Underwater Fishing Photography

[Golden Paws]

After Elmo's plea for more content, I decided to start this one.

Below is a video I found on You Tube. It's a fair effort and uses tech to the max, bait boats, drones and underwater camera's. Despite all that, I couldn't believe how blatant the rig was, especially the pop up. The line was bow tight and stood out like a sore thumb and even the lead stood out more than I thought it would. I've seen quite a few of these types of video's and I can't believe that the carp continue to feed anywhere near the area.

I'm a bit paranoid about trying to make everything as unobtrusive as possible. I use Korda Safezone leaders (fluorocarbon) and always backlead to keep everything pinned to the deck although I know it compromises bite detection. All my rigs are combi's with a fluorocarbon boom with an inch or so of supple braid to give the hookbait some movement. I don't use pop-ups but but do often use a slip-D combi rig with a wafter that has been bored with some cork to create what I call a wafter+, it is enough to lift the bait off the bottom but the hook still touches the bottom.

What edges do you use to minimise suspicion?
 

 

[elmoputney]

I tend to not be so paranoid tbh, I prefer a fluoro boom on my spinner rig, I nearly always fish a pop up. Mainly bright yellow pineapple this season. I use an unleaded leader (whatever colour I have) knowing it will sink well and it works well with my chosen lead set up (PB Hit n run) And I never back lead or pin the line down. Most people on my lake use a bait boat, so I try to spread the baits out, so the fish have to move between mouthfuls. 

I like to think they don't really know what rig components are and just see them as detritus but I will slacken my line and get it to sink properly if I can. Although if I need to fish with a bow tight line, I have no issues doing that either. 

We are all different though and I'm not saying I am right, anything that makes you more confident is a good thing it's just not something I worry about too much, I did use coloured kickers for a while on my spinner rigs and I still caught fish, 

 

[Golden Paws]

I've never used a fluoro pop-up, I prefer match the hatch muddy brown baits similar to my freebies. I know a lot people use a snowman or a bit of pop up corn above the boilie for a fleck of colour but it just looks so blatant to me.

We get "done" far more than you would believe. For many years I fished a shallow river for barbel that went crystal clear at certain times of year and it was a revelation. The amount of times I would have barbel come onto a baited area and then I would see my grains of corn  get blown out with force and all the fish would scatter. Another time I had a run baited with hemp and corn and a fish was coming up the swim in a straight line hoovering up the freebies. It come to my double corn (on a 3 foot hooklink to avoid spooking), veered around it and carried on up the run taking everything else! I was using the double corn so it was obvious to me where the hookbait was, unfortunately it was also obvious for the barbel!

My thinking is that if I can create an area that seems "safe" and there is nothing that the fish can associate with danger, the greater the chance of catching them.

[OldBoy]

8 hours ago, Golden Paws said:

After Elmo's plea for more content, I decided to start this one.

Below is a video I found on You Tube. It's a fair effort and uses tech to the max, bait boats, drones and underwater camera's. Despite all that, I couldn't believe how blatant the rig was, especially the pop up. The line was bow tight and stood out like a sore thumb and even the lead stood out more than I thought it would. I've seen quite a few of these types of video's and I can't believe that the carp continue to feed anywhere near the area.

I'm a bit paranoid about trying to make everything as unobtrusive as possible. I use Korda Safezone leaders (fluorocarbon) and always backlead to keep everything pinned to the deck although I know it compromises bite detection. All my rigs are combi's with a fluorocarbon boom with an inch or so of supple braid to give the hookbait some movement. I don't use pop-ups but but do often use a slip-D combi rig with a wafter that has been bored with some cork to create what I call a wafter+, it is enough to lift the bait off the bottom but the hook still touches the bottom.

What edges do you use to minimise suspicion?
 

 

Tbh, think underwater videos have been done to death now. 

Something a bit strange about this one though, almost seems to have been somehow AI generated??

Anyway, wouldn't worry to much, not many of us fish on gin clear waters and not sure Carp are actually that intelligent? 

[elmoputney]

10 minutes ago, Golden Paws said:

I've never used a fluoro pop-up, I prefer match the hatch muddy brown baits similar to my freebies. I know a lot people use a snowman or a bit of pop up corn above the boilie for a fleck of colour but it just looks so blatant to me.

We get "done" far more than you would believe. For many years I fished a shallow river for barbel that went crystal clear at certain times of year and it was a revelation. The amount of times I would have barbel come onto a baited area and then I would see my grains of corn  get blown out with force and all the fish would scatter. Another time I had a run baited with hemp and corn and a fish was coming up the swim in a straight line hoovering up the freebies. It come to my double corn (on a 3 foot hooklink to avoid spooking), veered around it and carried on up the run taking everything else! I was using the double corn so it was obvious to me where the hookbait was, unfortunately it was also obvious for the barbel!

My thinking is that if I can create an area that seems "safe" and there is nothing that the fish can associate with danger, the greater the chance of catching them.

That's why I do fish a fluoro, I want my hookbait to stand out, I want my hookbait to be the most attractive bait in the area. The main thing I look at in the edge is contrast, you have to think fish don't see the same things we do. I just think if it contrasts the bottom then they will be more likely to see it. My faves are yellow and washed out pink. 

I can totally see why you do what you do though, makes perfect sense,there are no right and wrongs though, if it works it works. 

[salokcinnodrog]

I watch the videos and I always chuckle to myself. The swim being fished has so many things that can add to the already wary fishes 'stress'.

Obviously first one is the camera, and any attachment to the bank, wires or cables, as it is unlikely underwater cameras will be wire free.

Then we have feeding situation. The water may or may not be a boilie water, or a water where particles or groundbait are the best feeding stimulant. 

As for my fishing I tend not to be pedantic about camouflage, but I do try to minimise it being over conspicuous. 

There are times that I have seen fish spook off bright fluorescent baits, yet at other times they are the best way to catch.

My hooklinks I prefer green or green, black and dirty white (Merlin). I think that matches the majority of lake bottoms. My mainline is usually clear in clear waters, and is as much as possible fished slack line and running leads, or rods low so the line is along the lakebed if possible, although I believe that at anything over 40metres, the line is along the lakebed anyway.

I stopped using leaders unless I have to, and I still catch on straight through mainline, and with no anti-tangle tubing. 

Like @elmoputney I don't think that the fish can identify a hook, run ring, bead,  lead or swivel, and that green hooklink looks like a strand of weed.

Baitwise, I prefer an unobtrusive bait, for a couple of reasons, to try to stop swan life, but also to match my freebies which are normally brown. However, as said, there are times in late autumn, winter and early spring when I think that a fluorescent bait is better or will provoke takes.