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underwater photography

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Thanks Walking Dead

I would really like to  get a video of the lure in natural surroundings bouncing over some rocks plus whatever there is. I think I will go to a shallow area that might work. I do make some pool video's. That little  underwater camera works great. If I get this done before  the water hardens up here I will post it.

If anyone has a gadget that works let us all know.

Thanks Guys

Wayne

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I have used a Water Wolf as well. I throw it on a swimbait rod with 80 lb. braid to the camera. The camera I used weighed a  bit over 2 ounces. Off the lens end of the camera, I tied a mono or flour 18-24 inch leader to the bait.  The length of the leader depends on water clarity. You have to use heavy gear to cast the camera and to make sure you don't lose the camera. Occasionally, an aggressive fish, like a pike or big pickerel, will pass the lure and strike the camera.  

It really is something to see. The different ways fish strike a bait is cool to see. It also nice that you get to see fish approach and turn away. It's great to troll a bait on this set up so you can see what the bottom structure looks like.

 

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The vibration from the lures didn't mess up the image. I tried some spinnerbaits, cranks, jigs and got good images from all of them. The tube-shape of the camera keeps it stable. On some lures, I couldn't feel any vibration in the rod.  The camera comes in straight and dampens any feel in  the rod tip. There were times when a bass slapped at the lure and knocked it to the side a few inches and I had no clue until I saw the footage.  When you hook a decent fish, the camera can swing around some during the fight.  It makes for some dizzying footage.

Just make sure the line to the camera is way stronger than the leader to lure. I used a somewhat of loose drag  and didn't hammer home my hook-sets. I was more interested in the footage and wanted to reduce the risk of line/knot failure from a shock/impact. I would use a net or have a partner land the fish. Boat flipping is not a good idea.  

Using the in-line set up works best. The lure was always in the shot.

I also tried casting just the camera weighted to sink to a bed, rock pile, other object and let it sit there. Then, I threw a lure on a second rod to where the camera is.  You can make it float and point down and retrieve lures under the camera on a second rod. The 2 rod technique is hit or miss as to whether you get the lure in the shot unless at close range

I also just rigged the camera on a pole to see what was under docks and boats. I had it at a 90 degree angle  to the pole, held it over the side, and  slowly drove down a shore lined with docks to see what was underneath. You do have to get fairly close to the docks ends due to shadows.

I would try it first in a clear lake. You will have gauge leader length based on clarity. Make sure you keep track of the leader lengths you use and the conditions so you know what is best to use in a given situation. It's a bit of a learning experience. I did not have much luck using the camera near weeds. The camera seemed to collect  a lot of weeds. Long stringy weeds are guaranteed to ruin a shot.

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I never tried a wire leader.  I think a wire leader on the main line to the camera would be o.k. The problem is there would be a wire leader, camera, normal line, and lure dangling from the the rod when you cast. Even a 6 inch wire leader makes it harder to cast.

 I was paranoid about having the camera sail off into the distance. I took a few practice casts in a clear lake casting to a sandy beach area in 4-6 feet of water to make sure it was castable. That way if disaster happens you can go for a swim and get the camera or grab it with a long handle net. 

From the camera to the lure, I went with mono on spinnerbaits and cranks and flouro on jigs and soft plastics that would be fished slower. I think a wire leader would stand out too much in the footage. I was using slightly heavier mono/flouro than I would use normally for a particular type of lure, but the pound test was still way below the main line. I wanted a some extra stiffness in the leader line to the lure to minimize the lure getting caught on line or camera during casting. I never had any tangling. I will try using normal pound test next time.

The images are clear and you can see the leader line, especially near the camera. The less visible you can make the line in the footage the better. I think a wire would stand out too much in the shot. Plus, if you somehow get managed to get  lure snagged you don't want a chance of the knot/line failure occurring before the camera. You want the weakest point to be after the camera. A lure connected by a wire to to camera would transfer a lot of the shock up the line  and to camera harness.  If trolling, a wire leader to the lure would be very risky. I used a mono leader for that.

It was mesmerizing watching the footage. After a lure change, I was sloppy and left a 1.5 inch tag line on the knot at the lure. I just didn't notice I left it too long. It ruined the shot. You could see this tag line sticking out to the side in front of the lure and the drag from the tag caused the lure to run tilted to one side. I didn't realize it and got about 10 minutes of footage of that.

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Good answers all.  I have used the GoPro will some good success. 

The Water Wolf is what a friend uses.  PS, more than bass and trout will hit the camera, catfish will, trout and kokanee also will hit it.  

In the past I used an underwater camera like what a lot use for ice fishing.  You can set the camera just above the water and cast past it.

Of course, you can hire a diver and....................OK, I can't afford that either.

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