Fishing with a Wireless Underwater Camera
Let’s be real—everything’s a “game-changer” in fishing these days. New rods, new reels, a jig with 3 extra flaps… somebody’s always calling something revolutionary. There’s a ton of gear out there that promises to change the way you fish. Some of it actually does.
But one thing that’s actually starting to live up to the hype is the wireless underwater camera. Not because it makes fish bite, but because it finally shows you why they did—or didn't.
Look, at some point, we’ve all sat there wondering what's going on under the surface. You’ve got the right spot, the right bait, the right everything… and still, nothing.
Or worse, something almost.
That little bump...
That swirl behind your lure...
That one cast you were sure got followed... but you’ll never really know.
Unless you’ve got eyes down there.
Let’s dive into what wireless underwater cameras are, how they work, and why more and more fishermen are packing them with the rest of their gear.
What Is a Wireless Underwater Camera, Exactly?
So here’s the deal: “wireless” doesn’t always mean livestreaming like a wifi security cam. For fishing, that kind of setup isn’t ideal. Livestreaming underwater needs strong, stable signals and eats up battery fast—plus the footage tends to be lower quality because it’s compressed in real time. It also requires bulky antennas which can spook fish, and let's not even get into signal interference underwater. (Although, if you want to, here's the physics of it.)
What we’re really talking about is a self-contained camera—no cords, no cables, just a small unit that records to onboard storage. You drop it in, fish your setup, then check the footage later on your phone or tablet. The real beauty is how little these things weigh and how easy they are to cast, clip, or run in-line with your rig.
Why More Fishermen Are Starting to Use These (And Not Just for Fun)
Sure, the footage is cool. But wireless underwater cameras aren’t just about getting that one cool clip to show your buddies or post online with a caption like “First cast 🔥.” (Although, hey—if it happens, you absolutely post it.) What’s got more anglers reaching for these little cameras lately is what happens after you review the footage.
There’s something downright mesmerizing about watching a fish materialize out of the murk like a ghost and tail your lure for 10ft before making its move—or not. It’s like flipping on the lights in a room you’ve been walking into for years—but only ever seen in the dark. Which, let’s be honest, would raise some serious questions if that were actually true. But underwater, that’s exactly what it feels like. You think you know what’s happening down there… until you finally see it.
Suddenly, you’re not just hoping you’re presenting the lure right—when you're literally using a fishing lure camera, you know. And the types of things you see going on down there around your lure might surprise you.
- Are fish darting in for a closer look, but never committing?
- Are they trailing behind your bait with interest... then turning off at the last second like they’ve seen this movie before?
- Are they not showing up at all, because your lure’s acting dead in the water when you thought it was dancing?
That kind of insight changes the game. You start to recognize patterns, you stop wasting time on retrieves that look good in your head but fall flat in real life. Maybe you realize you’re fishing too fast. Or too shallow. Or your bait’s spinning like a helicopter because of a rigging issue you wouldn’t have caught otherwise.
It’s the kind of feedback no sonar or graph can give you—because those tools tell you where the fish are. Underwater footage can tell you what the fish are thinking about your setup and tactics. And once you know that, it’s way easier to outsmart them.
So yeah, you’ll definitely end up with some sweet clips. But the real payoff is becoming a more thoughtful, more observant, and more tuned-in fisherman. You adjust your retrieve, switch up colors, try a different depth. It’s like scouting… but underwater.
What Makes a Good Wireless Fishing Camera?
Not all underwater cams are created equal. When you’re looking for one that’ll actually hold up out there and give you footage you can use, here’s what to keep in mind:
Video Quality
Of all the specs to pay attention to, video quality might be the one that separates the "cool idea" cameras from the best underwater fishing cams—the ones you’ll actually keep using. At a minimum, you want 1080p HD—and not just because it looks nice on your phone. We're talking about the difference between "look at that tail flick and that refusal!" and "that might be a fish."
Now, if you're planning to actually do something with the footage—like review it later, clip it into a highlight reel, or slow it down to watch frame-by-frame lure behavior—then 1080p becomes even more important. It gives you enough resolution to zoom in, crop out extra space, or run it through editing software without the whole thing falling apart into a pixelated mess.
There's nothing worse than capturing the perfect strike, and realizing your standard-def budget cam recorded it in "potato quality."
