Underwater Camera Applications

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To interact with ’gills burrowed deep in cover, downviewing is best. “Downviewing works great in heavy cover—it’s like eavesdropping right in their living rooms. Position the camera lens so it’s pointing at the lake bottom, then drop it down the same hole you’re fishing. Downviewing allows you to get right into the weedy clusters in areas we could never really fish right, before,” Genz says. “A sonar just lights up from top to bottom and you have no idea what you’re seeing. Cameras allow you to probe down between these dense stalks to find big panfish.”

Underwater cameras also have enabled us to see pods of panfish suspending well above bottom, inside strange veils of milky-looking water surrounded by clearer water. Eventually we determined that these veils were composed of massive densities of Daphnia pulex—a large zooplankton species common to northern natural lakes. Not coincidentally, Daphnia is the number-one food source for winter panfish.

Discovering water temperature zones—particularly warmer water zones—can lead to improved catches of many species, including walleyes. Several underwater viewing systems, such as the Aqua-Vu DT, Scout SRT, and the Marcum VS560, provide on-screen display of water temperature at depth, a critical feature once you understand why knowing the water temperature is so important.

Last winter, friends and I fished a lake that we knew was home to a robust population of walleyes. On the first trip, we looked down nearly 50 holes with the camera without seeing a single fish. Finally, paydirt.

In addition to lots of walleyes, the big surprise was the water temperature: a balmy 43°F. We backtracked and found that nearly all of our other holes read 39°F. We also noted a definite increase in the density of Robbins pondweed in the area with warmer water.

Genz keeps a close eye on water temperatures. “Late in fall as water temps approach freezing, those notorious northwest winds push the cooler water to the south, leaving behind warmer water in the north and west corners of the lake,” he says. “At first-ice, some of our best spots lie on this side of the lake. Fish definitely seek out the warmest water, especially in winter. We’re always looking to find 38°F to 39°F water. In areas where we find it at 35°F to 36°F, it’s just about a given that panfish won’t be active.

“Honestly, water temperature and relative fish location were big mysteries before I started using the camera,” says Genz.

Observations and Solutions

We’ve learned from watching panfish, especially bluegills, that they often mouth the front of a jighead, not the hook-end. We’ve also noticed that combining baits that have contrasting colors, like an orange leadhead coupled with a white maggot, can actually decrease catch rates. The fish hone in on the colored leadhead, attacking the bait head-on, which prevents them from inhaling the hook-end. This explains how you can get hammered, strike back, and still miss.