underwater cams

[sgpitman]

Anyone use underwater cams here? What kind? Color or black and white? How well do they work out here? I'm not from around here, back home they work ok on most lakes but only under the ice and only for about 5 ft. Worth buying?

[4x4elk]

Father in law has one we used it one time it sucked and I don't think it has been back out of his garage since. I know it depends on how clear the water is and if you are in a dark hut.. My opinion save your money and invest in a fish finder or a flasher if you don't have one already. You'll be much happier. Just my .02 worth

[sgpitman]

I have a vex fl-20. I got my eye on the new markum tv. Color, depth, and temp. Looks nice. I just don't know how clear the lakes are.

[4x4elk]

I know Boysen is pretty murky at times it just depends on the time of year I am not sure about the lakes you have around you. The one the father in law has is black and white. So go with that but when we used it, it sucked. The newer ones may work better.

[mulebarnmax]

I've got a Cabelas brand camera. On some lakes it isn't worth taking but on most in the winter you can see a couple feet to six or eight feet. Might not sound like much but the key is to set it up and watch your bait and watch a fish react to your bait. Very educational. I cannot believe how many fish come up and look at my bait and either give it a taste test or just snub it. If you fish around weeds or rocks, sometimes you don't mark these fish on the flasher so if that is all you are using you won't even know they are in the area. Some fish are naturally curious and will come up and look right into the camera....kinda cool. All in all, it's another tool that can be used to learn and entertain at the same time.  Wanna keep your wife busy on the ice...let her have the camera 

[Wyofarmer]

I take my camera every time i go out.  4X4 is right on the murky water thing. Ocean lake is the same way. mine is a color model with 100ft of cord. it is very educational, helping you learn what the fish are interested in and what they could care less about. i wouldn't go without. good luck.

[Baiter]

I have both a vex fl-20 and a camera that I use.  In my opinion the vex is more handy to have than the camera, but like a few others said they are very educational.  It really helps if you are marking a lot of fish and don't understand what they are doing if your not getting any strikes.  The camera helps to see the fishes reaction to your baits, movements, etc....

[Wyofarmer]

Plus.....if a dink comes to take the bait, i jerk it away from him. at least with perch anyway.

[minnowguy]

I have we will say a few of the Aqua Vu's, I used my quad yesterday to watch a trout come in. when the water is murky you just have to set the camera closer to your jig. I have a mount that I set mine on when I'm fishing on the bottom so your camera wont move and spook the fish. The trout I caught yesterday made a few strikes at my camera for some reason. It was cool to watch.

[jopes]

I have been debating on getting one.  Maybe next year

[327trout]

mulebarnmax pretty much summed it up for me. I also have a Cabela's camera. Personally I love it and for about a hundred bucks it is very educational. It's helped me catch finicky trout and perch. All the lakes around Laramie are nice and clear so it works well.

[fishsmith]

I have a Cabelas 5" black and white and pretty much agree with Mulebarn and 327trout they can be very effective.

One of the things that helped me was putting the camera far enough from the holes I was fishing,i.e. if you are fishing two holes drill a third hole that would be the apex of a triangle and run your camera down that hole.
Also, make or buy a device that will clamp your camera cable so you can precisely adjust depth and direction.

Not an expert, but this is what has helped me the most the last few seasons.

[Wyofarmer]

i devised a contrapton that works wonders. i'll post a pic of it later today.

[LT]

Plus.....if a dink comes to take the bait, i jerk it away from him. at least with perch anyway.

Hmmmmmm...I thought I was the only one did that

[Wyofarmer]

nope. i put a spell on your jign rods LT to automaticly reel in when that bass is comn' in. good luck 

[duckman111]

I have we will say a few of the Aqua Vu's, I used my quad yesterday to watch a trout come in. when the water is murky you just have to set the camera closer to your jig. I have a mount that I set mine on when I'm fishing on the bottom so your camera wont move and spook the fish. The trout I caught yesterday made a few strikes at my camera for some reason. It was cool to watch.

you should be called MR. GADGET not minnow guy

[LT]

nope. i put a spell on your jign rods LT to automaticly reel in when that bass is comn' in. good luck  

Necessity is the mother of invention WyoFarmer, I manufactured a Billy-Bass call to counter your jig-rod spell, it doesn't exactly call them to me...just AWAY from you. I made it from the remains of the $$$$$$ goose-call I ran over in the cornfield this am with the pickup... has a sorta higher pitch now... ...but why should the bass be different since you've chased all my geese away too  

Hey seriously, I can't wait to see how that remote-control 360 degree Marcum puppy works 

[Wyofarmer]

We'll see how well that call works when i'm out on the ice and you're rubbn' elbows with Drew down south.       oh ya, the geese were in this morning right in the same spot you were yesterday. i told them they were safe and could come back. 

