# Vex...or...Camera??



## Steelhead Fever (Dec 31, 2009)

Hi everyone....was thinking about getting a vexilar/flasher or underwater camera......so what you guys prefer and y? thanks ....all opinions welcome....thanks


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## wave warrior (Oct 2, 2005)

tons of discussion on this! search this forum,lots of opinions, my vote is get a vex!


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## lovin life (Jan 2, 2010)

Camera will keep your attention during slow times and the vex will get you right on em. I think they are both great tools, both valuable in different situations. Depends on your budget, $200 or $400. I'm TRYING to get a vex right now, but do have an Aqua View and love it.


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## billonthehill (Feb 6, 2009)

lovinlife, u need some

taller legs.
u are the troller, 15 minutes and the guy was in a different spot.
next time i fish with him i will bring my binoculars


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## CHOPIQ (Apr 6, 2004)

VEX especially in Ohio waters. A camera will keep you interested but a Vex will catch you more fish.


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## icehuntR (Dec 18, 2005)

No doubt about it get a Vex . It works in clear, stained , & cloudy water . Works both day & night . Cameras are a good tool , a fun tool , interesting to use , but limited do to aforementioned conditions.I have a camera like it but wish I had gotten a Vex . Now if you're only going to fish a Clear lake during daylight hours only get the camera .


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## lovin life (Jan 2, 2010)

Billonthehill, I was, wasn't I . LOL! It was grueling but I was determined to find those bigger perch, to no aval !  I'll say this, I won't have to go to a gym for a month ! LOL  Sunday I was beat ! But won $125 on my superbowl squares ! YEA!  Trying to sink the winnings into a used vex. Hey man, had a blast with you guys Sat. :G


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## billybob7059 (Mar 27, 2005)

get a vex! enough said


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## [email protected] (Dec 22, 2006)

I've had a camera for a few years and have only encountered one lake that was too muddy for it to be useful during ice season. My camera has infrared lighting so fishing in the dark isn't much of a problem either. I'm also a new vex owner and can say the vex is is less cumbersome and more practical to use. In my opinion the camera is much better for locating fish in less than 20' of water but if I had to choose just one tool to take out I'd carry the vex. 

This weekend I took them both to a local lake. I started off drilling holes and using the camera to look for fish. Once I found a hole with fish I shut down the camera and set up the vex. Most of the holes with fish were in about 14' of water. 8 times out of 10 the vex didn't show any fish in the holes where I saw fish on the camera but I knew they were there and what species. If I saw bluegill or crappie I rigged some spikes and small jig. If I saw bass I rigged a spoon. I'd then drop the vex in the hole and start fishing. The vex is so sensitive you can watch a single spike fall. I lowered the bait to the approximate depth I saw fish on the camera using the vex. It's far easier to keep your bait where you want it without having to fool with turning a camera and keeping it set where you want it. The vex also eliminates the need for a bobber or trying to feel the bottom to determine depth. I jigged until I saw a fish come into range of the vex then moved the bait to the depth the fish was or slightly above. Sometimes the fish wanted the bait moving, sometimes they wanted it still and sometimes they would chase the jig a foot or more. A foot of vertical movement would take the bait and fish out of the camera view unless you move the camera which isn't an easy task when you have an active fish near your bait. Another problem that can occur with a camera is that you can easily get your line entangled with the camera cord while trying to land a fish...not a problem with a vex.


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## Rockman (Jan 22, 2007)

I have both and think it depends on where you are fishing. Fishing in a shallow lake with weeds is a good place for the camera. On lake Erie the Vex is much more important as you can see how the fish react to your lure or entice them closer. Of course using both at the same time is the ticket! Using the camera has shown a lot of things that I would not have realized about fish, for instance, schools of crappie, perch and bluegill all mixed together.


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## Buzzi (Jun 14, 2004)

I don't get out much, but I do have a camera. I've had it about 5 years, and the light on it is very bright. Emphasis on the very. Aside from the fact that it makes any particles in the water look like asteroids, does that bright light scare the fish? Since I've never seen fish when I have light on, I theorize that it does. Anyone with more experience have a take on this?


