Underwater camera – anyone use one?

  • Spoon Minnow
    Posts: 351
    #2288080

    Got mine yesterday and tried it in low light and in the dark. Image was good even from a distance of 10′. Same for infrared imaging in a dark room. I just got to see what the school of fish are on my screen that won’t bite anything. Hopefully image quality in different water clarities and at longer distances will make it worth keeping.

    I’ll post pictures.

    LabDaddy1
    Posts: 2170
    #2288085

    I haven’t used one in YEARS, but when I did it was an older marcum model with IR. It didn’t give the best picture quality during low light but worked. Depends a lot on water clarity. Guessing that one was from 2005-2008? I’m sure they’ve gotten a lot better.

    Hydro
    Brainerd Mn
    Posts: 122
    #2288240

    Yes, I have 3 actually that I use regularly. One open water that does a good job in sunlight, a small one for hole hopping shallow weed flats in the winter and a larger one for the fish house. I consider it as important as any other electronics…and I use them all!!

    Spoon Minnow
    Posts: 351
    #2288255

    Poor water clarity due to suspended algae made the unit useless. Sending it back. It might have worked in a deeper lake with clear water, but this lake averages 7′-8′ – less due to a drought – and no inflow for months.
    The schools on sonar gave me an idea of location patterns. The number would have been more than 31 if I had gotten there before 12:30pm, but catching bass, crappie, sunfish and yellow perch that fight like crazy is better than staying home anytime!

    crawdaddy
    St. Paul MN
    Posts: 1450
    #2288256

    I think they’re a gimmick that have faded away.

    Bearcat89
    North branch, mn
    Posts: 19258
    #2288282

    They are fantastic in the right situation, otherwise they suck.

    Spoon Minnow
    Posts: 351
    #2288283

    The camera’s not going to happen. I don’t fish much when the cold weather slides in in Oct. and that’s when the water clears. Just never realized that suspended/floating algae is uniform in the water top-to-bottom unless there is normal rainfall. Amazing how ultra dry some states are while other states have flooding. (A weird thing are nighttime temps going down to 39 some nights. Even 45 is low for late Aug./early Sept. Hate to see my heating bill this winter.)

    At least the fishing’s turned on! Will be out there until the cold gets too uncomfortable.

    AK Guy
    Posts: 1334
    #2288378

    I use one all the time ice fishing. I stopped using it in the boat because of clarity and nausea. I get motion sickness easy and between waves and a moving screen, I’m on the edge of chumming.

    Spoon Minnow
    Posts: 351
    #2288385

    In most states chummming is illegal. whistling

    eyeguy507
    SE MN
    Posts: 5115
    #2288387

    I only use mine to see what is going on when the fish ain’t biting or to scout which is why I got one. Got it for a price I could not refuse so had to do it. it’s basically a fun little toy

    glenn57
    cold spring mn
    Posts: 11269
    #2288431

    I have a Marcum and use ot a fair amount, both summer and winter.

    Sometimes it’s pretty humorous watching how the fish behave down there.

    tim hurley
    Posts: 5773
    #2288438

    Bear could not have said it better!
    Can be good for helping figure out where a tippy should go. Lots of lakes with sunnys that are all small but crappies are big, quick peak can save you lots of time. I do not have the time to list the situations that suck!

    Spoon Minnow
    Posts: 351
    #2288549

    This color water is normal for summer months. It’s like looking through pea soup. The long drought has reduced water clarity further. I no longer ice fish or fish mountain lakes that are generally colder and the water clearer.
    Camera’s going back.

    Attachments:
    1. IMG_5316.jpg

    Charles
    Posts: 1884
    #2288594

    I use one all the time, for scouting though. I love finding the different structure or weeds. I also use mine for fishing in the boat to find what type of gravel and rocks are exactly below me.

    I have the aquavu 715c

    bigcrappie
    Blaine
    Posts: 4212
    #2288608

    They were a thing till FFS came along.

    Hydro
    Brainerd Mn
    Posts: 122
    #2288700

    Even with my FFS I use my camera a lot. Used them both today actually. It was interesting watching a few bass and a school of bluegill out in a basin.

    tim hurley
    Posts: 5773
    #2289403

    Hydro-where does the camera beat the FFS? I’m guessing weeds

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