Sonar vs Camera ?

[soggybtmboys]

Ok, need some opinions. I am thinking of getting some electronics, but I don't know which way to go......sonar or a camera.

I like the idea of actually being able to see the bottom and structure as well as watch the fish on a screen, but I know they are somewhat limited.

I like the idea of watching the whole water column I am fishing and getting an accurate depth reading.

Which do you think would be the way to go for someone to get an electronic unit and why?

What do you guys think?

[Birdhuntr1]

Since I've never used a camera, and don't own one, all I can give is the reasons why I haven't bought one. To me the advantage of sonar is the ability to monitor the entire water column. Water clarity isn't an issue, and neither is any current. One thing I haven't figured out about using a camera is how not to have fish run around and get tangled in the camera cable. I'm sure I miss some fish that a camera would be able to show when to set the hook, but hey, it's fishing.

[4seasons]

sonar for sure. Have both and only use my vex. Used camera a couple of times when I first bought it. Its been on the shelf for 6 years. Camera needs clear water to see good and you can only see what is in front of it. Vex shows what is around you

[wally-eye]

Can't see the entire water column, can't see thru dirty water, can't see at night w/o lights, moving water forget about it there's a lot more but I'll stop there..

Flasher/graph see's thru all of the above......

And before it turns into a Lowrance vs Vex thread...............it doesn't matter what graph/flasher you get they will all see fish and make you a better fisherman............

It comes down to how much you want to spend............

My opinion is a camera is a toy to play with and a flasher is to fish with......

[kcud rellik]

This topic has been discussed many times. First get a flasher (a MarCum if you wanna be ahead of the game) then a camera.

[deputy865]

It all depends on what type of fisherman you are really. There both useful tools.

Shane

[RyGuy525]

Get a flasher. Then later on when you save a little more money buy a camera. I got my vex for christmas and haven't fished without it since then...

[jrsoup]

We just had this discussion out on the bay last Sunday afternoon. My brother was fishing with his camera and he said every Walleye that swam up to the camera suddenly veered away. We were'nt having that problem with our flashers obviously so he pulled the camera and proceeded to catch four nice fish. With the flasher you can watch multiple baits as you jig them also. You need to see from the top to the bottom all the time.

[temp989]

From my experience having a camera down "spooks" fish, Perch come in on the defense and are less likely to bite most days & as for walleye most of the time when the camera is down they just keep on swimmin, most of what i would say has already been said by others, go with the flasher first then if you still want a camera pick one up, I've left my camera home the 15 times ive been out this year but not once did i forget the flasher!

"flasher is a tool...Camera is a toy"

[naterpM-37]

Having a camera is awesome, since i own one myself. But there is a few downsides to having one. First, you can't use them at night very effectively, you really can't tell how deep you are fishing or where fish are located. I also got to jumpy when i would see a fish and sometimes jerk before the fish would bite. I would go with a sonar so you can see where fish are located and what depths they are at. I would much rather have a sonar than the aqua-view that i bought. But goodluck fishing!

Nate

[Long Spurs]

Get a Vex , you will wonder why you never bought one!

[sticknstring]

Flasher is so much easier and more effective no trying to get the camera to face the right way. with a flasher just drop the trans in the hole and go from there dont leave home without my flasher

[Gutz]

Sonar without question! A lot of this was mentioned above and in NUMEROUS other threads but...

- Better view of the water column: I can't tell you how many time I've been fishing to fish on the bottom and seen some come in suspended and pulled my jig up. i find the suspended fish are generally pretty active so I always get excited to see some bands in the middle on the old vex. You would never know they were there with a camera

- quicker: I like to drill a bunch of holes and walk around with my Vex, drop the ducer and take a quick look at what's down there. Can't do that with a camera either, especially the deeper the water gets. That's not to say that I won't fish if I don't mark anything but I will certainly fish if I do.

- Don't know about spooking but I know my ducer dangling below the ice isn't going to bother too many fish below.

The list goes on. The old adage that "sonar is a tool and cameras are toys" is generally true although they do have their uses. I like to think of sonar as some sort of multi-use tool like a cordless drill with a 205 pc set and a camera as a phillips head screw driver. Yeah, you could get a few things done around the house with just that phillips head but if you could only have one, it would be the drill set. On the other hand, if I had a screw in a tight place, that phillips head would be nice. But then, I guess I could put a flexible extender on the drill but then....and the analogy goes on.

The moral being....get the sonar!

[wildcoy73]

i'll tell ya after this weekend the diffrent i see with both i have just went out and bought the vex fl 20 and a fish tv. i plan on using the vex most of the time i bought the cam for the wife and kids gives them something to do on the ice

[Lundy43123]

I would always suggest the Vex first for all of the reasons mentioned.

However if you can someday swing owning both you should depending on where you fish.

In clear water lakes the cameras are a very good tool. I use mine on Erie and have used it for every trip to Hubbard lake. I caught more walleye at Hubbard on every trip because of the camera than I would have caught without it.

A cameras opportunities are very limited but when conditions are right it is a very valuable tool.

[GFHFG]

Get a marcum lx5 sonar then get the new 825c color camera. I feel these are the best 2 products on the market right now.

[greelhappy]

I just got my Fish TV. I am having a great time using it. The one problem is the only place I'v used it is in the Lexington harbor, and the water there is very dirty. But I'll tell you, when those steelies or browns come by on camera and stop to look at your bait, the heart skips a beat. Where I normally fish the water is only 5 to 10 foot deep, so if it's clear you don't need a camera to see whats below you. In clear water if you want to see whats around you, simply change your camera direction. Many fishermen use decoys to attract fish. It seems to me that the fish shaped camera would not have a bearing on spooking fish. And the " number one reason " as Letterman would say, I bought a FishTV is the cost. To me the $100.00 is in my pocket range. If was to have set my sites on a Vex. at $300 to $400, might be down the road abit before a purchase could be made. Don't get me wrong, I would love to have it all, but for now the camera will do just fine. JMO. Good fishing to all.