11-19-2010, 09:08 PM
Well, it's coming up on two years for my ODC 420 and I still sing its praises (off key I'm sure) -- but I'm always thinking how to improve my setup. I need a camera mount, 'cause I'm tired of risking my smartphone to take pictures of fish. I can only take photos of the fish, not me with them, and when they're good size it's hard to hold 'em up one handed for a good display. So I recently got a cheap camera (actually an underwater model), and I'm puzzling out how to mount it so I can take proper pictures when out there by myself. (BTW, I'm always out there by myself = no other tubers here in Virginia despite people who say they like my ride and plan to get one.)
I searched the forum for some pics, but the ones I found aren't going to work with my setup. I'm already adding a PVC bar across my lap to stabilize my "work table" (container lid) that holds a flat tackle box of my most used lures. On ODC's rod-holder side I want to add a boom for the camera. For balance on the other side I want an additional single-rod holder in order to drop a live-bait line while casting artificials. Of course, that would allow me to have five rods = three in the rack, one in my hand and a fifth in the new holder. (If you ask me why I need five rigs, I'll say you sound like my wife.) The extra rod would be tucked at my side over the zippered pockets, pointing backwards out of the way, until needed.
I'm thinking the camera boom would be at my other side, pointing backwards in much the same way. When needed, it would rotate up, over and forward to be in position to take a picture on 10-second delay. I'd need a way to pivot the camera to frame the shots.
Now, if anyone has a more-workable idea for mounting a camera -- and hopefully photos to illustrate -- so I don't have to reinvent the wheel, please speak up. Otherwise I suppose I'll have to explain all of this to a sales clerk at one of the big hardware stores to pick his brain for the gizmos to connect everything.
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I searched the forum for some pics, but the ones I found aren't going to work with my setup. I'm already adding a PVC bar across my lap to stabilize my "work table" (container lid) that holds a flat tackle box of my most used lures. On ODC's rod-holder side I want to add a boom for the camera. For balance on the other side I want an additional single-rod holder in order to drop a live-bait line while casting artificials. Of course, that would allow me to have five rods = three in the rack, one in my hand and a fifth in the new holder. (If you ask me why I need five rigs, I'll say you sound like my wife.) The extra rod would be tucked at my side over the zippered pockets, pointing backwards out of the way, until needed.
I'm thinking the camera boom would be at my other side, pointing backwards in much the same way. When needed, it would rotate up, over and forward to be in position to take a picture on 10-second delay. I'd need a way to pivot the camera to frame the shots.
Now, if anyone has a more-workable idea for mounting a camera -- and hopefully photos to illustrate -- so I don't have to reinvent the wheel, please speak up. Otherwise I suppose I'll have to explain all of this to a sales clerk at one of the big hardware stores to pick his brain for the gizmos to connect everything.
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