Crosslake, MN – In a virtual sense, a mere mouseclick is enough to pretty much teleport yourself to any locale on Earth. Unmentionables aside, Googling “live cams” pulls up a plethora of cool real-time video streams. On a sliding scale of time-killers, you can take a peek at the Statue of Liberty at 3am; check live surf conditions at the Banzai Pipeline; or even eavesdrop on the Pyramid of Giza—just in case something’s changed in the past millennia . . . Major snoozefest.
Why not watch something fascinating and constructive; something lively, like keeping tabs on the spring migration of walleyes, catfish, sturgeon and smallmouth bass? And should your boss question your time management talents, just chalk it up to ‘research.’
For seven years now, Aqua-Vu has provided the optics for an extraordinary underwater viewing resource called Wolf River Cam. This spring, for the first time ever, the real-time fish cam is utilizing a new high definition underwater viewing system—the AV Multi-Vu HD—to treat site visitors to remarkable, colorful underwater views of fish migrations in Wisconsin’s Winnebago River System. Walleyes, sturgeon, and a profusion of other cool species are likely swimming past the live fish lens—at this very moment.
“When the spring run begins, huge numbers of walleyes and other fish travel from Lake Winnebago,” says Gary Bunnell, owner and founder of WolfRiverCam.com. “Between mid March and the end of April, the five live cams receive about two million hits. It’s an awesome resource for anglers hoping to catch the peak of the walleye run. But it’s equally fascinating for folks to pull up on their desktop and eavesdrop on this amazingly productive waterway. Never know what you might see next.”
Bunnell notes that in addition to wolfrivercam.com, folks can also download the Ustream app and watch the action on their wireless device.
In seven years of operation, Bunnell says he’s been amazed by the performance and reliability of the Aqua-Vu cameras. “We’ve used the Aqua-Vu systems for hundreds of continuous hours in extreme conditions without any problems. That’s way more time or abuse than a single angler could ever use an Aqua-Vu in a lifetime of fishing.”
Particularly exciting, says Bunnell, has been use of the new Aqua-Vu HD camera, strategically placed at the popular Shiocton, Wisconsin site just in time for spring spawning runs. “The clarity of the new HD camera is exceptional,” he notes. “But the most amazing advantage is that it delivers superior color in low light, even down in 14-feet of river water. Down here, where visibility is limited to a foot, the HD camera can see to about 4. No other camera we’ve used—and we’ve tried most of them— gathers enough light to display bright color in dark water like this. The Aqua-Vu HD is already showing folks amazing views of the river.”
Introduced to the consumer market in November 2015, Aqua-Vu’s HD system is the first-of-its-kind high definition underwater viewing system designed for fishing. Initial popular applications have included use in filming commercial outdoor television and video and for connection to HD TVs inside large ice fishing shelters. Compatible with any HDMI video-in equipped TV, monitor or recording device, the Multi-Vu HD includes 100 feet of 200-pound test HD cable, Camera Control Module with waterproof 12-volt power cable and 720p CCD HD Image Sensing underwater camera with adjustable LED lighting. Retail price is $399.99.
“The big female walleyes are moving through right now,” adds Bunnell. “Watching them live in color HD is a great way to get pumped for the fishing season.”
