electronics

[lake side]

I'm looking for some advise on what to purchase for the hard water season. Would you go with a flasher or an underwater camera? Any advise would be appreciated.


Thanks,
L.S.

[TROLLER]

Under water camera.

It will and can keep you amused and entertained as well as show you how the fish are reacting to your presentation.

[deerguy]

Do you have a budget in mind or a preferable species? What style of fishing?

If you want to do walleyes get a flasher, can utilize the run and gun method real easy, can't do that with a camera.

Mostly pike fishing? Get a camera, you are stationary for a long while and a camera is fun to watch.

I have an lx9 and lx5. When I do walleye's I don't even bother bringing the camera outside of the tent, just gets in the way.

My recommendation for first purchase would be a Flasher. LX5 if the money allows it, if not get a hummingbird, will do pretty much the same thing, just not as close target separation.

Cameras are fun, but in murky water, or deep water, or at night they are useless. A flasher reads everything the same way 24 hours a day,

The company you should look at is Marcum, don't expect a steal on used Flashers tho, if you can find a used lx5 for $450 or less take it. Seen em' go for $500 after only being posted for a few days.

Hope this helps out,

Move around a lot or looking for suspended fish = Flasher
Stationary in a tent relaxing or moving once an hour = Camera.

[lake side]

Thanks guys,

I'm doing mostly perch fishing in a tent in about 8-16 FOW. I don't move around very much either.

Looks like a camera is the way to go.

L.S.

[huntsfurfish]

I'm looking for some advise on what to purchase for the hard water season. Would you go with a flasher or an underwater camera? Any advise would be appreciated.


Thanks,
L.S.



Marcum LX-9, then you have both in one unit. Pricey though.
I like and use both cameras/fishfinders.

If you have a boat and already have a fishfinder, use it, or if you are planning on getting a boat get a fishfinder(not a flasher). Then buy a camera.

Fishfinder will do anything flasher will do and then some.:)

[deerguy]

Thanks guys,

I'm doing mostly perch fishing in a tent in about 8-16 FOW. I don't move around very much either.

Looks like a camera is the way to go.

L.S.

buy a cheap showdown as well. the Perch like to suspend in the water column and a camera will not show you that.

[Dean2]

Vexilar FL-8 for a flasher. Many species of fish don't hang out right on bottom. Perch, trout, Kokanee, Splake and even Walleye are often suspended. Camera is only good if the dish are close to bottom. Camera is fun to watch but if it was one or the other the flasher should come first.

I have sold my cameras because I can't be bothered setting them up and moving them as often as I like to move around. If I still fished with young kids, I would still be running a camera, it keeps young ones really entertained.

[Wes_G]

Flasher %100

If you are moving around a lot you will be spending more time screwing around setting up the camera then you will fishing. Camera's are also totaly useless in dirty water. I was given a camera for a gift 2 years ago and can count on 1 hand the number of times I have used it. Meanwhile the flasher comes out every trip.

[Kim473]

Cameras are fun but a flasher will help you catch more fish than a camera will.

[Bobby B.]

Just a few years back, I faced the same question as you. In the end, I decided on a camera and went with the Marcum vs825sd. I was amazed about how much I learned about fish behaviour simply by watching them on my camera screen.

While I observed other fishermen around me drilling new holes and relocating because they believed the fish weren't around, I saw fish swimming by my and my buddy's presentations with little to no interest. Obviously, it saved us from drilling a lot of pointless holes.

Based on what I observed on my camera screen, I was able to determine if the fish were interested in one presentation and not another, if they preferred a motionless presentation or a jigged presentation, I could watch as they nosed a presentation then swim away, if they took a jig as it was dropped to the bottom, I could intentionally remove the presentation form the reach of the smaller fish to allow the larger ones to take it, etc., etc., etc..

On the other hand, in dark or murky water, a camera is limited or even useless.

I prefer to set up in a promising location, erect the tent, light the heater, set up the camera, etc., and wait for fish to come into view of my camera. Once, at Carson, I watched my camera as a mink swam by, pretty cool.