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## Pikedaddy (Jul 20, 2005)

Buzzi said:


> I don't get out much, but I do have a camera. I've had it about 5 years, and the light on it is very bright. Emphasis on the very. Aside from the fact that it makes any particles in the water look like asteroids, does that bright light scare the fish? Since I've never seen fish when I have light on, I theorize that it does. Anyone with more experience have a take on this?


 The light doesn't seem to bother the gills and bass, but it seems to bother the walleye. I wouldnt trade my vex for anything.


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## outdoorzman (Dec 18, 2005)

For sure get a vex. If you can afford it, get an FL 18 or 20. The zoom feature helps me see fish on the bottom that my buddy with an 8 can't. He also has a camera and almost exclusively uses his vex. Easy to use, and helps you catch more fish. I can out fish my dad 5 to 1 with the vex.


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## thistubesforu (Mar 30, 2009)

my camera also has infared lighting so not an issue with spooking or seeing fish. personally think cameras are great and would disagree that a vex catchs more fish. i can see what the fish wants, and also tell if the hook is in its mouth. i will say fishing with my buddy the other day though that the vex came in handy for a school of gill that were suspended at 15' in 30' of water. water clarity i have not seen as an issue for as most water under ice conditions is relatively clear anyway. have not been erie yet with it because i havent felt the conditions were safe enough to be out. have had the cam in sandusky bay over a dozen times and had no issues. both good i prefer the cam.


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## Porchmaster (May 19, 2004)

Get the vex. cameras only show one direction, jigging rapalas move too far and tangle the cord, current changes the direction of the camera. extreme cold screws up the aquavue display.


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## allwayzfishin (Apr 30, 2008)

check out marcum flashers. there just as good as a vex. google vex or marcum and u decide. good luck


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## ramlund man (Mar 25, 2006)

Before you buy a flasher(any make or model) you really need to look at the Lowrance x-67 ice machine. I got one this year and I can say that it has truely changed the way I ice fish---simple to set up and use and don't let anyone tell you that LCD displays aren't in real time due to the cold, cause it just isn't true--I can see a tiny 1/64th oz. jig in 15-20 fow and see it move even when jigging it less than an inch on the screen with no lag whatsoever. There is a guy from another website that posted "how to" videos on YOU TUBE that really shortened the learning curve for set-up and operation of the unit. Oh, one more thing, the "ice machine" package also comes with another mounting bracket so you could mount it on a boat for the "soft water" season, it would make a dandy unit for a small boat. One other thing, the unit does have a flasher mode if you really want one but I have found that I never use it cause the LCD display is so accurate.


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## grubbz (Feb 8, 2010)

I have a camera and a marcum. Most of the time I fish in 13-22 fow. I take both but don't often use the camera. The daylight washes out the monitor screen, so you have to be in a shanty or have something over you to make it dark enough to see the screen for the camera. 
Last year I fished with my friends fl 20 ultra pack. Very nice set up. I bought a Marcum LX 3 tc over the summer because the price was right. I was worried I would regret not getting a vex. After useing the Marcum I'm glad I did not get the Vex. I thought fine line and true color were marketing gimicks, but they are not. It also has a demo mode that shows what it looks like when a fish comes up to hit a jig, it's nice to show people who have not used one before so they have some idea what they are looking at. The flat screen on the fl 18 and 20 is a nice featue, but Marcum is brighter and not fuzzy. I did not think the Vex was fuzzy untill I used the Marcum for a little while. Both brands are great and will help you catch more fish, many more.
My brother is holding out for a X67 ice machine. Get the flasher before the camera if you can't afford both.


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## xtrema (May 31, 2007)

VEX!!!! I have both a camera and a vex fl-18. Camera is fun to see the fish actually and you are able to id the fish. However you are very limited to what you can see. With a vex you can see fish that are suspended and move your bait up to it. The camera can only see what is at the same depth as the camera. I love my camera during soft water while perch fishing though.


