DIY underwater camera for winter fishing

Underwater camera capabilities

To immerse equipment under water, you do not need to build a wide ice hole. A small through hole is sufficient, the diameter of which is sufficient for the lens to pass through.

The camera opens up enormous opportunities for the fisherman, as it allows you to safely observe the underwater world, noticing for yourself:

what kind of fish is found in this area during the season;
is there a lot of it;
how she behaves;
how the fish reacts to the bait.

Thanks to the camera, a fisherman can evaluate the prospects for ice fishing.
Having collected the necessary information, the fisherman can choose the right fishing strategy. If monitoring the underwater world does not bring results, then you can safely move on, looking for a place with the best bite.

When choosing this equipment, it is recommended to take into account a number of factors:

Viewing angle. Cameras with wide-angle lenses produce blurry images. Often, a fish can swim literally 10 centimeters from the lens (depending on the depth, lighting intensity), without even entering the camera’s field of view.
Photosensitivity. The deeper the dive, the darker the water. Modern digital cameras are equipped with matrices. This component must be powerful enough to ensure that the image on the display is legible, clear, and free of interference. Matrices with low photosensitivity make a lot of noise: colored spots appear in the picture, and the shooting looks unclear.
Night vision mode. This function is extremely useful for fishermen. When immersed in water, the camera can automatically switch to monochrome shooting mode, and the built-in UV diode will provide the necessary illumination, which will help the fisherman “see” much deeper and more clearly.
Anti-fog protection. This function makes the picture clearly visible even in cloudy water.

An underwater fish camera with
UV light that is not visible to the human eye is useful for ice fishing, but if it is too powerful, it will scare away the fish. Similar cases were often observed. You should choose the golden mean.

It is necessary to take into account the pressure of the external environment. The camera body must be waterproof and durable. The lower the device goes under water, the more the external environment will compress it. The camera must be prepared for such tests, otherwise it will fail.

Before use, it is recommended to study the instructions to understand what depth the equipment is designed for: shallow, medium, large. You should not rely on the length of the wire, since this value does not always correspond to the actual resistance of the camera body to water pressure.

Ice fishing camera SANGEMAMA with IR illumination

An important nuance. Typically, cameras designed for night photography are equipped with infrared (IR) diodes. Equipment designed for ice fishing has ultraviolet (UV) illumination, which is more suitable for underwater observation.

What about the display?

In most cases, budget cameras are only designed for real-time monitoring. In other words, these are visors that allow you to observe fish, but not record. On the one hand, this is convenient: the fisherman scanned the area, made sure there were fish, and began drilling a hole. On the other hand, sometimes there is a need to view a certain area, especially when a fisherman is examining a large area on a river/lake and cannot remember exactly where the fish were most active.

Lucky ff3308-8 underwater camera display

You can select a camera that records information on a flash card. Equipment that supports external storage is not much more expensive than standard models.

Using the device

An underwater camera for winter fishing (you can make it with your own hands within an hour) during operation must be immersed to the required depth. To do this, the device is lowered into the hole. The fisherman holds her by the cable. The camera should be 8 cm below the hook with the bait.

When immersing the device to the required depth, you must wait a few minutes. Visibility will appear when particles of silt and sand in the water settle to the bottom. Next you can explore the terrain. The camera is then placed on the bottom so that the hook with bait is visible.

The hole must be constantly cleared of ice. When lowering the camera, it must be rotated 360 degrees every 20 cm of immersion. This will give you an idea of the situation underwater. It will be possible to drill another hole if there are fish in this place. A hook with bait will be lowered into it.

Having considered how to create a device such as an underwater camera for winter fishing with your own hands, you can create an excellent device for tracking the inhabitants of a reservoir. Outdoor recreation with the participation of such a device will be interesting and exciting. With the right approach to using such equipment, there is every chance of returning home with an enviable catch.

What does an ice fishing camera consist of?

To put it simply, a typical visor kit consists of:

cameras with one or more lenses;
waterproof braided cable;
display.

Complete set of equipment for winter fishing
The equipment is powered by a 12 V battery. It is better to use devices with good storage devices, since they last much longer and are more practical to use.

Beginning of work

After preparing the required components, the underwater camera for winter fishing is assembled. It will be easier to make the presented device yourself using proven instructions.

Materials and tools

If desired, such a device can be made from ordinary devices that are available in any electronics store. The most important thing is to find the right camera. It is recommended that you contact a company that designs/installs CCTV systems. Such companies have a rich variety of equipment and can offer the client a camera with the required technical characteristics and dimensions.

