Are you looking for the best underwater camera for ice fishing?
Well you have come to the right place.
Technology has come a long way.
When I was growing up, ice fishing included a good ice auger, an ice rod, a handful of some good lures and a good reel. If the fish weren’t biting, it meant it was time to move on to another spot.
Nowadays, technology has changed everything. With the help of fish finders and underwater cameras you can pinpoint exactly where the fish are and see with your own eyes how they react to your bait.
So the question remains: What is the best ice fishing camera? In this post, we are going to take a look at what we consider to be the top 3 best underwater cameras for ice fishing.
Enjoy!
The Best Underwater Camera For Ice Fishing 2019
Here is a quick preview of our top 4 favorite options, for a more detailed review please keep reading.
- Marcum Recon 5 Underwater Camera Viewing System
- Marcum Recon 5 Plus
- Aqua-Vu 715C
- Aqua-Vu Micro
Marcum Recon 5
Features:
- 5 inch 16 x 9 color screen
- 50 feet of camera cable
- 90-degree field of view
- Battery Time: up to 6 hours of runtime
- LED lights
- Switchable black and white or color output
- Recon 5 Manual
The first on our list of the best underwater camera for ice fishing is the Marcum Recon 5 Underwater Camera Viewing System.
This series is made by a brand that has been producing great cameras for a long time. Believe me- this company knows a thing or two about making a good camera system.
Let’s first talk about the screen.
This device is equipped with a 5 inch 16 x 9 color screen so that you can clearly monitor what is going on below the ice. The screen has a cool function that will allow you to see it in color or black and white.
Sometimes choosing black and white help you to see a clearer contrast, thus making that next catch a breeze.
What about the camera itself? Does it have what it takes to get down deep and get that great video shot?
The answer is Yes(!)- it does that and much more.
Equipped with a powerful CMOS sensor and 50 feet of camera cable, you will have no problems getting down to your desired depth and getting some awesome footage.
Ok, so you may say “I can get my camera down 50 feet, but will I be able to see anything in that dark dingy water?”
Yes, the camera is equipped with powerful LED lights that you can turn on or off with a push of a button. No more missing the action because of murky water with the Recon 5.
This unit also comes with a pocket-sized pouch that makes it both comfortable to use and protects it while not in use. What I like about the pouch is the neck strap.
Simply throw it over your neck and you are ready to go. I like this feature because, let’s face it, sometimes we get excited and forget that we are holding a very expensive camera monitor and when we catch a fish, the first thing to go into the water is the monitor.
I don’t have to allow that to happen to you with the Recon 5.
Lastly, it is powered by strong lithium batteries that will give you up to 6 hours of runtime.
You may also enjoy reading: An Angler’s Perspective On The Best Action Camera For Fishing – My Top 5 Picks
Marcum Recon 5 Plus
Features:
- 5 inch 16 x 9 color screen
- 50 feet of camera cable
- 90-degree field of view
- Battery Time: up to 6 hours of runtime
- LED lights
- Built-In DVR
- Switchable black and white or color output
- Marcum Recon 5 Plus Manual
Just when you thought things couldn’t get any better, Marcum comes out with the Marcum Recon 5 Plus.
So, what is the difference between the Recon 5 vs the Recon 5 plus?
The 5 plus has the exact same camera, camera cable length and screen size as the aforementioned.
However, there are two features that they have added that I really like and that make it excel when compared to other cameras on the market.
The first is the built-in DVR.
This feature allows you to record what you are seeing on an external micro SD card all the way up to 32 GB.
When you are done recording, you can eject the card and upload the video to your computer. It is important to note at this point that the Recon 5 plus files may not be compatible with all media players on your computer.
In fact, the instructions recommend using, VLC, QuickTime, KM Player, MPlayer or GOMplayer. I prefer to use the VLC player for my Recon 5 files.
Another neat feature they have added to the 5 plus is the on-screen display updates.
This device will tell you on the screen when it is operating in the record function, in which direction the camera is facing, the camera depth and the water temperature.
Without a doubt, the Marcum Recon 5 Plus with all these features not only make it the best ice fishing underwater camera, but ultimately it has what it takes to make you a better angler.
Let’s take a closer look at the great features these devices have in the following video:
Aqua-Vu 715C
Features:
- High Resolution 7 inch Screen
- Adjustable Camera Lights
- 50 feet of camera cable
- HDMI output
The next on our list is the Aqua-Vu 715c. What makes this particular camera a must-have device when ice fishing is the screen.
The large 7 inch screen helps give us a sharp, crisp, view, making it super easy to see exactly what your lure is doing under the ice and how the fish are reacting to your bait. The brightness adjustment is also great to have, especially when fishing on those bright sunny days.
Without a doubt, you will notice how much brighter and sharper this screen is than others like it on the market.
The camera is equipped with adjustable IR lights. This means you won’t be able to see the lights, but they are working. This works great in allowing you to see fish in the deepest of water, but not spooking the fish because of having bright lights flashing on them.
Another thing I like about the camera is the quick-change view fin system.
As you can see in the picture, the camera has what looks like a fin on the back of the camera. This allows you to quickly and easily adjust the angle of the camera.
You can change the camera angle so that it looks straight down, straight up, 45 degrees up, 45 degrees down or 90 degrees.
This is a major upgrade because with many devices you have a fixed camera angle, limiting what you can see under the water.
Other cameras allow you to change the angle, but you have to add-on attachments which makes the camera bigger than it has to be.
However, with the Aqua Vu you can adjust it to the perfect viewing angle and capture some great video.
To make the camera even better, you can also purchase the Aqua-Vu MO-POD3. This is a must-have device.
It will hold your camera at the desired depth and with the push of a button on the wireless remote, you can turn your camera 360 degrees. Ice fishing has never been so easy with the 700i equipped with the Mo-Pod.
It also comes equipped with a lot of camera cable- about 50 feet- allowing you to go down deep.
One of the biggest drawbacks to this device is that it doesn’t have a built-in DVR so you can’t record your video. However, a plus is that it is very easy to configure your device to record. If you want to add a recording system, check out the following video:
Aqua Vu Micro
Features:
- 3.5 inch LCD screen
- Super Wide Angle Camera
- Auto IR lights
- 50 feet of cable
- Small and portable
As you can see, Aqua Vu offers a high-quality camera. However, one common complaint that many anglers have about underwater cameras, in general, is they can be too bulky.
Well, the guys over at Aqua Vu have heard your complaints and have come out with the best solution, the Aqua Vu Micro Underwater Camera.
This unit has a 3.5-inch high-resolution LCD screen which is about the size of your smartphone. However, don’t let the size of this unit fool you. You still are going to be able to see a clear image on the Aqua-Vu Micro’s high-resolution LCD.
The camera is equipped with a super wide-angle lens ensuring that you don’t miss any action. Best of all it comes with 50 feet of cable meaning you can use it for both ice fishing or opening fishing as well.
Lastly, the camera features auto infrared lights meaning that you can use the lights without spooking the fish.
Final Thoughts…
So, what is the best underwater camera for ice fishing?
Well, we have taken a closer look at 4 great options with varying capabilities.
You can’t go wrong with the options mentioned above. The bottom line is that any one of these devices will make you a better ice angler.
What do you think is the best ice fishing underwater camera? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
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