Aqua View

Is an Aqua View a valuable tool for open water fishing…i have borrowed a friend for ice fishing before and see the imediate benefit of it for ice fishing…I am just looking for a little persuasion to get on for Christmas, is it worth it? Are the basic models good enough for most applications? Thanks for your help

Jason

We use our Scout year round, helps locating exact structure or subtle bottom changes. Or just for watching whats there.

I use mine all the time on open water. Like Shaley said if I see something different in the graph or flasher, I can drop the camera down and see that it is. It makes finding those transition areas easier.

Ron

Its going to depend on how much time you want to spend going 1 mph in the summer looking at the bottom. A locator/sonar is a tool, a camera is a toy.

Once you start using one in open water you’ll see huge rewards. We use them a ton prefishing for tourneys. It instantly tells us not only what species the fish are but what size they are which is a big help on slot lakes. Once we know the fish are there all we have to do is find out what triggers them. If nothing else using a camera is a huge confidence builder. It is a lot easier to stick a spot out if you know for sure the fish are there.

Yeah they can be a key item, last year at the IDA get together on mille lacs, it was the difference of me catching a some fish, and bringing home a limit, without the cameraI I would’ve missed a lot more fish.

Now that being said, on a average day I’d out fish some one with a camera with my flasher 3 to 1, easily. A big limiting factor being cameras see a small part of the water, whereas a flasher lets me see everything below me. Countless times last year we’d be fishing off the bottom for some fish, and a school would move through higher up, on a camera you would’ve never known they just swam by, with the flasher I can adjust instantly and more often then not pick up fish this way.

overall, I’d probably just go home if I forgot my flasher, and most of the time I leave my camera home, open water or hardwater. They have their uses and they are pretty darn neat where your watching fish and such, but they are kind of a PITA to setup and use.

Sometimes I think about just selling it, but I do like it enough to never get serious about the idea, I’m pretty certain I could live without a camera.

Edit: of course in the time it took me to type this out they guys made several very good points, and camera revomves a lot of doubt and certainly gives some confidence.

I am with Derek – if you already have good electronics in the form of a locator/sonar and a GPS to mark the spot you are good to go. With time on the water, reading your electronics will tell you all you need to know much quicker then a camera in open water. Of course I am old school so take it with a grain of salt.

Thanks guys…with a GPS and good sonar I feel confident with finding structure etc…identifying species (perch vs. walleye)and size, etc would be a nice benefit. You can never have enough toys right?! My dad is my #1 fishing partner but the Aqua View Scout is on sale at Cabela’s for $159 with an additional $25 rebate so I figure you can’t go wrong with that for a Christmas present.

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The Aqua View Scout is on sale at Cabela’s for $159 with an additional $25 rebate so I figure you can’t go wrong with that for a Christmas present.

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That’s a steal at that price!

ok, last question…Aqua View vs. Marcum??? From looking at the basic models of each, they appear very similar…any suggestions would be appreciated.