by Bill Diedrich* with Terry Tuma

Want to see what's really going on under the ice? Think of all the times you've been fishing and wondered what kind of fish are showing up on your sonar, or tried to decide whether the hard lake bottom is sand or gravel? Many anglers have eliminated some of the mystery beneath the ice and expanded their knowledge by using an underwater camera.

My initial experience with viewing fish and lake bottom occurred about fifty years ago, and of course, it was not with an underwater camera. My dad and his fishing cronies took heavy cardboard tubes six to ten inches in diameter and rigged them for ice fishing. The tube was heavily varnished for durability, and the top of the tube was contoured to fit the face. A segment of the fishing line was run outside the tube, enabling the fisherman to "work" the bait with his hand. The tube was placed in the hole, the fisherman placed his face on the top of the tube, looked down the tube, and proceeded to watch and catch fish. I looked at a lot of perch on Lake Poygan and even caught a few.

The modern underwater camera is made for ice fishing. The "platform"-the ice-isn't moving. (If it's moving, you're in big trouble!) No waves or boat wakes to contend with. Given this type of stability, it's easy to work the camera. Ice cover tends to help make the water clearer on many bodies of water, allowing for increased visibility.

Anglers who have used this technology talk about its educational value. Using the camera has increased their understanding of fish behavior. It also has dispelled some fishing myths, helped them understand feeding habits and food sources, and made them better interpreters of sonar. Ultimately, this has made them better anglers.

For instance, observing the fish's reaction to different presentations is more difficult to determine with sonar than with an underwater camera. A camera allows for studying the mood of the fish and watching their reaction to different presentations. What do the fish react to best? A slow, vertical jigging motion; a short, rapid shaking motion; or bait presented below a float system? How do fish react to color? Does lime green, chartreuse, or orange create the most aggressive action? Reactions to different types of lures also can be determined. A Jigging Rapala may, on occasion, generate more activity than a small jigging spoon tipped with plastic. An underwater camera allows you to fine-tune your presentation to match the mood of the fish.

What is the lake bottom like? Sonar can tell us whether the lake bottom is relatively hard or soft, but it's difficult to tell whether the lake bottom is sand, gravel, or small rock. A camera helps determine bottom content rather easily. With this knowledge, a glance at the sonar screen will help you interpret this type of information in the future. The camera gives you confidence and also helps verify sonar response.

Suppose you drilled a hole on what you thought was the hot spot. You put the camera down into the hole and see that it's not quite the spot. Now you slowly rotate the camera, checking the surrounding underwater area. Six feet to your right you see the underwater break with a little vegetation on it-the spot you were looking for. Drill a new hole in the prime location.

Ice anglers have discovered other bits of angling information from the underwater camera. Long-time sonar users recognize blind spots (dead zones) in sonar systems. One such situation occurs near the outer edge of the sonar signal at the lake bottom. Fish sitting tight to the bottom at the outer edge of the signal may not be detected by the sonar unit. If light is sufficient, however, a camera can see these fish.

Fishing areas that contain large rocks can make fish detection tough. Fish can drop down between the rocks, making it difficult for sonar to detect and display them. A camera does a better job of showing fish under these conditions.

With an underwater camera, the ice anglereasily can determine the size and species of fish. Fish can be detected with sonar, but are they carp, suckers, or walleyes? You could waste a lot of time trying to get a sucker to hit your jig and minnow. Fishermen often talk about "confidence," those days when they are in the "zone," when they feel every bite and rarely miss a fish. Most people seem to have more confidence when they see fish, especially when they know they've found the right species.

A final edge for the camera is entertainment. You can watch fish and their reactions, even if they aren't biting. That's probably better than watching your partner sleep, or worse yet, listening to him snore. It also beats reorganizing your tackle box.

Camera technology has improved tremendously in the last few years: better cameras, better lighting, better resolution, and better camera control. Some sporting goods stores and bait shops even rent cameras. Try one and see for yourself what you've been missing.

*Bill Diedrich, Minnetonka, Minnesota, is an industry consultant on marine topics.

Contacts: Aqua-Vu, 800/295-1546, www.aquavu.com; Marcum Technology, 763/271-2085, www.marcumtech.com; VistaCam, 847/759-9697, www.vistacam.com.