Do you use a camera?

How many of you use a camera for ice fishing? Do you use it just for finding fish only, or do you use it while fishing?

I use a camera for locating transitions in bottom structure. I’ll generally have it on all the time, but may not pay attention to it much since my eyes are glued to the vexi most of the time. I personally think they are great tools, after you own a quality flasher.

So, my question is this, why use a flasher, if you can watch the activities on the camera?

Is it considered unethical to fish using a camera?

I’m considering buying a camera and retiring the flasher, just for the fact that you can watch the fish respond directly with the camera. You can also watch fish from a distance, let alone knowing what the fish is (carp or walleye).

In my experience, I tend to mess with the direction the camera is pointing too much. I don’t have a good method of holding my cord/camera. I’m still working on it though. I see aqua view has a tripod I may try to “steal” the patent from.

I also want to know the depths I’m fishing, especially on a nice day where I may punch twenty holes and continue to work them all until I find fish. The flasher is much easier to pick up and move around with. I also like that a flasher will show me suspended fish, where the camera will only see the spot it’s currently pointed at.

One last comment about cameras, I truely think they are a great tool. I think they are a great compliment to flashers. When getting ready to make your purchase, don’t waste your money on the night vision cameras, unless you fish gin clear water. I have not been around one that will justify the extra $100 or so dollars for the night vision. Of course these are just my opinions.

Stop at the local sporting goods stores, play with a couple different models, Aqua View and Marcum are two very popular manufacturers. If you have more specific questions, I’d be glad to share my opinion on each.

I use a camera for locating fish and when the gills are finicky it really helps to watch them bite. Sometimes I set up the camera next to a tip-up so my wife can watch the big pike cruise around.

I like the OVS 500 because of the directional control you get with the rotating base. There is a new OVS 560 coming out that will have a rotating camera. I may have to upgrade this year. It looks like a really sweet machine.

I use the OVS500 and it has significantly improved my icefishing enjoyment. It is simple to use and easy to set up – I am building an IceHouse right now and I have incorporated the camera hole into the hole placement in my house. The OVS500 has remote camera control so you can swing the camera to follow fish – it is really fun when the northerns are active. You will be surprised about how much you can learn about fish activity from watching them on a camera. Even when the fish aren’t biting the camera allows you to see fish and to work them using a variety of techniques. I use an FL8 when I fish deep and the depth and water clarity hamper the camera. But to be honest with you I prefer fishing spots that maximize the camera – it just makes the whole trip that much more fun.

Love my OVS also, it has greatly enhanced my ice fishing pleasure, watching pike cruise in and stop the bite, or catching fish because you can watch gills so finicky the only way to catch them is thru the camera, it is an awesome tool and has “brought me back” to ice fishing, very enjoyable.

I have a Aqua vu Mirco and finding my depth was hard at first but then I put red tape at 5 foot increments and blue every foot in between, it works really well. I also have a catch cover brand screw on “snake arm”for the camera that I clamp onto the inside of my hub. It works great