High Definition Aqua-Vu underwater camera documents wild walleye run
Crosslake, MN (May 15, 2016) – It is happening. Across North America, waves of big beautiful walleyes are advancing on their spawning grounds. And for the shortest of nocturnal windows, these remarkable fish are putting on a spectacular show—presenting anglers with fleeting glances at a quarry that will soon live up to its reputation . . . mystifying and mysterious . . . as it disappears back into the depths.
But for now, this popular sportfish is providing an amazing underwater spectacle.
“From above, you see these ghostly glowing eyeballs moving like wraiths up the river,” says Bill Lindner, cackling like a mad scientist. The Hall of Fame angler and world-renowned fish photographer recently spent several nights pursuing the passion that’s made him famous: capturing the magical underwater behaviors of freshwater fish.
For the past several months, Lindner has stood in amazement behind the monitor of his Aqua-Vu HD cam, witnessing elusive aquatic exhibitions, such the under-ice behaviors of largemouth bass, twilight movements of big sunfish and crappies, and Great Lakes Kamloops rainbow trout. His next endeavor? “Eavesdropping on giant spawning muskies,” Lindner interjects with excitement evident in his demeanor.
In a nutshell, the legendary Lindner has seen and learned things by looking through a scuba mask and an Aqua-Vu camera that most anglers only dream about. “Last year we used the HD cam to capture footage of northern pike slashing and attacking schools of shiner minnows—never-before-seen stuff.” (The footage will be released later this spring.)
“I’ve spent a lot of years working with just about every conceivable camera on the market—above the water and below. This new high def camera from Aqua-Vu yields the sharpest, brightest, cleanest underwater images I’ve ever seen. Its low light capabilities are incredible, unheard of.
Back at the walleye run, fish continue congregating in the river by the dozen—fecund female walleyes easily topping 10 pounds and males that sometimes exceed 30 years of age. “Biologists who work spawning runs for egg-gathering operations have told me these same fish return year after year. They used to talk about a single giant female that had revisited the spawning site for over a dozen springs. The last year they saw her, she weighed just over twenty pounds.”
With anticipation evident in his eyes, Lindner beams. “Can’t imagine better motivation for getting out on the water come Opening Day.”