# vex vs. underwather cam



## muggs (Mar 22, 2005)

Just wondering which tool I should buy first. I'm thinking about going with an underwater camera, but I'm not sure how good it's going to be. How is the visibility with those?


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

get the vex first, trust me.

the vex can be used anytime, in any conditions. you will see more water, more fish, more structure.

the camera can only be used when things are "right" which is never the case on some lakes.

that said, the camera can show you some things a vex cant. but its like having the gravy without the meat and potatoes. know what i mean?


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

i guess i should add that maybe 5 or 10 % of ice fishermen like the camera better but you have to know beforehand 1. the water you fish, you should ALREADY know it like the back of your hand. 2. that the water is very clear all the time.

if you just fish one or two superclear lakes and already know the structure and where the fish are, etc, then you may want to get a camera first. 

but ive found the vex to be a far superior and practical learning tool as i have been trying to learn many of the lakes in the NE Ohio area.


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## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

I have to agree with Hardwater. I have tried a camera on two occasions and wasn't able to see anything due to turbidity of the water.  At the same time I was able to locate fish with my Vex.  I'm sure the camera has got to be a lot more fun to watch and will certainly teach you more about fish behavior when conditions are right. I wll probably never own a camera due to the limited time I could use it, but like they say..........."To each his own".


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## Big Daddy (Apr 6, 2004)

Definitely the Vexilar. Cameras are very cool, a lot of fun, and very helpful under the right conditions. I may get one this year, but haven't decided yet.

If you can, get the "ice pod" accessory. Will help you control the direction...


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## muggs (Mar 22, 2005)

so how much visibility should I expect from the camera on lakes like pymatuning, berline, mogadore etc...


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## chaunc (Apr 11, 2004)

I fish Shenango and Mosquito. The visibility is from zero to two feet for me. I was going to sell my camera until i took it to PI. Thats the only water worth dragging my camera out for. But my vex..... thats something i'll turn around and drive an hour back home to get, if i forget to put it back in the car after charging the battery. Just wont fish without it anymore.


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## DaleM (Apr 5, 2004)

The ice pod is nice. I bought one this year with the remote for $75.00 new. They list for $100.00. Really neat too, just push a button and it turns to see the fish or your bait.


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## papaperch (Apr 12, 2004)

Think of Vexilar as a tool. Camera is a toy. To paraphrase the others that gave you the same advice , I often leave the camera at home but never the Vexilar.

Water clarity will not affect the Vex but may render the camera as totally useless. In clear water lakes the camera can help as far as fish identification. For examining structure it is also great but only if you can see with it. Mogadore is one example that is clear enough for camera.


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## DaleM (Apr 5, 2004)

papaperch said:


> Think of Vexilar as a tool. Camera is a toy. To paraphrase the others that gave you the same advice , I often leave the camera at home but never the Vexilar.
> 
> Very well put Papa. It is a toy in most places. It is really neat when he water is clear though. To back what the others have said. Vex. first then the camera.


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## muggs (Mar 22, 2005)

Papa, I'm surprised you say Mogadore is clear enough. That lake is a murky pea soup color all year long. It's my experience that water under ice is really clear, I think a larger lake like Pymatuning would be clearer then most.


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

sounds like someone has their heart set on a camera.  beleive me, i understand how you feel and cameras ARE cool. i was at mogadore once near clr at first ice and a guy had a camera there, we were checking out the weeds and stuff. the water was very clear.

now if thats not a year long thing, or just that area, i dont know. as you said the water is murky. maybe in some areas? at some times? i dont know. i have limited experiences with cameras but have found its usually the weedier areas that have the clearer waters. 

i like the aqua-vu cameras myself. good luck with whatever you get.


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

muggs, you must only fish mogadore from july through september.


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## Hoss5355 (Apr 9, 2004)

Camera does work at mogadore, visibility on average last season was around 4-6 ft I would say. I bought both new last year, and only fished at mogadore. I love the combo together, but I think I would do the vex first if I was to buy just one. Camera was hard to control for me. We used it to find structure mostly. Drilled a bunch of holes, dropped camera, took a look, and found numerous stumps, weed lines, stuff like that. Then set up shop, put the camera away. Then the vex went into effect. Did real well w/ the crappie this way. No fish at the stumps when we started in the afternoon, but after dark the vex was lit up like a christmas tree. Awesome combo for sure!!

