Tips Tricks and Advice on Cameras

[Wagz]

I just bought a camera and I was wonder about a few things ? Do you drill a different hole for it or run it down the same hole. How do you anchor the camera ? I was thinking an Ice Ducer type float would work ?
Any advice would be great ! I am just learning !

[blazer]

To anchor the camera I picked up a camera compass from Gander.  There are made by marcum and it anchors the camera and allows you to turn the camera pretty easily.  Usually I'll drill a third hole for the camera and point it back at my lure.  Depending on the lakes clarity I'm able to see both baits on the camera.  Also if you are fishing in a relatively clear lake if you are able to angle the camera down it will give you a pretty good view of the bottom and the fish hanging around off the bottom.  One final thing try to keep the monitor warm, they don't seem to work as well when they are cold.  If I am on the ice outside of my portable I've noticed the monitor doesn't work as well as when I am sitting in my portable.  Hope this helps.

[Wagz]

Thanks Blazer that is the kinda stuff I was looking for

[JohnWester]

for sure a separate hole.  and I use the tripod thing...

[Spinach]

Yep, Blazer pretty much nailed it with his tips.

Definitely a seperate hole is a must. Either a Tripod or compass is also a must, otherwise you will never see your bait.

Down viewing can be great at times too, the best way is to use zip ties on the camera itself.

[tripnchip]

I was looking at camers today just to pass time well waiting to pick my wife up from work and almost passed out. Holy cow pies, 500 smackers just to watch a fish bite your bait. Of coarse that one had the special feature of being able to look 360 degrees. Hey I just had a thought, ( i know thats dangerous for me). Do these things work out of the water? If they do could you hang the camera on a limb by your stand and let the camer watch you back. lol
 I would like to have on realy but i have small boat, heck had throw one of the grandkids overboard last year to get all the equipment in it.lol

[JohnWester]

tripnchip... yeah, the price is up there... but I tell you what.  I have learned so much by observing the fish bite down there, their habits and what works and what doesn't...  you get to see their reaction to what you do.  kind of like bowhunting for deer, you learn a lot.  and you don't need a $550 buck camera, I have the marcum 250, I believe you can get it for less then $200 bucks now.  I love it... during the day, I will use it over my vex for sure.

[tripnchip]

John, I was pulling legs withthat post. I would like to have one but like i said i have a small boat and can't aford to throw another grandkid over board.  Until i figure out how to haul both the atv and portable in my truck I am stuck with spearing in the winter. I need to build a carring rack for the portable that will slide into the reciever hitch on the truck. Then i will be able to take both items and do some hole drilling.

[JohnWester]

gotcha

[Wagz]

I bought the Marcum VS250 for $110 brand new. I got 2 kids and figured even if I do not like it it will buy me at least a couple of extra hours fishing each time I go out !!

Thanks, for all the tips guys. I was thinking of maybe trying the Vex float of ice fishing with it but it looks the way to go is the tri pod

[GRIZ]

The last few days I've been on this lake with all kinds of fish showing up on the flasher. First time out I caught a few fish but not what I was hopeing for especially given all the fish activity. Next time out I brought my Marcum VS500 and am catching more fish. What the fish are doing is biting while coming up and not even moving the float. Most of the fish I've been getting by watching them bite on the camera.

Yesterday Iwas out before daybreak and landing a few fish when everything dissappeared. If I wouldn't have had the camera with I wouldn't have been able to see how big that northern was that spooked everything away. I tried everything to catch that one different jigs, spoons, just a minnow head then 2 minnows. Well Daveo called me and just as I found the phone and said hello, I looked over to watch the monster spit out 2 minnows along with my jig. I messed around trying to catch the darned thing only to have it ruined by a stinkin phone call but at least I knew why the panfish wern't biting.

They can be a very useful tool. Sometimes more frustrating than not but I like them.

[The General]

I bought mine at Menards on sale for $75.  It's got the sony camera and IMHO is just as good as anyone on the market that doesn't turn  the camera for you.  Then I would spend the money on the motorized turner I believe it's by aqua-view for $100.  All the lights and hoopla is just a gimmic on the ones I've seen.  It looks like a bunch of bubbles on the screen on my buddies aqua-view.

[GRIZ]

  All the lights and hoopla is just a gimmic on the ones I've seen.  It looks like a bunch of bubbles on the screen on my buddies aqua-view.

I know what you mean with the bubble thing. I don't think it is actually bubbles but little micro bugs of some sort as the longer it's left on the more of em ya get. With the infared lights it's actually pretty good on mine, just have to keep the camera a bit closer than in the daytime. When I turn the regular lights on, it does attract too many of them bugs. So I just use the infared and keep it within a couple feet no more than 3'. My favorite way to fish has always been through a spearhole and a camera allows me to do so without actually cutting that big hole. One feature I'd like to see on a camera is a way to move the thing up and down without it twisting around.