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Fun video. To sort of answer your question, I purchased one of the earliest AquaVus that they made. I used it a lot when I first got it and then quickly decided it was more trouble than it was worth. The older style were black and white, a much larger unit with a smaller screen, and one had to put their face close to the unit to see the shaded screen.
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I see the camera as a tool and it has it's places where it replaces the fish finder... Shallow water and places where you may need to pick through the fish and only let big ones get a chance to bite... But they are tools and not all tools work well in all circumstances... So use it where it's good and leave it home when it isn't... Mine is light weight and easy to throw in, so I usually take it, but don't always set it up... It does take time, but when I set it up in the flip, it's easy to move hole to hole and so I only have an initial set up and tear down of wasted time and the rest of the time it's functional, but I needed to get a mount for the screen and a rotator for the camera angle to control where I was looking... After I got those things it's much more useful... Good luck and have fun...Later J
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Just got mine this year for Christmas and I enjoy seeing what is down the hole. Not as useful as my sonar, but for looking around to see the "terrain", it is very educational.
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Don't give up on it, I definitely have places where the camera kicks the sonars but big time... But the inverse is true in some areas too... So it all depends on where you are and the conditions you're working with... If you have poor water clarity or too deep of location then the camera is not going to work at all.. and you need to remember you can only see the small window in front of the camera lens, so stuff can sneak up from behind and surprise you... I'm glad I have one, but it won't replace a fish finder by any means, so I guess it's a nicety but not a necessity... Later J
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I use mine all the time, both under the ice and under the boat. There are many uses for it, from just looking at the structure down there to verifying the target fish to actually watching for the bite when they are seemingly suffering from lock jaw. My only complaint is that I sometimes need a 75-100' cable since I live on Bear Lake and mine only has a 50' cable.
I use a marcum vs485c and love it. The screen visibility kinda sucks in open daylight, but I can shade it and still see what is happening down there. It has really been a game changer for my perch fishing. When I find perch, but can't seem to get them to bite I simply lower the camera, rotate it to look at my lure or bait and start the process of finding out what pattern of teasing it takes to get them to bite and then it's game on. Many times I get bites without the slightest indication at the rod tip.
No good in murky water however.
Mike
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I figure I'll start using it less as time goes on. But it's still fun to have and use in certain situations.
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I picked up the tripod to control the camera angle and is definitely a huge time saver. Trying to get the camera pointing in the right direction was the biggest pain!
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Nice video. I have been using a camera for over 5 years now. I take my camera (AquaVu micro) with me on most ice fishing trips but mostly use my sonar. It is entertaining and educational to see how fish are reacting to your presentation. My AquaVu micro has a record feature which I really like. I can review video on my computer when I get home. The camera always has a spot in my ice sled although I don't always break it out. Strawberry and Starvation generally have great water clarity. So the camera comes along on those trips.
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I agree with you completely the positioner makes the camera useful otherwise they are just toys. Glad it’s working for you. Later J
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It's crazy how many fish eat your bait without any detection! A lot of times by the time I notice the tip of my rod twitch, the fish has already spit it out. The camera has definitely helped out
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Thanks for watching! I like the fact that you can record on your camera. Mine doesn't have that built in. I think I'll pick up an external recorder I can plug into it to get that footage to upload to the computer and add it to future YouTube videos!
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