Underwater Camera

[Conway]

I cann't use my hummin bird fish finder with the guy that I normally fish with.  He has a flasher and they interfer with each other.  I really like my fish finder and really don't want to get a flasher.  I've been thinking about getting a fish camera.  Let him use his flasher and I'll pair in the camera to make a nice team.  I've seen a couple guys with the cameras and you really couldn't see very far.  I don't have the money to buy one of those $500 units. I'm really not sure how anyone can justify that kind of money.  My question is, does the $500 camera let you see any further into the water than $150 camera?  The cameras I've seen you could see maybe 4' in good light in reasonably clear water.  I'm sure the high def color screen looks great but in murky Iowa water can you see any further with a more expensive camera?

[matzilla]

Have you tried changing beams on the Humminbird to see if it causes less interference with your friends flasher

[SpoonieLuv]

If I can afford $500, not sure I need to justify it with anyone else.

You should be able to filter out some of the interference with your Humminbird, just have to adjust settings.

[Lyontyl]

Yes, the more expensive ones have better quality components that will help you see that extra distance in the water and with better clarity.  I think it really comes down to how you fish.....If you like to just hunker down in one spot and throw a lure down the hole and sit there all day then a camera is going to work pretty good.  If you are a mover and are always in search of fish I guarantee you that you will not like a camera, they become a pain in the butt after awhile, always have to drop it down the hole then wind it back up, rinse and repeat.  Flasher is just so super quick and handy.

You also have to determine water clarity.  If you are in part of the state with clear water it will work better than if you are in a place that doesn't put out much clear bodies of water.

[Conway]

Sorry Spoon didn't mean to offend.

Lyontyl, how much further can you see?

I usually fish webster county, Brushy creek, Moorland Pond, occasionally Don Williams or Spring Lake.  Most of those generally have decent water clarity during the winter.  Decent for Iowa anyway.

[Lyontyl]

Sorry Spoon didn't mean to offend.

Lyontyl, how much further can you see?

I usually fish webster county, Brushy creek, Moorland Pond, occasionally Don Williams or Spring Lake.  Most of those generally have decent water clarity during the winter.  Decent for Iowa anyway.

I can't honestly tell you the distance.  I just know from doing some thorough reading and research before I bought mine that you can see a little further, now whether that be feet or inches I can't tell.  Like if you compare a Aqua-vu Micro to a Marcum camera you are going to get so much more depth and clarity out of the Marcum.  I would say right now a camera would probably work good because most of the lakes right now are pretty clear, I'm in Central Iowa.

Another thing to think about is how much you can use them.  you can pretty much kiss using them goodbye at night, even with the lights on you would literally have to have a fish bump face first into the camera to see them all that well and the plankton/particles in the water reflect the light of the camera and so its hard to see.  We probably only have a total of 6 hours during the whole day when you could actually use it before it starts getting halfway dark and the camera becomes more obsolete. 

Only reason I say this is because if you don't have the money for a camera I wouldn't say it is worth it.  More of a frill item.

I will say in defense of a camera though that if you are on a lake that you don't know it really helps you find bottom structure.  I had an Aqua Vu Micro last year and when we were up at Leech Lake, MN targeting Walleye we used it to find weeds and different types of structure, worked real well.  I even dropped it down one time and found a northern pike staring at it 

[squ1rr31_]

I have a vex fish scout 2000 on my double vision, just wish I had depth temp and direction, might look into if there is an upgrade for it. Just don't buy a Fish Tv, might as well throw it right into the trash.

[CedaRivEyes]

I have the vexilar fl1000 I think, its color screen bought it last year for around $400 and I see mills has them on sale for $250 this year. I love it, I can see without the headlights on up till about 4:45 right now and that's on a snow covered lake. I also have a hummingbird flasher too that I carry, the camera is nice cuz if you find a nice brush pile or weeds and the fish are in/ on the bottom of it you can target them a lot better with the cam  where the flasher will only pick up the top of the brush and you can't see if they are hunkered below it. Just my 2 cents.

[iceman1267]

I have a flasher and a camera, cameras are fun flashers are a must! For me at least, way to many variables with cameras, water clarity, light conditions, plankton. Cameras will spook fish at times also.

[bassrat]

I mostly use my Marcum 825 to "see" what I've been fishing once the bite has slowed, well... that and scouting for fresh weeds... makes a great learning tool.  allows you to repeat a good pattern all over the lake.... well, than and eliminate "BAD" water.

[gohawks]

I just bought the MarCum vs385.  I have a flasher as well.  I contemplated whether it was worth buying one of these cameras for quite a while and fish mainly in Iowa waters (SW Iowa), so I can give you a couple things to think about.  The VS385 was $349.  I do not need to use the built-in lights on the camera until it gets close to sunset.  I have had visibility range from two feet in near-sunset conditions with snow on top of the ice up to about 8 feet in mid day sunlight conditions with light snow on top.  When I had only 2 feet of visibility...I pulled the camera out of the water and went back to my flasher. 

