronomist_at_IA

  • Team IceShantyholic
  • ***
  • Posts: 5,704
  • Team Iowa!
Re: Using a camera in Iowa waters
« Reply #10 on: Nov 27, 2020, 01:28 AM »
Flasher first camera second. 80% of the places a camera will work. Visibility varies, but the longer into ice season the clearer the water gets. I've been suprised by a lot of places on just how clear gravel pits and ponds are in the winter. In muddy murky waters don't lower it to where it hits bottom....and keep it 1ft off the bottom.......hitting bottom causes a mushroom bomb that will take 1/2hr for water to clear. I've used it with a 1ft visibility up to 15ft (clear water and the IGL)

Personally the best investment I ever made was a vexilar double vision. Then I always have my camera. I tend to fight putting it down but once the camera/sonar are both in the lake working my catch rates improve a lot....sure I've had a few line wraps on the camera fishing it a foot from my jig hole......but only lost 3-4 fish over the years.

Even in 10ft of water a camera down with a sonar pays. Picking gills off the bottom.....mark comes in up higher.....reel up bam ........crappie in the bucket.

I also got a Aqua vu micro dvr for my ice house. Works but gets used about 1/10th the time.

IMO the best way to go is a double vision or camera/sonar combo....that way you always have your sonar and camera. I tend to put the camera down way more due to having it right there. It's really impressive using both in combo......out of the 4-5 trophy crappie I've caught three have directly been from running a camera & sonar combo. I was fishing bottom seen a mark 1/2 way up the water colum.....reeled up thinking it's just a false reading or clutter.....and bingo.

If I was u...I'd buy the stuff to eventually make a sonar/camera combo.

Offline Dave R

  • Team IceShanty Addict
  • *
  • Posts: 765
Re: Using a camera in Iowa waters
« Reply #11 on: Nov 27, 2020, 09:46 AM »
Well I pulled the trigger on a reconditioned Revolution 5.0 from Aqua View.  Time will tell if it was a good investment or not.

Offline Gunflint

  • Team IceShanty Maniac
  • **
  • Posts: 2,810
Re: Using a camera in Iowa waters
« Reply #12 on: Nov 27, 2020, 09:51 AM »
Well I pulled the trigger on a reconditioned Revolution 5.0 from Aqua View.  Time will tell if it was a good investment or not.

I would be surprised if you don't find it a super addition.
Veritas Odium Parit

Offline Ihawkangler

  • Team IceShanty Regular
  • ***
  • Posts: 205
Re: Using a camera in Iowa waters
« Reply #13 on: Feb 14, 2021, 07:10 PM »
I have bought 3 and sold 3.  As you indicated, water clarity is the wild card.  In clear water they are really nice as you can see what is down there.  My friend has the Marcum Recon and in clear water it's amazing how clear the picture is.  When the water is murky they are next to useless.   My issue was that I fish solo most of the time and I found them to be a pain because they spin so much.  You can clip a weight and that helps, but I found myself spending more time screwing around with it than fishing and it's one more thing you lose down the hole.  The Vexilar model has a much heavier camera and spins a lot less but still spins.  It's the size of a flasher, so it's something else you have to pack and fit in the ice hut.

Some people love them but I am not one of them.  They are pretty cheap and you can always sell them so it won't be a big chunk of change lost if you don't like it.

Offline ONFISH

  • IceShanty Rookie
  • **
  • Posts: 81
Re: Using a camera in Iowa waters
« Reply #14 on: Feb 14, 2021, 10:17 PM »
As a junior in high school I drove from central Iowa to owatona in 1998 to purchase my first aqua view. After using it at least 5 times a week I learned alot about the good and bad of this underwater camera. The past 20 years have been busy but after being able to finally getting around to purchasing one I got my hands on the micro revolution 5.0 PRO. This thing is awesome a few tweaks of the contrast and positioning the camera up or down you can see pretty good. BUT the cable is narrow and spinning it SUCKS!!! And you need more than 6” of visibility to really see far. That’s my experience anyways........next up LIVE 360!!!!!

Offline zeeman

  • IceShanty Rookie
  • **
  • Posts: 6
Re: Using a camera in Iowa waters
« Reply #15 on: Feb 15, 2021, 06:35 PM »
I use my Vexilar Camera in cloudy water and can see well not crystal clear but well enough to identify the fish. I just got it at Christmas

 



Iceshanty | MyFishFinder | MyHuntingForum
Contact | Disclaimer | Privacypolicy | Sponsor
© 1996- Iceshanty.com
All Rights Reserved.