Underwater Cameras???

[BassFisherman]

I was just wondering what is an advantage to having a camera. Also if i have a vexilar do i really need a camera. And how much should i maybe spend on one? Thanks

[gunmunky]

My wife bought me a camera a couple of years ago. I find it's good to see the type of bottom your over or how the fish are reacting but it mostly gets used when the kids are along to keep them interested. To me they are more of a toy than a tool. Every once in a while they become very handy, like when you need to retrieve something from the bottom. Water clarity is a big factor and mine becomes almost useless at night. I would say a person doesn't really need a camera but at times they can be very nice to have. If you the extra $$$, get one and have fun with it.

[Acemac]

after not having any electronics for the first 20 years of my fishing career I was given a cheap camera from Menards this year for Christmas. I have become a much better fisherman because of it. it does a great job of locating the structure that you need to be on, and also will show you what type of fish you are seeing. after you figure out how to manage the mess of cords it is a very nice tool for ice fishing.

Although it does make fishing much more enjoyable for me it does not do a great job at locating suspended fish, and i i have stated above is a major pain in the but when you are dealing with 20+ ft of cord. the best thing you can do is go to gander and pick up a camera compass it looks like a bucket cover and is great for holding your camera at a depth and turning in around with ease.

If you have some money lying around and you are wondering what peice of electronics will be the best to have right away I would say go with a nice flasher it will be more mobile and you will see a big increase in the amount of fish you can get on. if you find a great deal on a camera for like 100 bucks and dont want to spend the 400 on a flasher i would say go ahead and pull the trigger becasue it is a tool that i know i would not want to fish without!

[rattlem'up]

the cameras aren't a neccessity but then again they are nice to have. I use mine alot for fishing and spearing. Its also fun when you bring kids out to show them! If you dont want to buy and expensive camera go to menards.They had them for $75 with a $25 mail in rebate. I got one for xmas and it works just as good and the spendy ones in my opinion!

[fridron]

Light and water clarity govern the use of a camera, don't even think of taking one to LotW. Yesterday it showed me on Lake George that the sunnies I kept missing on the Vexilar were just sucking the euros in and holding them without getting to the hook. But a flasher would be the first one to get. You can fish it with the cord in the hole, but a camera should be 2' away from the hole you are fishing in.

[chrismackmn]

i got the menard's fish cam too. if you read the manual, it is actually an aqua-view with a different shell. for less then 75 bucks, it was a nice deal. I actually used it last weekend to set the hook on some fish. I kept having light biters spit out the bait so I dropped the cam down and hooked it when I saw they had it. plus I was able to see when they came in and how they reacted to jigging, just leaving it and different presentations.

[ItsaCrappieLife]

I had never caught a crappie on a jigging rapala until I bought an underwater camera. Sometimes it really helps you to see how the fish are responding to your presentation. Also great fun if you have kids. They love watching the fish swim around. I agree that given a choice you would be better off purchasing a flasher over a camera.

[Tom7227]

the best thing you can do is go to gander and pick up a camera compass it looks like a bucket cover and is great for holding your camera at a depth and turning in around with ease.

Or you can take a cover from a 5 gallon bucket, cut a slot in it, screw three pieces of tin that are about 2 inches X 3/4 inch and use those to hold the cord. Costs about 15 cents for the screws and tin.

[Shaktom]

I have been eying the 7" Cabela's camera but, I never knew that Menards had one too! It sounds like they are almost identidal. Is the Menards camera a 5.5"? No online shopping over there, I quess I'll have to stop by unles you fine people can fill me in.

[mngoosehunter]

shaktom- I bought the cabelas underwater camera two years ago and I would never fish without it. I can use it for basically the whole day without recharging the battery. I can catch more fish with the camera because you can tell how the fish react to jigging, raising the bait, pounding it off the bottom...things like that. Also, some may say that the camera affects the way fish behave and sometimes scares them away but I disagree. Another thing about the camera it is very fun to watch. I would reccommend the cabelas camera to anyone.

[Ol_Bullhead]

bought a new color underwater camera that hooks to your TV for fishhouse and 12V for $60 kind of nice all of us can see what under the ice and in color 20" flat screen great too for old eyes

[bucketmouth64]

I have been eying the 7" Cabela's camera but, I never knew that Menards had one too! It sounds like they are almost identidal. Is the Menards camera a 5.5"? No online shopping over there, I quess I'll have to stop by unles you fine people can fill me in.

The one at Menard's was a special purchase during the holidays. I bought one and it lasted one outing. The second time I used it it was dead and couldn't get it to work at all. So I returned it. Tried to call their customer service number to see if there was a recurring problem, but could not get thru. Always got a voicemail. No return calls. Someone else bought on FM bought one and had the same problem I did after one use.

[My_Key]

Was your problem water leaking into the camera housing??

[bucketmouth64]

Was your problem water leaking into the camera housing??

No idea.

[Gordie]

I got one a few years back for x-mas from the kids it from the bargin area at the big C store. It was around 130 bucks and its alright I used it quite abit at first then the novelty wore off and I only use it when I serching for weed lines for spearing. I know if I would take the time to use my vexilar you could find it just as easy but I like to see the weeds i'm spearing before I cut that big hole.

I will probally use it on off thru the winter and once in a while in the summer. I guess I usally always have with me when I go somewhere new.

It is a great tool to learn on the feeding habits of fish and it really intresting to watch panfish bite so lite and you would never know you even had a bite even with a spring bobber.

[simple1]

This is something I will pick up this summer after my new Cat rod.