Kevin


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

> but after dark the vex was lit up like a christmas tree.


how many times can i say I CANT WAIT!!


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

what part of the lake were you fishing at mogadore that had stumps?


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## Hoss5355 (Apr 9, 2004)

Thats exactly what I was thinking when I found them....  There definitely isn't a whole lot of wood under the water at that lake. West of 43, towards the s.w. kinda the island way. It's a long walk for sure. Hopefully I can find it again this year. They had to only be prolly 3 foot tall stumps, but the perch were hiding in the root structure, and the crappie come in hard after dark....

Kevin


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## muggs (Mar 22, 2005)

i've been out on the ice at mogadore a few times, and the water was clear. But from my limited hardwater experience, any lake that I've been on while frozen over was clear. At leat at the surface.

I've done really well picking up crappie and bluegill off the islands west of Rt. 43 in about 8 feet of water. Didn't have a camera or a vex, so I can't say if there was timber down there are not, but there was weeds.

Those island seem to hold a lot of fish year round. Really nice spot that produced at times and skunked me other times.


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## fisherman261 (Apr 25, 2004)

We were fishing mogadore either last year or the year before, and you could still see your jig at 10 ft down. 

Now on another note, has anyone ever heard as to how far the camera can see underwater compared to the human eye? I read somewhere that the camera can see something like twice as far as the eye. Sounds a little confusing, but does anyone know what I'm talking about?


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## ARGEE (Apr 5, 2004)

The Water At Mogadore Is Very Clear In April..thats The Best Month To Catch The Biggies


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

there aren't much old wood in mogadore, but there are lots of weeds.


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## papaperch (Apr 12, 2004)

Muggs : Not all water that is froze over is clear. Some ponds will be crystal clear (ie most strip mine ponds ) some will have limited visablity and others no visability. The other seasoned ice guys will tell you same thing. Two local pay lakes Girard and Liberty were never clear enough to even think about using a camera iice or no. They are closed now but I was just using them as an example.

Lot of factors come into play on water clarity. Type of bottom , type of surrounding area. One hard rule you can go by though ,deeper the weedline the clearer the water.

Trust what the guys are telling you get the Vex. More you use this site the better you will be able to rely on it.


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## Big Daddy (Apr 6, 2004)

The Portage Lakes chain is highly infested with zebra mussels. They strain out the water, hence it's SUPER clear through the ice. It can get cloudy, depending on run-off, currents, etc., but the cams work fine there. The other lakes I know are clear enough most of the time are Mogadore, Nimisila, Lake Erie...Presque Isle Bay. There are others too, but it's a crapshoot....


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## B Thomas (Jan 21, 2005)

Ive had both and without a doubt the Vex is more valuable. If there are suspended fish you wont be able to see them with a cam unless you are constantly up and down but the vex will show this. I have the FL18 with the bottom lock- it shows the bottom 6 feet on the left side and the whole water column on the right. The Vexilar is a must have for me I know that much. I took the Aqua Vu back because in murky water its tough to use


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## bassmastermjb (Apr 8, 2004)

The vex is the way to go and is a very valuable instrument finding the fish throughout the entire water column.There is very little to learn once you turn it on.If your wife ever kicks you out of the house, the only thing you'll want before you leave is your vex!!!


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

A post from last January.

I've been using my Aquaview for a few years ice fishing and on Erie.

My opinion,

Screen size - 4" works ok, you get used it, but bigger would be better if it doesn't have an effect on clarity. The 4" screen is very clear.

Outside use - big time bad, must be out of sunlight to view screen. Works very well in shanty, bad, bad, bad outside. Must use the sun shade when outside or in a boat.

Lights - I haven't found a use for them yet, very bad with creatures and particulate in the water.

Temp - who cares, pretty useless option.

Direction - one option that I don't have that I wish I did have. Take away my lights and temp and give me direction and I'll be happy. 

Ice pod - manual, a must have for ice fishing

Ice pod - electric, for the guy that has too much money.

I purchased mine from the bargain cave at Cabela's. They normally have a bunch at this time of year. Fisherman buy them and realize that they don't work well in off colored water and return them. 

