Anybody use the aqua vu on a regular basis?

[brian m]

just picked up an aqua vu for $150.00 any tips on using this succesfully?

[Hollywood]

I used it, got it caught in a couple of trees up at oroville and pretty much gave up on it, this was when they first came out, maybe there better now, i dont know... i took up scuba divings so maybe ill just dive the lakes when i get back....

[R watts]

If you havn't used it yet you will be most likely be amazed at how many fish are actually down there. Watch your graph and the camera and it will show you that what you see on the graph is very similar. You will start looking in the camera and the next thing you know its 3 hours later and you havnt even put a line in the water. It's a great tool but when you see fish try and figure out why they are where they are. It's hard to tell fish size but if you see the eyes bulging out you know it's probably a good size one.

Beleive it or not the fish don't seem to be too afraid of the camera you will find your camera will actually bump fish all the time.

good luck

[RogerB]

I have the original Aqua Vu Scout and I've been very pleased with it. I don't take it out every trip, bit it has been very useful for seeing exactly what a piece of structure or weedbed looks like and comparing the image with what the depthfinder shows. It's also useful for determining what species of fish is producing the fish indications on the finder (bass, carp, trout, catfish, shad, hitch, etc.).

A new use I'll be putting it to on the next outing will be locating a lost $20 swimbait that broke off on a cast. I marked the location on the nearby bank that will enable me to go back and find the slow-sink lure on the bottom with the camera so I can retrieve it.

[TWinger]

After getting mine, I too was amazed to see what was really down there, and to compare it to what I was seeing on the Lowrance. What so hit me, is how much weed and other vegetation is really there on banks that were hard rock in appearence at the surface and on the lowrance. Once seen, I now have a better understanding of what I am really seeing on the Lowrance. The picture even in stained, and muddy water was very clear. It showed me that these types of water conditions are always not the same from top too bottom. Like any floating particle, it can be only laying on top, or in the middle of the water colume. The bottom could be clear. I will be really looking to see more about how the fish are relating to docks and other structure. But the biggest question I hope to answer for me is,.......... When the fish at clear lake do not seem to be around the docks, the reef's the rock piles etc. where are they in the shallow water colume. You hear people say the suspend out in front of the docks, and some other hiding places. With this I hope to really find out.

[Matt Moreau]

Ya i just piked up a used one and i am eager to take it out. The biggest reason i got it is so that i can trust my graphs more. I want to know exactly what i am seeing on the graph. I hope its as good as everyone says!

[StockOption]

I have been using mine pretty regularly at Clear Lake and as previously stated it is amazing to see what is down there. I like to use my to key-in on the "spot within a spot".

And yeah I've had many nice fish come up and mouth the camera that is quite cool when it happens.

I'm hoping to get the DVR attachment soon and if I do I'll be posting a few videos for folks to check out.

[TWinger]

That would be really cool to see. It was interesting to also see that a person could not see the lights when they were on, but could see the lights reflection on a mirror or other reflective object. When I first turned on the lights on deck, I thought they did not work. I wondered if the fish could see these lights, sounds like from what you are saying they maybe attracted to them but it does not scare them away.

[StockOption]

Yeah my consistent experience is the fish are very, very curious and do seem attracted to the fish camera, especially with the lights on. Once off of Anderson Island I actually bumped a decent size fish that immediately fled and then came right back and checked out the camera for several minutes including biting it a few times.

With my luck I'll land my first 10+ at Clear Lake when one engulfs my camera and won't let go as I hand line it into the boat

[TWinger]

What has been your experience with the fish at clear lake? Where do they go? Or wopuld you not like to say here?

[StockOption]

I used the camera extensively this past winter and what I found is in some places the fish appeared to be just gone. In others they just seemed to move off, group up and hunker down (like off of Shag Rock). It made me wonder if fish in certain sections of the lake migrate seasonally traveling great distances to their winter (or summer) haunts and in other parts of the lake this migration covers much less distance. Kind of like salmon returning to their home creek yearly....except the bass do a migration like this within the lake season to season, outside of the normal spawning period. I hope that makes some sense.....

[TWinger]

It does make sense, thanks. The other thing that I am now aware of is, If you take the camera, you won't spend much time fishing. The camera takes up all you time. If you want to fish you need to leave it home. If it is available you will keep getting it out to have a quick look.

[StockOption]

That is very true.

The last time the wife joined me on the boat she fished hard for a couple of hours until she tried out the camera, 4 hours later she finally put the camera down as we headed back to the marina.

[TWinger]

That is a great idea. My wife too gets................ bored for the lack of a better word, and this could help change that.