Crosslake, MN – For most anglers, ‘sight-fishing’ evokes images of super shallow bass or lunkers hunkered tight to a spawning nest.
Not necessarily.
Armed with an underwater camera—the ultimate fish spy device— anglers can witness mind-boggling bass behavior at any depth. And now, beyond the camera’s affinity for uncovering unknown sweet spots, specialized rigging is allowing for on-screen sight fishing.
Among the observed bass behaviors are answers to countless interesting questions…
How often do bass follow lures without biting?
Which baitfish moves are the ones that ultimately trigger a strike?
Can bass be “right-handed?”
How often do bass strike out of curiosity or aggression versus the simple need to feed?
“I’ve spent my whole life filming bass and other fish in their natural habitat,” says Bill Lindner, Hall of Fame angler and outdoor photographer. “Sans scuba gear, the Aqua-Vu has taught me more about the underwater behaviors of freshwater fish than any other tool. It’s also disproved a lot of commonly held conceptions.”
The power of watching bass, muskies, walleyes, crappies and other species strike on-screen, says Lindner, can’t be over-stated. “If you truly want to learn the most valuable lessons about fish and how they function underwater, you need to add a camera to your arsenal.”
During the past year, Lindner tested an all-new underwater camera concept—the Aqua-Vu XD Camera housing— which allows anglers to view their lures or baits in real-time, on a high-resolution color LCD screen.
“We’ve witnessed some pretty cool stuff. Smallmouths following lures for five minutes or more. Muskies swiping at lures with their snouts. Walleyes attacking as viciously as a barracuda. Huge groups of bass following out of sheer curiosity.
“Wait until you see what’s really happening down there.”
* All underwater footage filmed with Aqua-Vu® Underwater Viewing Systems with XD™Camera housing.