Bobby

[beerhonky]

I had a camera but it was quirky and took a while to set up. A pain if you were moving. Last year I purchased a regular fish finder (Lowrance 4elite) and I love it. For hard water it works like a flasher but the picture is different. I like how you can see the entire water column, not just one level and one direction. I jerry rigged the original transducer to work on ice but you can buy iceducers for them. Wouldn't go back to camera. Just my 2 cents worth.

[binnzer32]

I have a lx9. Bought first year they came out. Yet to use the flasher portion. No need unless fishing lakers and suspended fish. I can see bottom in 30 feet with decent clarity. .

[PlayDoh]

How can people not use a flasher? I got lucky in that my Humminbird 778c has an ice fishing mode, and I set up my GoPro to use with an iPad.
I fish for Walleye and the camera is useless. Walleye like the dark and by the time they'll be around your camera it'll be so dark it won't help.
Not to mention a lot of lakes are murky, and even in clear lakes you can only see a few feet out. Not much more than a flasher.
A flasher takes a little while to understand how to properly use it, but I never fish without one.
Canadian tire has the humminbird ice 35 for $50 off right now and I've been thinkin of getting it. It would be nice to have 2.
You can learn the same things with a flasher that you can with a camera, but a flasher doesn't need visibility and it a lot easier to watch.
If you have a lot to spend an LX9 will end your dilemma. The only real difference between a HB Ice and a Marcum/Vexilar is target separation.
A HB sees 2.5" and I think the high end Marcums go down to an inch. Might help with perch but not really necessary. Is it one fish or 2? Who cares?

Hands down I'd go with a flasher. Ice 35 is all you need. Save you money for gas to go fishing more.

[PlayDoh]

Don't forget that a camera takes quite a bit more time to setup. Not forever, but to me it got too much. Extra hole, extra unit, position camera so you can see the lure, position screen and if your not in a dark tent, forget about it.
Fish could be 6" above your camera and your clueless, or behind it or scared by it.
We use thin line trying keep visibility low then drop a black cable down 2' from the lure.
I got to the point where I felt like I was trying to make a movie about fishing so much that I was losing out on the fishing.
Sure it's cool, and neat for kids. If you fish at mid day in clear lakes it's a bonus. Yet it would only come after a flasher.
Read more from the experts and most will say the same. Flasher is a must, camera is an extra.
I find it weird there are so many camera votes here and shocked to hear people say they only use a camera.

[huntsfurfish]

How can people not use a flasher? I got lucky in that my Humminbird 778c has an ice fishing mode, and I set up my GoPro to use with an iPad.
I fish for Walleye and the camera is useless. Walleye like the dark and by the time they'll be around your camera it'll be so dark it won't help.
Not to mention a lot of lakes are murky, and even in clear lakes you can only see a few feet out. Not much more than a flasher.
A flasher takes a little while to understand how to properly use it, but I never fish without one.
Canadian tire has the humminbird ice 35 for $50 off right now and I've been thinkin of getting it. It would be nice to have 2.
You can learn the same things with a flasher that you can with a camera, but a flasher doesn't need visibility and it a lot easier to watch.
If you have a lot to spend an LX9 will end your dilemma. The only real difference between a HB Ice and a Marcum/Vexilar is target separation.
A HB sees 2.5" and I think the high end Marcums go down to an inch. Might help with perch but not really necessary. Is it one fish or 2? Who cares?

Hands down I'd go with a flasher. Ice 35 is all you need. Save you money for gas to go fishing more.

Bolded- No you cant.:) You cant even be sure what species of fish. You cant see it back up, you cant see it mouth the bait.:)

Both have their place though. Depends on where u fish, what you are fishing for and even how you fish.

[huntsfurfish]

Don't forget that a camera takes quite a bit more time to setup. Not forever, but to me it got too much. Extra hole, extra unit, position camera so you can see the lure, position screen and if your not in a dark tent, forget about it.
Fish could be 6" above your camera and your clueless, or behind it or scared by it.
We use thin line trying keep visibility low then drop a black cable down 2' from the lure.
I got to the point where I felt like I was trying to make a movie about fishing so much that I was losing out on the fishing.
Sure it's cool, and neat for kids. If you fish at mid day in clear lakes it's a bonus. Yet it would only come after a flasher.
Read more from the experts and most will say the same. Flasher is a must, camera is an extra.
I find it weird there are so many camera votes here and shocked to hear people say they only use a camera.

