Fishing has always been a blend of art and science, a delicate dance between angler and aquatic prey. While traditional techniques and instincts are still essential for the success of fishing, technology has introduced a game-changing tool into the angler's arsenal: the underwater camera. In this article, we'll explore how an underwater camera can elevate your fishing game and provide a deeper understanding of the underwater world.

Types of Underwater Cameras

There are two types of underwater fishing cameras: real-time and playback. Real-time fishing cameras provide live images of the fish and structure below the boat. These systems use a small camera connected to an LCD display with a long cable and powered by a portable battery. Drop the camera on cable and watch a high-res video of fishing swimming past the lens. On the other hand, playback cameras use an action camera to record video below the water. Tie the camera on the fishing line and drop it into the water. Then, recover the camera and download the video on a smartphone or computer to watch the action. Underwater fishing cameras can be bought in marine shops.

Insight into Fish Behaviour

Perhaps the most significant advantage of underwater cameras in fishing is the insight they provide into fish behaviour. Lowering a camera into the water lets you observe how fish react to different bait, lures, and presentations.

Being Able to Find the Perfect Spot

Fish don't always hang out in plain sight. They might be hiding in submerged structures, around underwater vegetation, or in deeper pockets of water. Underwater cameras allow you to explore these hidden spots, ensuring you're targeting the right areas for your preferred catch.

Easily Identify Fish Species

Sometimes, identifying fish species from the surface can be challenging, especially when multiple species share the same waters. An underwater camera can provide a close-up view of the fish, helping you identify the species accurately and avoid unintended catches.

Depth and Structure Insights

Understanding the depth at which fish hold and their preferred underwater structure is critical for successful fishing. An underwater camera can provide valuable information about the underwater terrain and the depth at which fish are active. Plus it will help your Stabicraft boat, or whatever vessel you have, from colliding with underwater structures that would be dangerous for your boat.

Monitoring Fish Strikes

This is the fun part and this is what anglers are most looking forward to. To see the action happening underwater. Watching a fish chase and strike a bait or a lure is an adrenaline-pumping experience. Seeing how fish participate in the thrill of the chase allows anglers to evaluate their sense of timing, how a lure also acts underwater, and whether the fish gets fooled by the lure and catches it or senses it as something suspicious and will leave it alone.

Recorded Fishing Adventures

Beyond its practical applications, an underwater camera can also serve as a fantastic tool for documenting your fishing adventures. Capture footage of your memorable catches, cool-looking underwater landscapes, and the other types of fish species in their natural habitat to relive those moments and share them with others as well. The recorded footage would be fun and fascinating content if you upload it to any social media platform, gaining traction and interaction among users, especially those unfamiliar with the angling world.

Do Underwater Cameras Scare Fish?

Fish generally don’t get spooked by the camera, instead, it raises their curiosity. Fish swim by the camera and investigate the lens with no idea that they are being recorded. To further prevent spooking fish, underwater cameras use infrared or coloured lights fish can’t see. Underwater fishing cameras are a great way to spy on the fish without the fish you’re watching.