Buy New Or Used Aqua View?

[percherman]

Wondering what peoples thoughts are on buying a used aqua view on Ebay vs. buying new.


And please, please can we get some more topics besides Waubay.

You can't tell me everyone is fishing waubay, or there other fishing spot is so hot that they dont want to share it?

I thought this forum is supposed to be used as a tool to help educate other fisherman of different fishing spots, techniques, and other valuable tools to make us more successful sportsman and woman.

[icejunky]

If you are going to buy used on eba just make sure of 2 things....

1) You are dealing with someone who has a good rating, I like to see if he has sold similar items in the past and if he has, I like to contact the buyer to see how the product is working and if they had any after sales issues..sometimes you give a guy positive feedback only to have the product crap out a month later and you have no recourse.

2) Make sure you are getting a good deal..after shipping costs! If you are only saving a few bucks I would buy new.

[sdhusker]

I bought a used one on ebay.  It broke last week - if anyone knows what to do when the screen just goes blank (but you can still tell that it is powered up) please let me know.  It honestly just lost the image as I was sitting there fishing.  It may be a monitor problem, which I am told can be replaced for like $80 (half of what I paid for the camera on ebay).    

Frankly, I wasn't too upset about it. Cameras are such a pain in the crack that I wish I hadn't bought one in the first place.  By the time I get the camera down and get it adjusted, I have usually missed 3 bites.  I prefer to fish with a vexilar.  

Ditto on the Waubay comment.  Up until now, I have only fished there because I knew there was good ice.  Now, there has to be good ice all over the region.  

  

[Waubay Fisher]

Husker's completely right - Vex is the way to go b/f the cam... Icejunky summed up the online experience on Ebay.  Personally I would buy brand new if it were me, that's what I did, and still saved about a hundred bucks by the time I got the 3yr warranty & the tripod...

As far as the Waubay comment is concerned, I'd like to offer more info. on area lakes in SD, however, that is the only lake I fish as I have a 'place' up there... I have only fished one other lake this year and that was Scotts and I didn't have any luck.

As far as what this forum is all about - you hit that on the nose, but keep in mind there are lots of lurkers out there that only use this place for conditions, reports, etc... and don't bother posting their own information, which is pathetic.  I've ran into a few guys on the ice at Waubay that have commented "i hear this and this and that on several sites"... but they never wanna say where.  I can only imagine that one of those sites was this one.  Why do you think Waubay thread has had over 1,000 some odd hits this year...and it's the same few guys talking about it...

[percherman]

I think I will stick with new and avoid any hassels. Fisher, I sure learned my lesson the hard way about your last comment. When I first started using the forum I gave a great desciption of my honey hole at pick which looked like it hadn,t had a hole drilled all year. The next two weeks more and more people came. I wasn,t there for two weeks, holy #$#@, it was like a city. I have learned a lesson. From now on, What lake I fished, when I fished, what I caught, what I used.

Everyday I can't wait to check this sight and see what going. Nothing between me and the lakes but highway and the baitstore.

I am so pumped, I justed recieved my shipment from Leon Maloney in Ontario. He makes a hand made lure called the bug which he has won numerous Canadian national perch fishing titles with. I can't use them this week, but next week I plan on putting a dent in the perch population with them. If anybody is interested in them let me know. They aint cheap.

[Waubay Fisher]

I personally think you're smart for sticking w/ the new unit... let us know what model ya get too!  I have the SRT and personally, think it's a great camera w/ the additional screen size, but have never used the regular scout model.  Initially I figured if I was going to spend money on a cam, I might as well just get one of the nicer ones if I'm gonna spend a few bills... that might've turned out to be a mistake.  The SRT has the SR lights and onscreen temp, which IMO, both are just useless features.  The SR lights do allow ya to see during evening hours - which is nice, but they seem to spoke the fish, and the picture of course isn't half as good as during daylight hours... of course - water clarity is a big factor too.  If I were to do it all over again, I might go w/ the XL... only difference is the onscreen temp display at the camera level, I believe, and maybe some cable length differences.  Plus ya save a hundred bucks or so at the retail level... Alright - I'm blabbing as usual - you prolly already have your cam all picked out 

I'll try and finish this up...

