# 73DeadSea: Underwater Video Camera Confirms Saugeye



## troutski (Oct 9, 2005)

Date: Saturday, November 13, 2010
Saugeye Caught: 0
Water temperature: 54F, Air Temperature: 65F
Bait: 3" Golden Shiners
Video Camera: Cabelas Underwater Viewing System

The saugeyes started biting at dusk. Earlier in the afternoon, marked some fish on a Humminbird 798C sonar in 16 FOW. Anchored and jig fished with shiners on the bottom. Also, used a float with a shiner. Nothing happened.

After three hours without a bite, decided to lower my underwater video camera. To my surprise, the fish I was marking turned out to be saugeye. Just like a turned on switch, they started biting the shiners when it was dark. The shiners were too delicate and died after being mauled. Once dead, the saugeye seemed to lose interest. After putting on a fresh live shiner, the saugeye would bite. Went through about 8 shiners without hooking a saugeye.

Pulled up anchor after 4.5 hours of fishing the same spot and headed for home.

Bottomline: 73DeadSea saugeye bite best after sunset.


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## percidaeben (Jan 15, 2010)

Don't quite know what to say about all that but goodluck next time man


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## troutski (Oct 9, 2005)

2006 - 2008 were great years for saugeye at Caesars Creek. Caught saugeyes in several different spots ranging from 16' - 30' FOW. They ranged in size from 14" to 20". Fall 2008 was especially very good. 

I caught them by hooking a large fathead minnow backwards on a swedish pimple. Once hooked near the tail, the minnow lived longer and provided a lot of action. This method worked great.

Got skunked totally in 2009. This year in 2010 I only caught two saugeyes. And I fish Caesars Creek about once a week. But these two saugeyes were beasts. They were both Fish Ohio at 21" each. And they were very, very fat. Both were caught this past July by trolling a deep diving husky jerk crankbait at night. The water temperature was 86 F. It was quite a battle in the dark. It was great fun. Kept one for dinner and released the other.

Can't explain why my catch rate has been low during the past two years. Did the population of saugeyes decline? Or maybe some went through the dam during high water.

Saugeyes are a great fishery but maybe it's time to also stock crappies and bass. I also think maybe they should try stocking walleyes again. I have a list of things that could be done to improved the fishing in SW Ohio. But I digress.


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## H.I.McDunnough (Sep 24, 2010)

Aaaww shucks! I thought you uploaded the video. :S


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## troutski (Oct 9, 2005)

I plan on posting Caesars Creek footage once I figure out a good method of recording.

There is no easy, cost effective way to record video from an underwater video camera. I have the signal (RCA connector) available in the back of the video display. 

Today's camcorders do not have a video input to passthrough the analog signal. Older camcorders had this feature, but the current ones lack this capability. Manufacturers dropped it except for real expensive models.

Ideally, recording to the SD or SDHC format would be ideal. Video format MPEG4 or H2.64 would make it viewable on a PC.

If anyone knows of a good method to record to a portable digital "VCR" please share with OGF members.

Using an underwater video camera provides a good perspective on what going on down below. I have seen a lot of CARP. In fact, most of the fish one would see on their fish finder is actually carp. I have seen saugeye, bluegills, and large schools of gizzard shad.

Caesars Creek has a "moon" landscape bottom full of small craters. It looks very sterile, void without plant life. I believe the large population of carp rooting around on the bottom caused this.

I have seen the old roads. I plan on exploring the bridges that I discovered with the Humminbird side imaging sonar.


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## [email protected] (Dec 22, 2006)

I haven't hooked mine up for awhile but my Aquavu Scout hooks up to my 2002 Sony MiniDV digital Handycam. I haven't tried it with my new HD camera but wouldn't want to risk it damaging the camera on the water. The rig is too cumbersome to be practical really.

The Aquavu DVR seems the way to go. No moving parts, small and like $150.

Here's the link http://aquavu.shoptimusprime.com/accessories/digital-video-recorder.html


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## smith07 (Feb 28, 2009)

where did you get the shiners?


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## troutski (Oct 9, 2005)

Gander Mountain in Huber Heights sells golden shiners at $3.49 per dozen.


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## Hillbilly910 (Jan 6, 2009)

troutski said:


> In fact, most of the fish one would see on their fish finder is actually carp.


Ditto that fact, especially in cold water/winter conditions, you just dont realise how many of those things are really in the water, and how many places they will be.

HB


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## warden (Jun 14, 2007)

Fished 11/21/10. Water 52 degrees and clear. You can launch a boat if you careful. Quite a few boats on the lake,fishing for crappie I suppose.We caught two saugeye. One keeper 16in.


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## backupbait (Nov 4, 2010)

Fished CC Tue evening. Water temp was 51 deg. Caught one 16" saugeye casting a vibe blade bait next to a rocky shore that was covered with 3/4" shad. Fished 3 more hours without anymore action.


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## troutski (Oct 9, 2005)

I didn't record the video from the underwater camera, but I did side image the structure before fishing it (see first post). 

A humminbird model 798C was used to side image the structure. The model 798C can record to a SD card for further processing. Third party software is available to look at the recording in detail.

Provided below is a snap shot of the structure with the saugeye. The white lines at the bottom are probably the saugeye I saw with video camera. The structure was scanned from left and right. The middle of the image is the surface.


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