An underwater camera might be the best thing to happen to kayak fishing since the scuba mask. Using sonar signals, Aqua-Vu underwater cameras scout bass living in brush piles, hunkered down in vegetation or hiding below boat docks.
“Having actual underwater eyes shows me a lot of little details—things sonar can’t reveal, like the color of crayfish, the type of vegetation, or the caliber of bass dwelling around deep rocks,” says Kristine Fischer, an accomplished tournament angler. 
Recognizing the natural link between kayak fishing and underwater viewing, Aqua-Vu president Kolt Ringer recently initiated new partnerships with both Fischer and the Hobie Bass Open Series. “We’re super excited to expand into the growing sport of kayak fishing and to get Aqua-Vu cameras into the hands of these super-progressive anglers,” says Ringer.
“Anglers like Kristine Fischer and competitors on the Hobie BOS circuit are already helping spread the word among the kayak community— that an Aqua-Vu delivers a whole other dimension of on-the-water fun and the ability to positively identify fish species and reveal the actual appearance of underwater structure,” adds Ringer.
Ringer recommends the micro™ series cameras for its compact fishing reel.
Count Hobie Fishing Team & Events Specialist Keven Nakada among the growing group of small boat Aqua-Vu fans. Since first deploying a cam from his kayak in the Pacific Ocean near Hobie’s SoCal headquarters, Nakada become an underwater video convert. “It’s amazing to see how different fish use body color and camouflage to blend into their surroundings. Without the camera, you’d never know a lot of these fish were down there—and might skip right over them while fishing. The camera has opened my eyes in a lot of ways and has made me a better angler.
“No doubt, this is a tool that will start catching on in the kayak community, especially as Kristine and other top ‘yak anglers start demonstrating its capabilities” notes Nakada.
“A lot of kayak anglers already use a GoPro style camera to film the above-water action,” says Ringer. “So, it’s no surprise that kayak anglers are excited to look beneath the surface with an Aqua-Vu. The difference is, our cameras display the underwater world in real-time, right on the screen.”
As Fischer and other anglers on the Hobie BOS circuit travel to upcoming tournaments at places like Lake Erie and Kentucky Lake, an Aqua-Vu camera will play a valuable role in locating bass and productive spots during pre-fishing. Notes Fischer: “My pre-fishing methods are meticulous, with hours of map, Google Earth and sonar study. An Aqua-Vu brings everything together so I can be one-hundred percent certain I’m fishing for the right fish on precisely the right locations.”