[LT]

Funny ya should mention Mr. Brees, I've just received an invitation to go fishing for speckled trout in the Bay while I'm down there...aaaaaaaaah, how sweet it is 

[LT]

any of your cameras have night capabilities?  (lights?)

Mine has infra-red, I don't night fish but I think it's good to have if I decide to do the Boysen cats 

[327trout]

I think most cams have lights, I know the cabela's ones have regular white lights which work fine.

[heine]

i have a question dont people buy underwater lights to icefish so why doesnt 1 just spend a little extra and get an underwater cam with lights and get the best of both worlds

[LT]

If you mean using just a light down or above an icehole to attract baitfish and catch fish (no camera) that gives the G&F guys heartburn and is quite illegal here, although cameras equipped with lights of both varieties is ok. I have also heard of wardens who feel cameras  equipped with ANY lights are illegal, and then there's the argument lights don't attract fish, they attract bait which, in turn attracts fish., as I said, it only takes one G&F guy to disagree with that concept. Don 

[Keith Walters]

If you mean using just a light down or above an icehole to attract baitfish and catch fish (no camera) that gives the G&F guys heartburn and is quite illegal here, although cameras equipped with lights of both varieties is ok. I have also heard of wardens who feel cameras  equipped with ANY lights are illegal, and then there's the argument lights don't attract fish, they attract bait which, in turn attracts fish., as I said, it only takes one G&F guy to disagree with that concept. Don 

A while back, there was even discussion about the legality of "glow paint on the lures".

Good fishing,
Keith

[LT]

You should decide to   I bet you could get into them pretty well.
Have you ever caught very many through the ice up there LT?
---

Nah, it's to easy to go down to Tulsa where my brother lives and catch big crappie and cats in the (warmth) spring...although I think I'll be doing a lot more Boysen this year and with that insulated (warmth) hut and the accoutrements therein, yah, maybe this year Moose.     Don 

[jopes]

if one was buying a underwater camera and money was no object which one would you get?  and for what reason?

[sgpitman]

I want the new markum. Its a color cam, it gives depth, and it gives water temp. Also it spins 360 degrees. IMO its the best one out there right now, but I've never used it. I have used 4 other underwater cams though and the features the macum has are all things we wished our cams had

[jopes]

I have to do some reading and if memory serves me right alot of people were un happy with the marcum cams.  time to head over to the electronic's forum to read up

[gulp]

I have a aqua vue that has taught me a lot about what the fish think when I am jigging a rod. Have had good luck even in 40 plus foot of water at boysen with being able to see as far as 20ft . Also had it as little as 2ft in bad murky water. Once to sun gos down I pack it up and put it away. The lights only let you see about 1ft max and the fish spook coming in that close to the camera. I break out the showdown once it gets dark or it is murky. The camera will help with other things that a flasher wont like what is on bottom, finding that rod that got pulled down the hole and hooking that rod and pulling up the fish that took it. Hey the fish gods were on my side that day. Goodluck out there and stay safe.

[LT]

I have a aqua vue that has taught me a lot about what the fish think when I am jigging a rod. Have had good luck even in 40 plus foot of water at boysen with being able to see as far as 20ft . Also had it as little as 2ft in bad murky water. Once to sun gos down I pack it up and put it away. The lights only let you see about 1ft max and the fish spook coming in that close to the camera. I break out the showdown once it gets dark or it is murky. The camera will help with other things that a flasher wont like what is on bottom, finding that rod that got pulled down the hole and hooking that rod and pulling up the fish that took it. Hey the fish gods were on my side that day. Goodluck out there and stay safe.

Gulp, do you have infra-red light on yours? Just wondering, I used mine on Ocean during the day last year at Dickenson and I'm guessing the junk in the water was blowing up the regular light...had to re-locate.