Too bad to hear about your spot getting swiped .   Another unfortunate problem w/ the lurkers... That's reason enough why I won't give specifics on locations, but a generalized area.  If other members here that I feel I've come to 'chum' with want to know where I picked a few fish up, they can PM me and I'd be more than happy to share... although most have had better luck there then I have this year  And you're right - this site is ROCKING DOODE!     I just wish I could spend more time here.

Good luck w/ the new lures!  I'm gonna try Waubay next weekend, and if I can get up there early enough on Thurs afternoon or Fri. morning, I wouldn't mind giving Swim or Pickeral a shot... would give me some new territory to explore!  Maybe I can get into some gils/craps, but, if I don't, no biggie, I don't mind not catching fish - but I love being on the ice

[nodakbassmaster]

In response to hearing about Waubay- I have never been on or even seen the lake, I don't even have a rough guess of where it is besides the far east side of the state, near Souix Falls I presume. I live in Rapid City and is nop secret since it says so in my profile.... where the h3ll are you? Other than SF area which has the most people in the state, there is Rapid/Spearfish area that is more than small towns. Is it no suprise that the area with the largest population gets the most attention/posts? There are only a few, wait make that 5 people that I can think of off the top of my head on the west side of the state (that post). My understanding is Waubay is a large reservoir that has a lot of fish to offer and a ton of traffic looking for those fish. I wouldn't think it would come as a suprise it gets the most attention. I see lots of other lakes mentioned a lot as options. I would love to have the knowledge that is spent/shared about Waubay on lakes near me! I can understand about your spot getting mauled- I have a couple secrets I won't even share with some of my other icefishermen I work and fish with here. I'm not gonna advertise them online. It would be great if everyone would jump on and say they have a good spot or at least a good area on a lake, or heck to those lurkers- how did you do on a lake, day what did you use... is it that hard to share info back with people you glean it from? Just because I hear of someone doing well doesn't mean I'M gonna rush right there and fish. I may take some of the info such as depth and lure or bait and apply it near some of my favorite spots or use it to find my own, which is what I  do. My 2 wall hanger Walleye have both come from spots I found, that had not been fished before, or at least no frequently. I beleive that unfished or lesser fished waters with similarities to the popular spots are gonna be a lot better. OK, wow, stepping off soapbox now.

Sorry, well not really- that opened up a vent about here and lurkers, ect. Don't get me started on the weather the last couple winters!

[ice dawg]

nodak, Waubay Lake is a little East and North of Webster. It is a lake that is about 7 miles long and 2 to 3 miles wide. It gets a lot of pressure from fishermen from surrounding states. If you were to post a favorite place on here you would be in the middle of 200 people the next day if you went there. I live in Aberdeen and I have a lake 9 miles from Aberdeen that I fish at times and it is mostly a night bite this winter and I haven't cared to be there at night. That place is a zoo on weekends also. I go to Waubay to fish because it is a big lake by my standards and I can move all I want to and stay away from the crowds. I don't mind other people being on the ice and forming ice house cities, but I keep my distance and I don't bother anyone and no one bothers me that way. On an average weekend when the fishing is decent in the winter, Waubay normally has 800 to 1,000 people fishing it. Therefore we are a little guarded with information about fish locations on Waubay. There are days on Waubay that you are surprised to see a SD license plate. I hope that explained a bit of what is happening on here. Good luck with your fishing.

[Waubay Fisher]

Dawg explained it perfectly, IMO, Nodak.... I couldn't have said it any better.

In addition... I would also like to add that I live right outside SF, although I evidently didn't have that in my profile, it is there now...  In regards to the area w/ the largest population getting the most posts, the Webster area is not the largest area in the state, SF area is - as ya said - and Webster is several hours away (I might've mistook what you said here... not sure ). The good thing about up north is there are multiple glacial lakes that provide EXCELLENT fishing, or so I've heard from several good friends that fish up there, and in my opinion, it is a gorgeous area. Waubay just happens to probably be the most dependable, in terms of catch rates...  The Sioux Falls area, or SE portion of the state, also has many lakes, and from what I've read about online and heard from various bait shops, etc, there are many lakes & sloughs around where I live that also provide real good fishing.  I think the main reason people travel farther north is the ice quality is usually better, usually there earlier, and usually the last to go out... I could be wrong though.