So I get the impression cameras arent for you.:)lol

I like em.

[Rememe]

planning to buy a GoPro session, attach it via a cable to a cell phone, and use it as an underwater camera.
anyone did this? how did it work out?:thinking-006:

[PlayDoh]

planning to buy a GoPro session, attach it via a cable to a cell phone, and use it as an underwater camera.

anyone did this? how did it work out?:thinking-006:


Works good. I hot glued a rf antenna cable to the back of the housing and tapped the other end to the iPad. Might be hard to see things with a iPhone but it'll work.

I put the info from the how to I used in a thread on here. There's a couple ways to do it, but the antenna wire only worked best for me. I only tried it up to 25' and I'm sure the limit is 50' at best.

There is an 8 second delay due to the wifi, but that how it works above water so nothing you can do about it.

If you can't find the thread lemme know I'll track it down.

[PlayDoh]

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=168539&highlight=gopro+wire+wrap
(http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=168539&highlight=gopro+wire+wrap)
There it is.

You want RG174 coax cable



Heres the link to the "how to"
http://paulillsley.com/GoPro_Underwater_Wi-Fi_Cable_Setup/index.html

Again I used Hot Glue to attach the cable to the GoPro

[Rememe]

Which model did you use?
With the new Hereo 4 session, and update of the firewall update, I was told that the lag can be ignored. researches says it works for 50' depth too.

[PlayDoh]

So I get the impression cameras arent for you.:)lol

I like em.

Ya, for the fishing I do, they have little place. I can see how, when and where they would have a place.

I did buy a security camera that uses Infrared lights that I was thinking of rigging up, but don't think I'll actually ever get around to doing it. Some (one) company sells them for ocean work, but their a fortune and not for the weekend angler.

I don't like the time I wasted in using one, but what I learned by seeing the bottom structure and material, along with the water clarity was a great help. Also there's no other way to know what your lure looks like when you do "this" or "that".

I just got caught up in trying to film 'the catch' and I felt more like a movie director at times. It took time, energy and focus away from catching fish for me, which probably left me with a "**** on the camera" attitude.

However I strongly believe a flasher should come first if one has to pick only one to start with. I can't bring myself to put down the $1200 or $1500 on a FL-9, but if I could afford to, I'd have one in a heart beat. That way using a camera would be much less of a distraction. Not that its the only way to go, just the way I'd go.

[bobalong]

I have used both but only fish with a flasher now, for the reasons already mentioned. Camera does add the visual to fishing, like fishing with a float or dry fly fishing, just find the flasher more versatile and much easier to move from hole to hole and for checking depths.

[lake side]

Some really great advise here....thank you.

I'm still not sure what way i'm going but I will let you know. It's kind of fun trying to decide.


L.S.

[Rememe]

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=168539&highlight=gopro+wire+wrap
(http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=168539&highlight=gopro+wire+wrap)
There it is.

You want RG174 coax cable



Heres the link to the "how to"
http://paulillsley.com/GoPro_Underwater_Wi-Fi_Cable_Setup/index.html

Again I used Hot Glue to attach the cable to the GoPro

PlayDoh,

Where did you buy RF174 Cable, I tried several hardware stores in Calgary, but no luck.:angry3:

Thanks,

[PlayDoh]

RG174. I think I got it from MROElectronics. Their in Calgary and Edmonton. Memory express might have it and if they do it could be a lot cheaper.
I'm pretty sure I got mine off a roll, so I could've chosen a longer length. I think it was around $40 for 30 or 40 feet.
Get the shortest length you can.

[PlayDoh]

http://www.mroelectronics.com/mro/cms.php?id_cms=6

[Rememe]

http://www.mroelectronics.com/mro/cms.php?id_cms=6

Thanks Dude.