To make a fishing camera you will need the following components:

a small monitor powered by 12 V (in some cases you can use a car DVR or a mobile phone, below we will tell you how to implement such an idea);
inverter responsible for voltage conversion;
LEDs (needed if the camera is not equipped with them);
resistors (used only when connecting external LEDs);
AV output “tulip” type (intended for connecting a monitor);
12 V battery;
shielded cable with sealed braid (make sure the outer layer is completely intact).

Underwater Camera Supplies
This list does not include the camera itself as it was discussed above. In addition, you will need ordinary lead weights, the same ones that are used during fishing. Attached to the camera, they help you dive deeper. Air remains in the sealed body of the chamber; without lead weights, it will float and stay under the edge of the ice.

When constructing such a device, you cannot do without additional insulating materials:

silicone sealant (you can purchase plumbing sealant supplied in a tube);
insulating tape (make sure the back side is sufficiently adhesive and waterproof);
glue (it must be resistant to contact with liquid media).

Waterproof glue for making a camera

Creating a device

A homemade underwater camera for winter fishing (everyone can make it with their own hands) requires the use of a lead weight. Long pieces of material should be placed on the bottom of the container with the smartphone.

To create lighting, holes are made in the top of the container. Using soldering, the wires are connected into a circuit with the power cable of the smartphone. All places where the sealing of the container was broken must be lubricated with sealant and wrapped with electrical tape.

The system must be powered from a car battery. It must be well charged. The diving cable also needs to be wrapped with additional electrical tape. Not a single drop of water should get inside the camera container.

Assembly instructions

You can often find CMOS cameras on sale that have small dimensions. They represent an electrical board with a tiny lens. This camera is ideal for winter fishing, but you will have to choose a suitable housing.

Many fishermen use small plastic food containers. Their walls are quite thick, so they can withstand pressure when the chamber is immersed to about 10-30 meters.

It is necessary to drill a hole in one of the walls through which the cable will pass. A generous layer of electrical tape should be wrapped around the wire braid so that a kind of gasket plugs the hole. The edges are glued and covered with sealant.

Making your own underwater camera

When working with insulating materials, the surface to be treated must be completely dry. Otherwise, it will reduce adhesion and will not bring the desired result.

The lid should be carefully glued and sealed so that water does not seep through the cracks. Please note that the deeper the camera goes under the water, the stronger the external environment will put pressure on the container. If it can withstand pressure at a depth of a meter, then when diving to 5-10 meters it can become so strong that the seams will not withstand.

Before closing/sealing the container, make sure the camera is installed correctly:

check the cable connection;
insulate the wires with electrical tape if necessary;
turn on the camera, check the image quality on the monitor;
turn off the light, check how the UV backlight works in day/night mode;
make sure the camera automatically switches to monochrome when light levels drop;
Place the weights evenly in the container and secure with epoxy glue.

Next, close the lid and seal the seams with sealant. Fill a bath of water and test the camera:

whether it goes under water or floats up;
is water leaking through the crack in the cover and the round hole in the cable;
Is the signal being transmitted normally?

If everything works properly, remove the camera, dry its body, secure the lid tightly using glue and silicone sealant. For greater reliability, you can use two-component glue, but keep in mind that it sticks tightly. In the future, it will be quite difficult to open the container.

Is there an alternative to the case

If desired, you can use almost any thick-walled container that is suitable in size. This can be a small piece of plastic pipe, covered with transparent acrylic on the lens side.

Many craftsmen use for this purpose:

glass glasses;
plastic bottles;
waterproof boxes.

Underwater Camera Housing
GoPro is an ideal choice since this camera already has a sealed housing. You just need to work out the connection diagram. The most budget option:

connect the sinker to the GoPro;
attach a nylon cord to the body;
turn on shooting mode;
lower the camera under water;
get; get;
view the recording on the screen.

Features of the device

A do-it-yourself underwater video camera for winter fishing is created by analogy with special devices that are presented in stores today. Such equipment has a number of distinctive features. The camera is fully compatible with conventional types of ground-based devices. However, to shoot underwater, you need to provide good lighting. Otherwise, it will be difficult to see anything in the water column.

The camera body, for obvious reasons, must be waterproof. Therefore, if you decide to create such a device from a smartphone, you need to carefully consider this issue. Today, equipment from some manufacturers is on sale, which has the ability to remain under water for a long time. However, in most cases, a smartphone needs to be fully protected from water penetration.

