Underwater Camera's do they help you catch more fish??

[Raintree]

Bass Pro has had several on sale recently as cheap as $189 and I have seen one at Harbor Freight for as low as $99. With those kind of prices I am really thinking hard about getting one to make sure those stacked up fish on my locator are indead crappies.

I have been doing alot of reading and seen that they are very popular with the ice fishing guys they find them one of the most important tools.


I have been thinking about the $189 Aqua Vu Scout on sale this week at BPS part of their spring classic sale.

I have really not heard anything bad about Aqua VU.

Let me know what you think.

[KARL]

Bass Pro has had several on sale recently as cheap as $189 and I have seen one at Harbor Freight for as low as $99. With those kind of prices I am really thinking hard about getting one to make sure those stacked up fish on my locator are indead crappies.

I have been doing alot of reading and seen that they are very popular with the ice fishing guys they find them one of the most important tools.


I have been thinking about the $189 Aqua Vu Scout on sale this week at BPS part of their spring classic sale.

I have really not heard anything bad about Aqua VU.

Let me know what you think.

..I have aqua-vu "smart vu"...several variables to consider..clearer water=better picture...keeping camera still=better..amount of light in water...the camera itself is top notch, like watching TV out of water....in water can be a different story :o ..reccomend renting one if you can, to make sure it's gonna do what you want it to :D

[labill]

Bass Pro has had several on sale recently as cheap as $189 and I have seen one at Harbor Freight for as low as $99. With those kind of prices I am really thinking hard about getting one to make sure those stacked up fish on my locator are indead crappies.

I have been doing alot of reading and seen that they are very popular with the ice fishing guys they find them one of the most important tools.


I have been thinking about the $189 Aqua Vu Scout on sale this week at BPS part of their spring classic sale.

I have really not heard anything bad about Aqua VU.

Let me know what you think.

Hello Raintree.....welcome to crappie.com. After looking at the underwater cams for some time, a good friend of mine steered me to a sale at BPS. I got an XPS-60. It's a facinating tool to have at your disposal, and can be frustrating in the same manner as a fishfinder when you can see the fish all over the screen, but can't get as much as a bump. It's equally as frustrating to watch a nice slab detour around your offering like it wasn't even there, but when you find a brush pile or structure and see the numbers of crappie and are willing to bite, there's nothing like it. It taught me a few things about fishing for crappie....I found that when they are tight to the bottom, rig a dropshot with the lure about 6" above the weight and gently bounce the weight on bottom,which stirs up the silt, and brings the crappie on the run to see if it is edible. By then you've eased the jig closer to the bottom and can watch him as he nails it! Now, if that doesn't get your attention, you might as well go home and watch the game!

A word of advice, as my buddy stressed to me, there are two features you will need with your cam.....the directional arrow that indicates where the cam is pointing, and equally as important, the water temp feature, which will cost more but will make it easier and more accurate in locating the fish. Sometimes the temp is the most important detail, especially in extremes of heat and cold. There are times I have to tear myself away from the monitor so I can get done what I came to do......catch fish! Good luck.......

[Moose1am]

I would get one just for the temperature readings. This months (March) In-Fishermen Magazine has a GREAT article on how water temps effect Spring Crappie Locations. A difference of just one deg F can make a difference.

Find North shorelines that have the wind blowing from the South right into the Shoreline. Not at an angle. Eliminate the ones that are too cold and that don't have the right structure and you have found the crappie.

Find a small enclose bay or cannal on the north shoreline that has dark bottom and or wood and the right depth and you have found a good spot.

Get the march issure of In-Fisherman and read the article. I bough the magazine just for that one article on crappie fishing. I could care less where the walleye and big catfish are located. I am into crappie fishing these days.


I have a temp gauges that is on a 25 ft cable and I can measure the water temp from the surface down to 25 ft in 1 ft increaments. I use that to find the thermocline in the summertime. For 350 bucks I could get a new probe that is 50ft and one day I may do that. I need a new probe so that I can take Dissolved Oxygen measurements also with the temps.

