Anyone using an Aqua-View

[Kevin B]

Anyone using an Aqua-View? What situations have you found it to be helpful? Do you think they are worth it? Is this a technology that is in its infantile stages, i.e., will the technology improve greatly in the next two years? What are the limitations of this device?

[Trailerguy]

I bought one a while back, I've only used it a couple of times. It doesn't work like I had imagined. You have to be almost drifting, the slowest my 9.9 backtrolls still makes the weeds on the bottum look like a picket fence on the highway. You seldom see a fish, they apparently see the camera and move away. But the bottum of the lakes I've been on look far diferent than I figured they did. I've learned a lot by comparing my depth finder's bottum line to what I can see on the camera. Also you have to constantly raise and lower the camera cord, as the bottum depth changes it is either plowing or too high to see anything,weeds accumulate on the cord as well. This keeps you busy to the point you can't really operate the boat at the same time.
Would I buy it again? Probably, it would be real usefull ice fishing I think.

[Otter]

A friend loaned me one for a few days. I found it to be a valuable learning experience. It's best for looking for answers to specific questions (e.g. what type of bottom are the fish relating to, why does the east end of the bar always outperform the west end, or are those walleyes ignoring my jig or are they suckers). I saw a few muskies just inside the weedline before entering the weeds, but saw no fish after entering the weeds, so I don't know if the unit is effective in weeds. On the postive side, the picture was clearer, and I could see further than I had anticipated. The big negative for me was that it was a pain to try to fish and use the unit at the same time (holding it in my lap and raising and lowering the cord). Yesterday, I saw someone with the unit hard-mounted in his boat, but he left before I had a chance to ask him about the installation. Possibly someone on the board can tell how they have theirs mounted.
Overall, I've decided to buy one next year, just trying to decide whether new or used.

[Tom (mich)]

I've had one for almost one year. Great tool for identifying bottom composition, and identifying suspended bait fish. In my opinion, it is not a tool that can "find" game fish - I think the moving camera spooks them. As stated earlier, they are useless while trolling. Even with the one pound weight and keel, the blowback from the large diameter cord is too much.

Now - for ice fishing, the thing is an absolute riot. If you ice fish much, buy the unit. Sitting in a warm shanty, and watching your baits on TV. My kids love it.

[Bradnd]

Tom.... My thoughts exactly. They are great for ice fishing & just letting the kids observe.

Brad

[tracker47]

I have the Aqua-vu IR for 3 yrs now. This yr I got the newer Z series and hard wired it to my boat. I got the mount from Nature Vision and wired it right to my boats power supply and put a tail light plug on it for removel. I also put it on a ram mount so as to adjust it where ever I want. For me it works great along with my trolling motor but you have to go slow. I use it for finding cribs and rock humps then buoy them and fish around the bouys. I also use it to move along slowly till I see wallys then mark them and fish. For me it works great for what I do but I will say that when you turn on the lights it really doesn't work that good. You also have to be close to the bottom or you won't see nothing. And I have to agree with the others that for ice fishing it's great. Alot of fun. You can learn a lot about your favorite lake with one . I know I did. to me it's worth it.

[Kevin B]

Trailerguy, Otter, Tom(mich), Bradnd, Tracker 47 - Thanks for the honest answers. From what you've told me, I can fill in the blanks. I'm sure it is a techno device that will be greatly improved upon in the next 3 years. I'll bet it would be useful for finding "the spot on the spot." When VCR's hit the market in the eraly 80s, I said I'd buy one when they got under $500. Now they're way under $100. So, I'll hold off on purchasing an Aqua View until they are under $____?
As an aside, I truly appreciate responses like "Would I buy another one? Well . . ." Thanks again.

[GLO]

Doing some leisurely walleye fishing a couple of days ago. Muskie tournament going on at the lake. Saw three guys in a boat, one in back, one in front, both casting; the other in the middle with his head glued to an Aqua-View. Frankly, I though it looked a bit ridiculous, but I was catching fish and they were well into their respective "thousand casts". I have mixed feelings about them, but was surprised to see someone "into it" so intensely and for a tournament, no less. I think I have seen them in use while cathcing some of the PWT on In-Fisherman, also? If fishing advances to the point where we just zip around a big aquarium, able to see everything going on below, I think it will be the worse for it.

[Mark B]

I had the Aqua-View with lights and sold it. Its use was very limited. Its an expensive toy, at best. In winter, Walleyes in most lakes bite at dark or after dark so a camera without lights will not view these fish and the lights are so bright that even if the Walleyes are not spooked by it they will not be in a biting mood. The microorganisms in the water make the screen look like a biology class due to the reflection of light. Getting the camera to point to your bait takes a good half-hour because the cord tends to sway and twist as you adjust it.

Cameras only work in clear water which is becoming a rarity these days. If you want to find out what weeds look like, pull some up with a Daredevil. If you want to find out what type of bottom there is, pound or drag a 2 ounce bottom bouncer on bottom. I have a hard enough time staying on top of marked fish with my locator without trying to identify them with a twirling camera cord. My boat and fish house is crowded enough without a camera.

If you have money laying around and you like to dilly-dally around buy one otherwise spend the time and money catching Walleyes and looking at them as you take them out of the landing net.

[Boots]

My friend bought a Atlantis 401. We took it in May on the Wi. river and all we seen was bubbles. Then we took it when we went smelt fishing just to see if we could see the smelt coming in and again bubbles or it looks like a terrible snowstorm. My buddy said he felt he wasted his money. He let me use it when I went to Canada and I made a bracket for it so I could turn the camera as you can not turn it with the cord. I used chiminey cleaning rods so I could turn it. As we drifted I had to lift it off the bottom and when it got deeper I had to lower it. I used it for about 1 hour the first day and felt it was to much trouble. On the last day of our canadian trip my grandsons 2hp trolling motor fell off in 9 feet of water and came back to the cottage and we went back with the camera and in about 1/2 hour spotted it. We immediately dropped a bouy and he dove under and tied a rope on it and we got it back. The lake was quite clear but we had to be about 3 feet from it or we could not see it. I would not spend the money for one for fishing but it did come in handy on the last day of our trip.

[Jay]

Otter,

I have my Z-series Aqua View mounted on a RAM mount on the gunwale (it's on a 2025 ProV which has a very wide gunwale) near the console. I have it wired with a lighter plug and plug it into the 12 volt socket. Very easy to remove and stow. I keep the cord on the spool it came with and wrap it once around the rod holder to hold it at a specific depth.

Otter, if my memory is right, I thought I saw you post about Leech Lake once. I'm on Leech, if you're in the area and want to look at it, let me know.

[Otter]

Jay,
We just moved to the area this year and have been suffering through the extremely slow year on Leech. I'd love to see your camera setup. You can email me at ronmoe@uslink.net. Thanks.
Otter