Holy goldy.....
This pike really had something going with the robot goldfish. I will release my goldfish now in winter more often to see if it teases a slow mover to dance like this.
Wrap your wolf in a fish skin
Are you keen to increase your capture rate - both on video as well as on your bait? Then drnapper’s Snack Attack Fish Skin sticker could do the trick for you and help you capture some amazing underwater trophy shots. Watch it for your self: the stickers were tested by one of the leading underwater angling cam operators and enticed some big pike in Ireland, Germany and Belgium so far. Who is next? Be quick - promo sale is on now.
Hook-less holidays in the Mark Brandenburg
The heat of the summer days carries a lordly smile. Dry leaves and pointy pine needles crush as pringles under my shoes. The lake in front of me hides behind a glistening mirror of sun light, full of secret life. I fit my snorkel mask and dive in. The water is literally crystal clear. The white sand that provides an easy entry is a perfect backdrop for a tropical beach like underwater vision experience. Sun rays splinter through the surface and dance in line with reeds that waft above. The crisp cold water speaks in a Nordic tongue and licks my skin in delight. Some small European perch peek around my feet. I swim further out along the reed edge. This seems like a perfect hunting ground for a pike. A curtain of reed stems shield this year’s young brood from the unknown of the open water. I keep a look out for a slender silhouette. It is easy to picture how this skillful predator lurks in the shadows, observing, waiting for the moment to ambush an unexpecting prey.
The short bliss of camera angling....on a clear day
It is always a surprise to inspect the catch of the day behind the PC when reviewing the footage. And it is fun to actually discover that there was more life than what the nibble count suggested. Hopefully, one day mobile capacity will allow automatic scene detection and already highlight the trophy shots without hours of tedious, square-eyed review, preferably with ID suggestions and reporting all ancillary sensor data in a common data standard - these are a couple of (simple) prerequisistes for making camera angling more user friendly and allow for both opportunistic as well as statistically sound data collection.
Strike by a pike: animated goldfish meets lil croc
A hungry croc swallowed the animated goldfish lure within seconds….
Grinding nemo: animated lure on a dead-bait caster
In late winter and early spring I tend to replace dead bait by an animated lure (hook-less) to try and tease some pike. Every now and then it works. I ll show you in my next post.
Be selfish with Dr Snapper
Drsnapper will be participating in the ultimate citizen science festival at the Belgian coast: zeekerweten.be
A festival to celebrate biodiversity observation and conservation and to cheerish your very own enthusiasm for discovery.
Everyone is welcome on May 8 here in Oostende to try out and experience first hand the new thrill of camera angling. #catchinpeace #aquatictrophyshot
Al eens met een hengel een foto genomen van een vis? Met Dr Snapper’s onderwatercamera aan de haak maak je verrassende onderwaterbeelden. En dit zonder de vissen te storen of pijn te doen. (Voel je als een vis in het water zonder nat te worden!)
Photo contest o'clock
Picking a few best of out of my humble amateur collection, I submitted the below aquatic trophy shot of a pollack (Pollachius pollachius) snapped in Ireland to a photo contest. If you like it, click on the link you can vote for it and make an underwater trophy shot count (you may have to scroll through some pages first to spot it).
Four seasons in one day
Before the spring season closes for the spawning period, I enjoyed some snowflakes squalling through some sunshine. Pike are active and wary as at this spot. This one came in close to inspect what was on offer but quickly turned around.
A new toy for my tech tackle box
As a Christmas present to myself I ordered an animated lure. It worked a treat at my local (despite the limited field of view with the camera pointing straight down) - and not sure whether I will be able to trick my guinea pig pike for a second time though. Still - hookless fishing fun.
Triple pike strike on Boxing Day
This keen fella came in close three times: first time when I was scouting the water for presence - it only felt the lure once; second time when I came back a few hours later - it took another lure on the second cast (the lock was pumping water and because of the water flow it is a little bubbly); the third time it went for the camera. You guessed correctly, it is not the Bahamas. Dutch brownie points.
Autumn sun rays
Enjoying a sun-drenched afternoon at one of my favourite fishing spots in Germany. A school of redfins came flying past.
Flat-faced in Denmark
On a work-related visit to Bornholm, I found a nice harbour to deploy a bait bag which made it difficult for this one to keep a straight or shall we say flat face, and made for a nice aquatic trophy shot :)
Perching up high
A curious school of juvenile European perch came up close to inspect the artificial bait fish.
Reeltime review
Been enjoying some hook-less trophy fishing at my local (during lockdown days). Water was murky as, but at least the sun was out. And I still get excited when reminiscing about the moment when a pike went for the camera instead of the lure and I could instantly review that trophy shot on the app.
Crystal voyager
Finally…..I found my match…..a crystal clear freshwater body in mainland Benelux, Antwerpen area….now, I just need to attract and spot some fish, and improve the settings of the app, to have it not crashing as soon as I would like to review clips in real time (which is one of the functions I was really looking out for when I bought this particular cam).
This summer.....
Celebrating the first awesome real spring day, and the ringing in of the wild swimming season, the cool refreshing water reminded me of my Swiss baptistery in the Aare river of Bern city at summer solstice last year. No scaled fish to be spotted - but loads of human wannabe’s there.
(ringing in tune with Loudon Wainwright III’s Swimming Song)
Between theory and praxis
This time last year when Australia was not burning that bad, I spent a lovely afternoon at the Mornington Pier and explain here what I was hoping for to catch with my camera. As it happened, it did not eventuate. Luckily, probably for both of us. First up, an Australian bull ray (Myliobatis australis) is a protected species, so better no meddling with even if its just with a hook-less bait ball. Secondly, that thing was huge. It probably would have accelerated not just the camera, but also its dry-footed, spectacled beholder, quite possibly into a downward-facing direction. I spotted the bullray next door, so happy as Larry.
dr snapper's 3 essential tips for what to do with crappy underwater footage
1) Have a laugh about yourself - hohoho - you wasted a fair bit of time at this spot, matie; 2) Scan and review it with your Python C++ home coded AI algorithm that detects any thresholded changes in pixel density in the hope to come across anything exciting - try to make it sound more complicated when you’ll explain it to your mates; or 3) Use it as visuals for one of your favourite electronica tracks from a Cafe Del Mar compilation. Then, project it onto a big screen and observe whether it moooves you.
I did the latter with this crabby footage I recorded within the tranquility of Galway harbour not so long ago. Music: Rhian Sheehan - La Boîte à Musique……so moooving, isn’t it ;) You will spot some gobies and a Palaemon serratus shrimp (also called ‘Common prawn’) that dart inquisitively around the baitball at this harbour’s dark corner floor, before the shore crabs come marching in.
The way to get to know you.....is to dive.....
Reminiscing now over a cuppa about a very special summer holiday when we dipped into the Australasian winter down under last July/August. Mind you, the day out on the Great Barrier Reef must have been freezin for a Cairnite, but with 23degC it was a balmy affair for us. We descended on a pretty windy day and boarded a Reef Magic tour. It was a memorable day out at sea. Here are some impressions. The fish you see are Moorish Idol (Zanclus cornutus) and a trevally (Caranx spp.) which I “drsnappered” with my spydro (for some of the other shots by courtesy of Reef Magic tours - it was not that sunny after all ;)).
