AquaVu

[BassAkwards]

I am looking into underwater cameras but I am clueless about them. I am looking for any advice as to good quality cameras at reasonable prices. I have looked into the scout, but again, no idea if that is a good model. I would like to stay under $300 and less if possible. any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[Deitz Dittrich]

I have the scout XL and I love it.. I use it more during open water than I do ice... but all in all, cant complain about the camera at all.

[Soul_Patrol]

I have the scout 2 model. I use it mostly for ice fishing. It is easy to see as long as you are in a fish house, otherwise it's hard to see with the glare from the sun. No problems with it though.

[jwhjr]

BassAkwards - FYI - Someone has a Scout XL listed in the For Sale forum you may want to check out. Good Luck!

[BassProAddict]

Deitz how far does your camera reach on murky/stained water?

If you were down to your last bucks for equipment, would you buy a fishfinder or an underwater camera?

[jigginjim]

I use a ZT-50 for finding thermo-clines in the summer. Plus helps find the warmer water when ice fishing.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Quote:

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Deitz how far does your camera reach on murky/stained water?

If you were down to your last bucks for equipment, would you buy a fishfinder or an underwater camera?

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Well, think of it this way... Its scuba diving without getting wet.. if you can see your lure down the hole about 4 feet.. you will see about that far with the camera... IT really all depends on the clearness and light penitration of the water.. at night its much worse...

If I only had a few dollars to my name and had to pick an underwater camera, or a depthfinder.. It would be depthfinder every time... A camera only tells you what you can see.... where a depthfinder tells you everything from the surface of the water to the bottom.

[SFBOY]

My dad has a camera that we used last year while ice fishing. We were fishing for whitefish on Green Bay. We had always thought there were a few whitefish and that we caught most that came through. What we found was that the fish were there all the time and lots of them. It was like fishing in a bathtub. We could see them come in and grab the jig and set the hook. I kinda felt like it was cheating, but it was sure fun to watch the fish and learn how they take the bait and actually see what the bottom looks like.

[polarsusd81]

The nice thing about the underwater cameras is how much you learn from using them. I have had an Aqua Vu MC2X for about 5 years or so now and I love it. There have been a lot of times I was out on the hard water and really dialed in the way fish react to the bait presentation.

A good example of this would be a day long outing on North Lindstrom Lake in Deitz's neck of the woods. I went out and set up in about 11 fow, on a nice slope with a sandy bottom and a few weeds here and there. I had crappies, blue gills, and micro perch under the house most of the day, and I really wasn't out after trophys or a meal so I just wanted to pull a bunch out of the hole. Every once in a while a largemouth would fly in and stop just short of the jig and watch it, less than an inch away. I then witnessed something very strange, and it happened on 6 of 7 bass that day. They would be sitting there, eyeing up the jig and open their mouth and kinda flare the gills while sucking the jig in and spit it back out instantly. They way they did it, I couldn't feel a thing, and they would then dart away about 5 feet or so, until I could bring em back in by jigging. This little game would go on three or four times before I could get them to commit and set the hook. I still to this day do not know exactly why they behaved the way they did, but I know without a doubt I wouldn't have been able to catch them without seeing the reactions they displayed.

But as Deitz said, if it comes down to the flasher or a camera, take the flasher first. Also don't forget to go pick up some LaDredge Reel Weeds. After one use, you will wonder why you went so long without them. They are relatively cheap and a truly great product. Once you put the funds together for all three, your on the water learning will grow exponentially.

[PiKeGuY101]

Also look at the Marcums - I bought one last year and love it just check your water clarity and try and fish the lakes with the most... A flasher is a must have though I dont regret buying a cam first but a flasher is good on dark water lakes and at night!