IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community

Michigan => Ice Fishing Michigan => Topic started by: river rat78 on Jul 16, 2017, 06:46 PM

Title: Underwater camera for SE MI
Post by: river rat78 on Jul 16, 2017, 06:46 PM
I'm thinking about getting an underwater camera to use for scouting this ice season. I live close to Lk St Claire and fish that quite a bit for perch, bluegills, and crappies. When we get cold winters I also fish the Saginaw River for walleyes. I live close to Waterford so I have several lakes close by. Only ones I have ice fished before are Pontiac, Maceday, Crescent, White, and Union. Do you find the camera to be more helpful or more of a nuisance? I have a flasher so I know when I'm on fish. The camera would be more for finding structure.
Title: Re: Underwater camera for SE MI
Post by: Swift on Jul 16, 2017, 08:14 PM
Don't really use mine to find fish either(too slow and cumbersome for that), use it more as a fine tuner for the presentation once they're found. Basically want to see what their up to and will adjust from there. Have really found it handy for Perch though, Jumbos can suck in and spit out a bait and you'd never even notice. Tend to take it most of the time but only seem to use it when the bite is off, they'll usually snack on something when not in the general dawn/dusk feeding frenzy, observe and adapt
Title: Re: Underwater camera for SE MI
Post by: hardwater diehard on Jul 16, 2017, 08:46 PM
I have a AV Micro 5 w/DVR and a Micro plus w/DVR...the smaller one is great for scouting ...toss it down give it a spin...mark any holes with structure and/or composition changes . Aqua Vu has some models coming out this fall with a camera cable retrieval system. Love my Micro units .
Title: Re: Underwater camera for SE MI
Post by: Chris338378 on Jul 20, 2017, 11:30 AM
I don't have a camera but have been kicking the idea around of getting one.  It'd be nice to see what the bottom structure looks like and to see what the fish are doing but on the flip side I don't know how much I'd actually use it. 
Title: Re: Underwater camera for SE MI
Post by: hardwater diehard on Jul 20, 2017, 12:33 PM
I don't have a camera but have been kicking the idea around of getting one.  It'd be nice to see what the bottom structure looks like and to see what the fish are doing but on the flip side I don't know how much I'd actually use it.

My first ice spot (locks up fairly early) is a shallow featureless flat ...so finding fish is tough as they roam ,so locating any thing/structure that can slow them down or that they can suspend near is key . The camera is a productive tool at first ice for me as the flasher is not "seeing " much in 6-8 fow. Once they move to the basin I use my camera for a spot on the spot approach ...locating structure that holds fish ...taller stumps or weeds...one again only in 8-15 fow ...not really seeing much on the flasher cone ..throw down the camera and you may find structure near by that you are pulling fish from. The camera will help with your flasher interpretation of what is down there and how you view it on  your screen. With the winters  we've been having being productive on the ice is key to fun and success.

On a product note I heard the Marcum Recon with the DVR had issues as they use a antiquated format to view/record. That may be addressed for the 2017/2018 season models.
Title: Re: Underwater camera for SE MI
Post by: WestSideAl8x8 on Aug 04, 2017, 08:57 PM
I have a combo flasher/camera (Vexilar). It's nice as they are in one case and use the same battery. I use the camera to see what the structure looks like on a fresh hole. More often than not the water clarity isn't good enough to see any distance.
Title: Re: Underwater camera for SE MI
Post by: Jim_MI on Oct 29, 2017, 07:46 PM
On a product note I heard the Marcum Recon with the DVR had issues as they use a antiquated format to view/record. That may be addressed for the 2017/2018 season models.

AGREE!  Avoid, at all costs, the Marcum Recon 5+ that they released last year.  The recordings and photos will only look normal when viewed on the device itself, and will be "stretched" twice as wide as they should be when viewed on any other digital video device.  I got one and ended up downgrading to the Recon 5 (same but no DVR) pretty quickly. 
I find it useful for scouting structure, especially when you can quickly drop it down open holes you come across while moving around.  I will also frequently set it up in the flipover just to see what's going on.  I use it mostly to pull my jig away from dinks that I don't want to lose bait to, or monsters that I would surely lose the jig to.  Fun, but overall not as helpful as a good sonar.