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## RUDDER (Feb 5, 2005)

I have both and leave the camera behind on most outings.


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## Kastmaster93 (Aug 6, 2008)

i have an aqua vu and am still having trouble figuring it out. it sounds great but i cant get it to work.. it sucksss. i guess i would go for the vex
kast


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## Pikedaddy (Jul 20, 2005)

Kastmaster93 said:


> i have an aqua vu and am still having trouble figuring it out. it sounds great but i cant get it to work.. it sucksss. i guess i would go for the vex
> kast


 If you don't have the tripod the camera is a pain to keep where you want it . I just feel that I spend to much time screwing with the camera and not fishing. With the vex you just turn it on and drop it in the hole and fish. When I am fishing every minute is a minute that I could be catching fish. That's just my opinion.


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

> i have an aqua vu and am still having trouble figuring it out. it sounds great but i cant get it to work.. it sucksss.


 lol... what kind of trouble are you having? you cant use it in dirty water ie.. shadow lake. or any other lake where you cant see your bait for less than a few feet after you drop it down the hole. for a start, drill two holes about 2' apart. send the camera all the way to the bottom but dont kick up a bunch of silt. (dont let the camera bang into the lake bottom) barely touch the bottom with the camera. see if youre getting a clear picture of the bottom. next, in the other hole, tie on a large silver spoon and send that down to the bottom. lift it just off bottom and shake it and see if you can see it on the camera. if not then twist the camera cable so the camera rotates until you can see your spoon. like pikedaddy says a tripod is great for maintaining the rotated position of the camera/cord. once you see your spoon then youre set. there is a lot of fussing around with the camera. but what you can see is pretty cool. but in my opinion its not always worth the hassle.


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## Steelhead Fever (Dec 31, 2009)

Well guys most likely against most "wishes" i ended up getting a fishtv7 underwater veiwing system....i like the idea to see how the fish react to my bait see whats going on down there and seee them hit...etc. also the money issue it was less i will most likely get a flasher eventually ..................but im good for now...thanks again for all of your help and tight lines to all


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## lovin life (Jan 2, 2010)

Steelhead,

spend the best 15 bucks you'll ever spend for a underwater camera accs. and buy a Camera Compass ! You will love it. Cabela's sells it. Basically a frisbee with a slot in the middle and some wire stops ! Got mine even before I bought the camera on the suggestion of Pittman, a fellow ogf er. Great buy for sure ! I Always carry electrical tape with me (i'm an electrician) and bring a spare crap pole with the roll tied onto it. Lower it down SLOWLY to the bottom then raise up a couple inches. The black color contrast great underwater and it's very easy to center up in the screen. This comes from trip after trip trying to find a small jigging spoon on the screen. The tape also comes in handy if your a RETARD like me and hook the battery up backwards and blow the in line fuse ! Had to jury rig on the fly, but made it through the day. Dang eyes are getting worse every day !  Hope this makes it more enjoyable for you !


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## chaunc (Apr 11, 2004)

Take the lid from your 5 gallon bucket. Slice a thin groove all the way to the middle, then cut a small hole in it. Slide your cable thru the slit and into the hole as you loer your camera into the hole. Set the lid over the hole. You can use a bobber or clothes pin on the cord to hold the camera wire in place at the depth you set it and turn it to find your lure or bait. It works just fine, and cheap too.


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## Steelhead Fever (Dec 31, 2009)

l l and chaunce ill take your suggestions into concideration....thanks...any others? 
also how do you guys go about trabsporting them??? thanks


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

be patient with it the first time or two. its a bit tricky at first. youll see, the camera always wants to spin all around and its tricky to find your bait. personally i use a paint stirrer stick with a rubber ball from aqua-vu. i lost my dads once, oredered a replacement, they sent two, then i asked him for that extra one! any rubber ball might work it has to have a hole drilled through it, and also a slot so that the cable can slide through the ball, and go into the hole, not too loose and not too tight. (so it can be slid up and down, yet grip hard enough to hold its position.)

have fun with your new toy  thats the bottom line.


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