[Stonecutter]

I've watched a lot of YouTube vids on underwater cams and flashers. I mean A LOT. But... It was because of this thread I went out and bought a flasher yesterday (marcum VX-1i) at Canadian tire. After using it for two hours today... I get it.

These advice threads make a difference and are appreciated. Sorry for reviving this old thread, but I just wanted to say that.

[Poppa]

I've been reading so many threads on here and the Manitoba forum, and watching YouTube vids....and I realize I definitely need a flasher. Can't afford one this hardwater season, but maybe at the Fishin' Hole summer sale I'll grab one for next year.

[PlayDoh]

So I get the impression cameras arent for you.:)lol



I like em.


So I'll admit after using the Marcum camera I just got, that I'm a fan now also. It's still kind of a hassle, but much less if one compared to my GoPro. I suppose I could have fab'ed up a better rig for the GoPro but with the couple second delay you get with it, the marcum is way better.
The hood for the screen is essential and the video is very good. I have a new found respect for minnows and other Pike prey after seeing one emerge from the murk and slowly stalk my lure. I actually felt a ting of fear for the lure, lol.
Reminded me of one time when I was a teenager fishing for pike using a large spinner-bait, casting from a boat. As I was retrieving it I caught sight of the lure about 10 feet underwater. Slowly I also caught sight of these eyeballs swimming right behind it. It freaked me out and I ripped the lure out, like it was my hand or something. I laughed and kicked myself for not wanting the fish to bite my lure.
Anyways, I found myself rarely looking at the flasher, and I was glued to the TV. Not suggesting my flasher isn't as useful but it's much less interesting than the cam. When the water clarity and daylight permit. Even before sunset the camera became useless, but damn it's fun.
I joked that I was watching MFN (my fishing network), a play on WFN.
[emoji14]

[PlayDoh]

FWIW I got a VS380 used for $150. Not sure I ever would have dropped more that $300-$400 on a new one but I might someday after using this one.
Mines Black and White but very good video. Very light and compact, and the bag with fold out sun-shade / hood is awesome.
You have to be mindful of the cables but if you keep the tv end of the spool short it's easy to manage.
I had the TV in the truck and the panner remote also. And when I went to pack it up I had 3, 10 foot lengths of cable that turned into spaghetti, but I'll do better if I decide to try the long distance viewing again.

[huntsfurfish]

So I'll admit after using the Marcum camera I just got, that I'm a fan now also. It's still kind of a hassle, but much less if one compared to my GoPro. I suppose I could have fab'ed up a better rig for the GoPro but with the couple second delay you get with it, the marcum is way better.
The hood for the screen is essential and the video is very good. I have a new found respect for minnows and other Pike prey after seeing one emerge from the murk and slowly stalk my lure. I actually felt a ting of fear for the lure, lol.
Reminded me of one time when I was a teenager fishing for pike using a large spinner-bait, casting from a boat. As I was retrieving it I caught sight of the lure about 10 feet underwater. Slowly I also caught sight of these eyeballs swimming right behind it. It freaked me out and I ripped the lure out, like it was my hand or something. I laughed and kicked myself for not wanting the fish to bite my lure.



Anyways, I found myself rarely looking at the flasher, and I was glued to the TV. Not suggesting my flasher isn't as useful but it's much less interesting than the cam. When the water clarity and daylight permit. Even before sunset the camera became useless, but damn it's fun.
I joked that I was watching MFN (my fishing network), a play on WFN.
[emoji14]

FWIW I got a VS380 used for $150. Not sure I ever would have dropped more that $300-$400 on a new one but I might someday after using this one.
Mines Black and White but very good video. Very light and compact, and the bag with fold out sun-shade / hood is awesome.
You have to be mindful of the cables but if you keep the tv end of the spool short it's easy to manage.
I had the TV in the truck and the panner remote also. And when I went to pack it up I had 3, 10 foot lengths of cable that turned into spaghetti, but I'll do better if I decide to try the long distance viewing again.

Glad you are liking the camera! Little bit of a hassle but worth it.;):)