If I know it's going to be a day where I pop a lot of holes and move often (typically what I do on new ponds or lakes), I do not take my camera.   It's a hassle to drop the camera down only for a short amount of time then wind it up and carry it to the next spot along with my flasher, poles, auger, sled, etc.  The only time I'll use my camera on these days is when I am curious what type of structure is showing up on my flasher.  Other than that, it stays in the sled. 

When you read articles or forum posts that it's tough to see the screen in daylight images...that is true.  The only time I will actually use my camera is when I'm inside my shanty.  The shanty keeps the glare off my screen, allowing me to use the full functionality or visibility of the underwater camera.  If the camera can only see out to 3 feet of visibility, you can knock off another foot or two due to glare from viewing the screen outside of the shanty. 

That being said...When I'm out on a pond or lake that I know pretty well and I know where I am going to set up my shanty...I will use my camera.  I typically use mine with the vertical down view so I'm not limited to one direction of view and can still see my presentation.  I was on a small lake last week and I knew I was going to set up over an underwater creekbed in the middle of the lake.  I fished with only my flasher for the first 30 minutes to get the eager fish then dropped my camera in the hole because I knew I'd still be in that location for a while.  I was able to watch AND pull fish off the bottom of the creekbed.  The bite was so light this last sunday due to frontal conditions that I was watching fish put the jig in their mouth while NOT feeling a single bite on my rod.  I can honestly say that those fish that I caught were 100% attributed to my camera.  I was able to watch my normal presentation completely spook the fish so I kept watching the screen and changed things up until they started hitting it. 

This is the longest post I've ever put on here.  Conclusion is that you'll have anywhere from 2 feet of visibility up to 8 feet.  Depends if there is snow on top and low light conditions.  If you don't have a shanty...don't buy an underwater camera unless it's the Aqua Vu Micro.  You will be spending more time trying to shield the light/sun from the screen than actually fishing.  The Aqua Vu Micro is good for dropping and looking for cover/structure and you can easily shield light from the smaller screen.  If you have a shanty but still like to move and pop a lot of holes then my opinion would be to buy a cheaper model like I did ($300-$400 range).  I can only say good things about the MarCum VS385 so I would assume the color version is just as good, if not a bit better due to color.  I would also hate to spend a bunch of money on a high end camera if you're the type to move around fairly often. 

Flasher is a must...camera is a nice to have (and only when conditions allow).

[Conway]

I've been gone for christmas so haven't responded in quite awhile.  Thanks for the info.  I think I've decided to not get a camera.  Doesn't sound like the $100 dollar range is going to be worth it.  Maybe I can get up to the $250 range.  I did come up with another question looking into all of this.
How close to you place you camera to your fishing line?  I saw one video where it looked like the guy was fishing the same hole his camera was in.

[gohawks]

The only time I use the same fishing hole with both the camera and my fishing line is when I use the vertical approach with the camera.  The cord snaps into the back of the fin on the camera so it looks straight down.  I'll position the camera a few feet above the jig so I can see fish come in every angle if I'm targeting fish near the bottom in creek channels or sunken brush.  If I'm using the regular, horizontal view, then I will drill a hole again a couple feet from my ice hole and get it positioned to look at the jig.  I think most people forget that when a fish comes in and it's higher in the water column than where you've positioned your camera...then you're back to square one with your flasher.  You're not gonna raise your lure in the column then raise your camera as well in order to see it hit your lure.  haha. 

[gohawks]

Forgot to mention...if you're using the same hole for your camera and fishing line...you better be johnny on the spot with getting your camera cord out of the water because it's a mess to get the fish tangled in it. 

[Kevin23]

I have enough trouble with tangling my ducer cord, I wouldn't enjoy fishing with the camera in the same hole.

[Conway]

That was my thought too.  Also woried that a cable and cameral hanging inches from a jig would scare off fish.  But if it doesn't tangle or scare off fish, even a poor camera could show me how my jig is behaving while I jig it.  Even if a cheap camera doesn't show me fish, it may be worth $60 to see how my jig is behaving in 30' of water.  I'll jig my lure at the hole to see how it behaves, but I'm sure its acting different 30' down.

[ASATMillerbluegill]

I've got a marcum 825SD and this last weekend, the bite was so light, they were so finicky, that we would have prob only caught a few fish w out it. We were in brush, and w flashers only, we couldn't see fish rise to your jig. My buddy bought his son a black and white marcum, but he says it def isn't as easy to see the fish, as it is w our big marcum colors. U get what u pay for, especially in darker water and dusk and dawn times. The cameras don't scare the fish. Being able to see how fish react to your presentations is priceless. We drill a hole for the camera, and have it aimed at the fishing holes. I can watch three lines while at brushy creek, if u know the water quality there.

[nwifisherman]

I bought the vexilar fishphone for just $180 and it is incredible.   When I'm in the ice shack I use an Ipad with it and outside of the shack I use my android phone.  It is a color/black and white camera and works really nice.   It's easy to move hole to hole because the only screen I have to worry about is my phone which I slide in my pocket.   Anytime I am walleye fishing or fishing for fish within 2 feet of the bottom having the camera down is the best thing ever. I mostly fish places with decent water quality and can see without the lights on until 5:00.  For $180 it's definitely worth having it.