The optical device is immersed in water. The cable transmits information from the camera to the monitor. In purchased models, it is possible to rotate the tracking device. However, homemade devices have somewhat limited functionality.

What to use as a screen

A mobile phone is perfect for these purposes. It is easy to connect (you can use a USB cable). The advantage of such a device is that the phone works autonomously, without an additional battery. You can use an OTG cable for fixation.

Using a smartphone as a camera display

Assembly and design

Assembling an underwater camera will consist of certain actions:

first, it is important to check the operation of a small TV in the mode of displaying information from the camera; Check the functioning of the TV together with the camera. If the image on the screen is clear and not blurred, then the camera can be installed in a plastic container

It is important to ensure that it is well integrated into the device. Special holes are made in a certain place and wires are passed through them; a load of a certain shape is created from lead, it is also located inside a plastic container; In a certain place, holes are made for embedding illuminated lamps, after which the lamps themselves are built in. The lamps should already have special wires. The places where the wires exit are sealed with special glue and insulated. This is important to protect against water penetration. The wires from the lamps are combined with the video camera cable; It is important to place the camera correctly. It should look forward, be positioned horizontally, and convey a good picture of the water to the monitor screen. It is important to check that the chamber is positioned correctly before sealing. In this case, you need to make sure that all wires are suitable for the device, including the cable from the main power source. This will also help ensure that the device is regularly recharged; if all the work was carried out correctly and the parts were built in, then they proceed to sealing. Today, it is best to use silicone or special sealants for sealing. Sealing in this case must be at a high level; To make it more comfortable to lower the fishing camera into the hole, you should create a special strong rope that is not afraid of water. This will help lower the device to the desired depth; It is also important to pay attention to recharging the battery. It is important to always keep the device charged, and also charge it immediately after fishing when you arrive home, otherwise it may run out at any inopportune moment. Advantages of the finished model

There is also a certain sense in buying a factory camera, since not every fisherman can independently create and configure such a device. Purchasing a ready-made device in a store has its advantages:

The factory product has special guarantees in case of failure or return. The product can be exchanged for a new one or the money returned for its purchase. If we talk about a homemade device, then in this case everything is much more complicated. Branded varieties, which are created specifically for shooting, include a large number of operating modes;
ready-made models can record a video and then play it again. If we talk about creating a device with your own hands, then in this case everything will depend on the selected camera;
Recently, cameras have become increasingly common among fishermen. Everyone is interested in what kind of life happens at depth in the place where the hole was created. To understand whether there is fish in the selected place, you can also use an echo sounder, but it is much more interesting to see everything with your own eyes.

If we talk about creating a video camera for fishing, then there are both advantages and disadvantages in this process. The disadvantages include the overall dimensions of the product. Most often, factory models are small in size and consume a small amount of energy. For their normal operation, you do not always need to carry a battery with you, which is heavy. The main reason why many fishermen create underwater devices is the high cost of store-bought products.

Read How to properly tie a fishing line to a swivel

How to protect from water

It's simple - use a high-quality sealant, treat the seams/holes dry, and let the outer layer dry well. If you use two-component glue, then treat the joints with it, wait a certain time and only then apply silicone to the surface.

Silicone sealant is used to seal the chamber.

Storage and transportation rules

If the underwater camera is not transported correctly and proper storage conditions are not provided, it may fail without even making its first report.

Important! For a monitor or TV, you can make a separate box with a special window for the screen. In such a device it is convenient to move the monitor on ice and hide it from sunlight, the ingress of which degrades the image. To ensure longer service life of the device, you should:

To ensure longer service life of the device, you should:

select a special reel for winding the cable, because at low temperatures it cannot be bent. The cable reel can be placed in a separate suitcase or box in which it will be transported and stored in the future;
the suitcase or special box in which the camera will be stored must be equipped with separate slots and blocked off with rubber bridges. Place the camera, monitor, cable reel (if it is not stored separately) in these compartments. Everything must be secured and not change location during transportation;
After using the device, all elements should be removed from the box, dried, the video camera should be charged, all areas treated with sealant should be checked for damage, if any, and re-treated with sealing agents.

Man always strives to know what is hidden from his eyes. A special video camera can help you see the underwater world in all its glory without endangering your own life. And if not everyone can afford an industrial model, then one made with one’s own hands will bring double pleasure and will become a source of pride for any fisherman.