I wish I had more time to fish other lakes, or maybe not so much time, but interest, however, as I started fishing Waubay roughly 7yrs ago now, I've come to call it a second home and it's very feasable for me b/c we have a good place to stay during the weekends...That's why you'll rarely hear anything mentioned from me about other lakes, other then a few up North and those lots of times the info might be 2nd hand... but I can guarantee it'll come from reliable sources...

And I also hear ya on rushing to a spot 'just because ya heard some info online'.  I wouldn't do it either.. as you still only have a 50/50 chance.  Just b/c a lake or place is supposed to be producing fish, doesn't guarantee you'll catch em - and it's funny to hear people rave about 'going to the hot spot' and not getting nothing -  - IMO those are the ones that don't understand the sport... I believe you're right on the unfished locations too... that's why I stay away from crowds, and likely Dawg too.. I would presume.

Anyways - hope this helps ya out a little better to understand our views.. or mine anyways at least.  I tend to ramble at times - so sorry for the long post 

[percherman]

Fisher, I am a SD native and have since moved to NE in 2000 I fish the ice as much as I can here but our season is so short. I will say our crappie fishing is incredible, when we have ice. But I cannot help going back to all my old haunts. I don't prefer any lake over the other but like to get to know as many of them inside and out. And as you said, "the beauty of the glacial lakes is just awesome". I am very partial to fishing ice for perch. You are right about being one of the only SD people on the lake. I have really noticed the # of out of staters like myself now fishing up north since the river has taken a dive. I use to be a river rat fishing almost all year round but have since gave that up because of dinks.

Give me a five gallon bucket, a dirty old slough, and some hungry perch and I am happy!!!

[ice dawg]

Percherman, I'm still a river rat in the summer. I can remember telling my son that you never say on the radio where you are if you are catching fish. We caught our Walleyes one day and they were all in the 3 to 31/2 lb range and were leaving our spot when my brother called and wanted to know where we were and how we were doing. I told him where we were and we had our limit of nice fish and left for the campground. My brother said that the whole river came alive and by the time he got to the spot it was being hammered by fishermen and they shut off. My wife and I went to the same place the next morning about 8 O'Clock and by 10:30 we were in camp with a limit in the freezer. There is a lot to be said for cell phones in a situation like this. Good luck and I hope to see you on the river sometime.

[waterbeater]

I wish I could have been posting some more of my fishing results but the warm temps and high winds took the ice a month ago and we still have open water. So I guess I'll just sit here and "lurk" a while longer. Ha Ha. 

[ice dawg]

I wish I could have been posting some more of my fishing results but the warm temps and high winds took the ice a month ago and we still have open water. So I guess I'll just sit here and "lurk" a while longer. Ha Ha. 

I'm not looking forward to the time that I am waiting for the ice to go off after it gets too bad for fishing. Lurking may be the thing to do for me too. Waiting for ice in the fall and for open water in the spring is always tough for me.

[percherman]

Come on guys, Long pole-Short pole it doesn't matter. What matters is, the sun in our face, the wind in our back, and the tug of a fish on our pole. No sence in lurking around waiting for our butts to get flat looking at a monitor when we could be out in God's country doing what we do best.

Am I percherman or preacherman?

[ice dawg]

I suppose a little spring goose hunting might be possible.

[Waubay Fisher]

I wish I could have been posting some more of my fishing results but the warm temps and high winds took the ice a month ago and we still have open water. So I guess I'll just sit here and "lurk" a while longer. Ha Ha. 

I wouldn't mind hooking into a few of those jumbo's you snagged earlier in the season 

[percherman]

I think your wish will come true real soon. The geese are flying high here down south in nebraska. I have seen alot of them today headed your way. I hope they dont pass right through SD.You guys need a chance to wack a bunch of them. I got on a few good hunts last year up there but the season just didnt last long enough for a weekend hunter like me. Man I miss a good bag of skycarp jerky.
Good luck, shoot straight, and wack em all!!!