Hello Raintree.....welcome to crappie.com. After looking at the underwater cams for some time, a good friend of mine steered me to a sale at BPS. I got an XPS-60. It's a facinating tool to have at your disposal, and can be frustrating in the same manner as a fishfinder when you can see the fish all over the screen, but can't get as much as a bump. It's equally as frustrating to watch a nice slab detour around your offering like it wasn't even there, but when you find a brush pile or structure and see the numbers of crappie and are willing to bite, there's nothing like it. It taught me a few things about fishing for crappie....I found that when they are tight to the bottom, rig a dropshot with the lure about 6" above the weight and gently bounce the weight on bottom,which stirs up the silt, and brings the crappie on the run to see if it is edible. By then you've eased the jig closer to the bottom and can watch him as he nails it! Now, if that doesn't get your attention, you might as well go home and watch the game!

A word of advice, as my buddy stressed to me, there are two features you will need with your cam.....the directional arrow that indicates where the cam is pointing, and equally as important, the water temp feature, which will cost more but will make it easier and more accurate in locating the fish. Sometimes the temp is the most important detail, especially in extremes of heat and cold. There are times I have to tear myself away from the monitor so I can get done what I came to do......catch fish! Good luck.......

[Tommy]

Hi Raintree, and welcome aboard. I have the same cam as LaBill has and as he said one of the most important features on the camera is the sub surface temp reading that is built into the camera itself. I fish several lakes here in Louisiana that are about as stained as water gets anywhere in the country and I can see the fish just fine. Matter of fact I have found them to be very curious when the camera comes floating by. Bass and catfish will also swim right up to the lense. Most of the time all you will see on a catfish is lips and whiskers. I have found in the summer when fish are holding tight on tops that if you have a water temp of 78 degrees, it is best to crank the motor and ease on down the lake. If you can find water temps around 75 you should be able to load the livewell. This temp difference makes a tremendous difference here, however; you may find that on the lakes that you fish it may be something totally different.

[KARL]

..Tommy and labill..do you guys have any problem with camera head spinning and seeing "snow" particles floating in water??? only way I can get a good picture is..to have camera on bottom or on end of pole...would appreciate any tricks ya'll have discovered...my camera head has clear rudder and ballast lead weights on bottom of head also ring of red/green lights...do you have to modify head??? I have "snow" problems with lights on or off if head not stabile...thanks..Karl

[Moose1am]

There is a very good article in the March Issue of In-Fisherman Magazine on how water temps effect where the fish are located in a lake. Water temp is a prime variable to know especially in the early spring time.

When a cold front comes though the water temp drop a few degrees and that turns the fish off for a while.

Hi Raintree, and welcome aboard. I have the same cam as LaBill has and as he said one of the most important features on the camera is the sub surface temp reading that is built into the camera itself. I fish several lakes here in Louisiana that are about as stained as water gets anywhere in the country and I can see the fish just fine. Matter of fact I have found them to be very curious when the camera comes floating by. Bass and catfish will also swim right up to the lense. Most of the time all you will see on a catfish is lips and whiskers. I have found in the summer when fish are holding tight on tops that if you have a water temp of 78 degrees, it is best to crank the motor and ease on down the lake. If you can find water temps around 75 you should be able to load the livewell. This temp difference makes a tremendous difference here, however; you may find that on the lakes that you fish it may be something totally different.

[Raintree]

It looks like most of you have the temp tech models. I agree that seems to be a big feature but is that one thing worth the extra $110 bucks over the regular model?

Its $189 for scout model or $299 for ZT50 which has the temp reading.

[kunes]

It looks like most of you have the temp tech models. I agree that seems to be a big feature but is that one thing worth the extra $110 bucks over the regular model?

Its $189 for scout model or $299 for ZT50 which has the temp reading.

Or--maybe ya could get the less expensive model and get one of these. That way you could check the temps at different depths even if ya didn't feel like messin with the camera. http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...equestid=22433

The temp read out on my depthfinder gave it up and I been too lazy to send it back to the factory. Didn't wanna be without a depthfinder for that long. Besides, fish don't live on top of the water. Hadn't bought myself a new toy in awhile so I got one of these. Works good.

[Paul D.]

I have the Harbor Freight $99 camera, just wanted to try it out for locating migration structure. Took it out on the ice this weekend. Lowered it down the hole and a nice crappie swam right up to the lens, got to watch another one take the jig. This was worth the $99 :p .
The downfalls of the cheaper one:
None of the extra features listed above (Temp, direction, color)
The monitor is NOT water proof.
Like the Atlantis cameras, they cannot be easily viewed in direct sunlught, even with the sunshade.
Good luck, I am sure you will enjoy haveing the camera, it adds a whole new dimention to the fishing experiance.