Two biggest requirements for an ice fisherman to be happy with a camera.
1. Already own a Vexilar
2. CLEAR water.

You can learn more with a camera in a day than you can with a vex in a season, IF the water is clear.

My opinion,
Kim

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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

A post from July 2004

I've been using a vex for the last 8-10 years and a camera for the last 3 years. If I could only have one it would be the vex.

That being said the vex can not even come close as a learning and catching tool in clear water during the daylight hours. The ONLY way to really appreciate the camera for ice fishing is to be in a shanty. You do not need the shield and it's just like watching tv while you fish. You even know when to take a break when there are no fish around. It is extremely easy to see what mood the fish are in versus any given lure or presentation. Fish swimming by 15' away that pay no attention to one lure may immediatly turn and come and smash another. You get to see the entire game. You can not do any of that with a vex.

Forget the lights, there is way too much sediment and little living creatures that are attracted to the lights. It was kind of neat to have smelt coming to the lights before daylight at Edgewater while ice fishing two winters ago.

I can not stress the importance of clear water enough. Cloudy water will just frustrate you. In Ohio, your opportunities are limited. I used it at Mogadore through the ice as it is clear enough for about 6'-8' visibility, the day I was there.

My ,so far, favorite places to use the camera have been the ultra clear water lakes in MI while ice fishing, Lake Erie while ice fishing and soft water perch and smallmouth, and Presque Ilse was an ABSOLUTE blast. At Presque it allowed me to selective harvest, You could move your lure away from the smaller perch and gills and just try for the larger ones. I was even able to watch my lure and watch Steelhaulers in in his shanty 15' away. I watched bass, bluegill, perch, steelhead, pike, walleye, crappie, shad. It is a great catching tool with the right conditions.

Kim


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## saugeyesam (Apr 20, 2004)

i bought both of these last uyear at gander mnt only used the camera once or twice while ice fishing but used the vex a bunch i would take the vex anyday over the camera but i wouldnt get rid of either on for anything. i really love the vex last year was the first tim i ever used one so im still getting use to it but i caught twice the amount of fish than before useing the vex sun light makes it hard to use the camera but seeing as i dont have a shanty i'll just have to put the camera away for awhile. my advice get the vex first.


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## billybob7059 (Mar 27, 2005)

I only have a vex but its the greatest pice of Ice fishing equipment I have. I wouldn't ice fish with out one now!


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## senecasilly (Sep 10, 2005)

u may take a look at the new lowance x67 ice machine or the m68c/s map both or portible . unlike the vex u can look away for a second and see if u missed anything and u can also 2 or 4 times zoom in any part of the water column. it also has a flasher mode and gps in the 68 model. i have this (m68) and the aqua vu zt series and am very pleased. nice to go rite back to the exact spot i caught the year before(gps). as for the bargin cave at cabelas ,,,remember that that is stuff that has been returned or didnt work well that they resell, u have 30 days to return it unless it is mark (as-is). so think long and hard on stuff in there. i had problem in there but i will say this,brook took care of me and made it worth my while to keep coming back brian


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## senecasilly (Sep 10, 2005)

the december issue of in-fisherman mag has a good debate on pg. 62 on vexilar vs. lowrance or lcd or flasher.......brian


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## muggs (Mar 22, 2005)

thanks guys, some really good info here. I've decided to get the vex first and maybe next season I might try a cam, but for now I think the vex is the way to go.

now I just have to figure out what the heck all those flashing lights are all about.


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

lol.... you won be sorry. good decision. i was wondering if the "foreignness" of the vex display was bothering you. interpreting the vex display is something that becomes easy VERY quickly. the first time you drop your bait down the hole and hit bottom, etc. you will have the gist of it.

the vex will be your "underwater eyes". and then some.


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## muggs (Mar 22, 2005)

That's good news Hardwaterfan, I've heard a couple guys say it doesn't take long to interpret the vex. I was reading through vexilar's website, and the info there is really good, but there's a lot of it. 

This whole outdoor game came seem overwhelming at times huh?


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

lol 

if you ever have any specific questions about vexilar you can post or pm me, id be glad to help.


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## muggs (Mar 22, 2005)

You got it, and I'm sure I'll take you up and that, thanks.


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