[ice dawg]

A friend was telling me the other day that there are tons of em in Nebraska. I hope they hang around here for a while. They sure have gun range figured out as they will line up in a field along a road just out of shotgun range. Last fall was a poor season as it was too nice and when they finally got here it turned cold and they were gone in a few days. How was the goose hunting in Nebraska last fall?

[percherman]

I am not sure. I do all my goose hunting in SD. I only had a few days myself up in SD, could have shot a few more geese if the weather would have cooperated but it wasn't to bad all in all. I am a ditch pig myself and just happened to be under the right flock that moved to three different fields and we kept getting under them every time they moved. Nebraska is kind of messes  up in my opinion, no ditch hunting! What does it hurt? I am sure that comment will open up a hole nother can of worms but its my opinion. That is why I hunt light geese in SD, because I just moved to NE and have no private place to hunt. Getting permission here is like asking for there first born daughter and thats no joke. I have yet to gain permission buy ONE land owner in NE.
Sorry I went off!,   I enjoy the heck out of hunting snows up there and I hope they dont just pass through. I heard a high flock this morning while taking my kids to school so they must be on the move again.

[shoeman34]

I think I will stick with new and avoid any hassels. Fisher, I sure learned my lesson the hard way about your last comment. When I first started using the forum I gave a great desciption of my honey hole at pick which looked like it hadn,t had a hole drilled all year. The next two weeks more and more people came. I wasn,t there for two weeks, holy #$#@, it was like a city. I have learned a lesson. From now on, What lake I fished, when I fished, what I caught, what I used.

Everyday I can't wait to check this sight and see what going. Nothing between me and the lakes but highway and the baitstore.

I am so pumped, I justed recieved my shipment from Leon Maloney in Ontario. He makes a hand made lure called the bug which he has won numerous Canadian national perch fishing titles with. I can't use them this week, but next week I plan on putting a dent in the perch population with them. If anybody is interested in them let me know. They aint cheap.

I am very interested in the lures that Leon makes.....if you can would you please email me at [email protected]  I have been looking for them every where and unable to find them.  Thanks@

[njsimonson]

I thought this forum is supposed to be used as a tool to help educate other fisherman of different fishing spots

Heh...I learned in 2001 you keep your mouth shut on the web about little pocket sloughs and small lakes.  They get pummelled by the masses.  Lake Hobart near Valley City, ND was decimated thanks to the advent of internet "reporting."  Good luck finding a perch there now! 

Do you have a flasher unit?  I'd make sure to have a flasher prior to a camera.  And buy new.  You're most likely warrantied longer in a new purchase (1 yr Mfr. Warranty?), as opposed to buying second-hand. (60 days in most states). 

Good fishin, wherever you fish!

[ice dawg]

I am not sure. I do all my goose hunting in SD. I only had a few days myself up in SD, could have shot a few more geese if the weather would have cooperated but it wasn't to bad all in all. I am a ditch pig myself and just happened to be under the right flock that moved to three different fields and we kept getting under them every time they moved. Nebraska is kind of messes  up in my opinion, no ditch hunting! What does it hurt? I am sure that comment will open up a hole nother can of worms but its my opinion. That is why I hunt light geese in SD, because I just moved to NE and have no private place to hunt. Getting permission here is like asking for there first born daughter and thats no joke. I have yet to gain permission buy ONE land owner in NE.
Sorry I went off!,   I enjoy the heck out of hunting snows up there and I hope they dont just pass through. I heard a high flock this morning while taking my kids to school so they must be on the move again.

I know what ya mean. I lived in Colorado in the early 70s and the only way to hunt geese was if you belonged to a lease club. Most of the hunting land was leased by corporations and you could hunt  if a friend was a member and invited you along. I would hate to think of what it is like now. We have people crying around here about shooting the poor geese. Most of the farmers around here are glad to get rid of the sky carp. There is the occasional greedy land owner though. The old pay me to do me a favor trick.