To Use or Not to Use an Underwater Camera?

I am a big time fan of the underwater camera. It gives the people who use them a huge advantage over those who don’t when fishing, especially when ice fishing.

There is more to being a successful fisherman than dropping a jig into the water and bouncing it around. In order to be a success on the water, or as successful as most of us would like to be you have to understand the fish, think like the fish. The best way to do this is see what the fish is seeing and see how the fish reacts to what it sees.

As far as I am concerned there is no better way to do this than to use an underwater viewing system to actually look at what’s under the water from a fisheye view.

The first thing that I do every time I hit the ice is to auger a hole and drop in my camera into it for a good look around. I am looking to see whether or not there is at least some good structure, green weeds, maybe a stump or log, and hopefully some freshwater shrimp or minnows. If there is I will stay and try the spot out for a while. If there is no sign of life whatsoever and sand for as far as he camera can see, I will probably move a short distance and try again.

One thing to remember is that a camera can only see as far as the water clarity will let it. An easy way to judge the distance the camera is seeing is to drill a bunch of holes in a straight line. Slide your camera into the first hole and aim it towards the line of holes you drilled. Then start at the nearest hole and drop a large jig into it. If you can see it on the camera you know you can see that far. Continue until you can’t see it anymore. You will have a good idea of how far the camera is seeing.

Knowing this can be very important. When I first started using a fish camera I would see fish swimming by but I couldn’t tell how far away the fish were or if they were anywhere near my baits and lures because an underwater camera doesn't have a range finder built in. Fish often take the same route around structure or shore. Knowing how far away that fish you see is lets you determine where you may want to drill another hole so the fish will see your bait as it is cruising. You can’t catch fish if you don’t get the bait to them. Once you have found a spot that you would like to try and fish and have some fish in the area, possibly investigating your tasty offerings you will be able to watch exactly what reactions the fish have to your baits and lures.

Not two bodies of water have fish that react exactly the same way but you can learn so much about what lures attract and what lures trigger strikes, what baits to use and what to avoid. It is also really fun and brings a lot of excitement to something that for most is a complete mystery.

There are very few people on the planet that have the opportunity to watch fish inhale a hook from that perspective.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!BE WARNED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Children become crazed, screaming maniacs when they see a fish on the camera monitor. About 100% of the time they scare that fish off faster than a bullet with all the yelling and jumping and yelling for there sister and slamming fishing shack doors.

You can purchase an underwater viewing system from most sporting goods stores. I have an Aqua-Vu Scout II Underwater Viewing System. There are many underwater camera manufacturers and models to choose from. If you are going to be fishing in the winter without a fishing shack I would buy a good model for sure. If you are like me and spend a lot of your ice fishing time in an ice fishing shack there is the option to build your own underwater camera system, often for about half the price of a store bought one.

Get that underwater camera out and catch some great fish.

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