Talk about trends in ice fishing, no one’s sees the big picture quite like Brian “Bro” Brosdahl. From November through February, the legendary Bro and his wonderful wife, Heather, embark on an ice fishing tour de force, hitting outdoor stores and famous fisheries from the Dakotas all the way east to the Adirondacks. Everywhere he rolls, Bro’s larger-than-life persona precedes him, clutching paws with hundreds if not thousands of his fishing fans.
Ask Bro what’s hot and he’ll gladly comply — even if it means occasionally divulging some of his favorite frozen water secrets.
“Right now, I’m really digging my micro Revolution underwater camera,” he chimed in during a recent trek from Michigan to his Northern Minnesota neighborhood. “If our stops at dozens of outdoor stores are any indication, ice anglers agree — seems like every store we visited sold out of Aqua-Vu cameras early on. Good news is, Aqua-Vu was quick to respond and restock stores right away.
“Right now, though, I’m back in full-time fishing mode; can’t wait to get back in the Frabill and down-view some bull bluegills.”
Out on the frozen lake, excitement for Bro’s favorite new fishing tool is self-evident. “See this?” he inquires, peeling camera cable off the back of a revolving spool. “No more downtime or tangle issues with excess cord. The Revolution Camera Reel instantly deploys and retrieves 10-, 20- or 50-feet of cable as fast as your fishing reel. Smooth, too.”
True to typical Bro form, the expert ice angler has even devised his own customized sight-fishing program.
“I’ve been connecting the Aqua-Vu monitor directly to the frame of my Frabill shelter; keeps the screen right at eye level. No more ‘sore-neck’ fishing. And I can instantly pay out more camera cable or retrieve it to adjust to different depths and fish levels.”
To max out convenience and versatility, Aqua-Vu designed both its micro 5.0 Revolution and DVR-enabled micro 5.0 Revolution Pro with a tripod coupler — accepts any standard tripod/camera mount. Brosdahl opts for an Aqua-Vu Pro-Snake Micro Camera Mount, which screws into the top of the monitor while the C-clamp end clutches the frame of any portable ice shelter. The Camera Mount’s “goose-neck” construction offers almost infinite adjustability for different view-screen angles.
“For sight fishing everything from big perch and crappies to pike and walleyes, this is the ultimate underwater set up.
“The camera’s ultra-clear LCD shows me every little detail. You can read fin movements of crappies — it’s fish body language that reveals their willingness to bite. Seeing your jig’s posture, position and movements also clues you in on critical details. I can immediately react and adjust.”
Ever the enthusiastic angler, Bro never tires of watching fish bite on the underwater camera screen. “It’s like watching a bobber go under, only better.”
The post The Evolving Game of Sight-Fishing on Ice appeared first on OutDoors Unlimited Media and Magazine.