And if it records at 60 frames per second? Even better. That’s what lets you slow the action down without it turning into a jerky slideshow. You can actually watch how a fish approaches, flares, and strikes—all in buttery-smooth motion. It’s the kind of detail that makes a difference when you're fine-tuning your technique or just geeking out over fish behavior.
Size and Weight
The lighter the camera, the more flexible your rigging options. If it’s the size of a tennis ball, forget casting it. That’s where something like the Westin Explore Cam, about the size of a single AA battery, really shines.
The smaller and lighter the camera, the more it actually becomes part of your fishing setup—not a weird attachment you’re awkwardly working around constantly. That low profile isn’t just good for casting—it makes your footage better too. A lighter cam is less likely to "spook" or scare fish away, more stable on retrieve, and easier to control when current or lure motion starts tugging at it. And bonus: you’re not fighting your own camera every time you try to work your bait the way it’s meant to be fished.
Depth Rating
Fishing in ponds or shallow streams is one thing. Dropping into deeper lakes or saltwater structure? You want something tested to 500+ feet.
Now of course, if you’re fishing shallow water or clear ponds, you might never push past 10 or 15 feet. But once you start targeting offshore structure, deeper ledges, or even just steep drop-offs in your local lake, you need a camera that can hang.
That means pressure-tested, fully sealed, and rated for way deeper than you think you’ll ever go.
Water pressure gets real, real fast. A camera rated for 30 ft might work fine—until the one time you let it drop too deep and it starts leaking like a cheap cooler. You don’t want to be that guy trying to dry out your SD card with a hair dryer because a cheap "waterproof" camera case gave up at 40 feet.
Both the Explore and Escape Cam from Westin Cam are waterproof to 650ft—plenty of margin. It gives you room to explore, room to experiment, and room to trust that if you want to drop it into a reef system, a brush pile in 80 feet, or even just get footage from beneath the thermocline in a deep reservoir, your camera’s not going to tap out before the fish show up.
Battery Life
Battery life can make or break your time filming underwater—and with some of the newer cameras out there, you’re actually covered for quite a while. Westin's Explore Cam runs for about 85 minutes on a single charge, which is a solid stretch when you're logging cast-after-cast footage in full HD. But if you need even more recording time, the Escape Cam goes the distance with over 2.5 hours of runtime.
That’s plenty of juice to cover multiple spots, film different lure presentations, check what happened, and go again. A few key casts into that submerged tree line. A slow roll past that grass edge where you saw something flash. A few exploratory drops into the spot your buddy swears holds big fish but somehow never produces. All without recharging on the boat or fumbling with power banks like you’re trying to revive a phone on 1%.
Stabilization
Ever try to watch shaky underwater footage? Nausea city. Stabilization makes a huge difference.
Even light current, line tension, or a sudden twitch from your rod can send a camera wobbling all over the place. And when that happens, good luck spotting anything useful in the footage—let alone enjoying the playback without feeling like you’re watching a found-footage horror film starring confused perch. Stabilizers like the Escape Cam’s Y-fin help keep everything level and smooth even during action-packed strikes:
Instead of a chaotic swirl of bubbles, weeds, and whatever your line dragged past on the way down, you get clear, level shots where you can actually see and track fish movement, lure behavior, and catch those key moments when everything comes together.
Ways to Use a Wireless Underwater Cam While Fishing
You don’t need to be a "high-tech fishing gadgets" guy to get value out of one of these. Here’s how guys are actually using them on the water:
- Casting it out ahead of a jig to watch fish approach from a distance
- Dropping it vertically in brush piles to scout what’s living down there
- Running it inline with a swimbait to see how your retrieve really looks
- Reviewing the footage back at the truck to make adjustments for tomorrow
There’s something kind of satisfying about watching the moment a bass flares its gills and commits—or seeing what didn’t happen and learning from it.
Explore vs. Escape: Which Westin Cam Fits Your Style?
Westin Cam keeps it simple with two models—each with its own strengths.
Explore Cam
- Just under 1 oz
- Records 1080p at 30/60fps
- Waterproof to 650 ft
- Battery lasts 1 hr 25 min
- Fits in your pocket. Like, your coin pocket.
Perfect if you want to keep things as light and simple as possible. The Explore is great for finesse rigs or anglers who want minimal weight interference.
🎦 Learn More about the Westin Explore Cam
Escape Cam
- Slightly heavier at 1.4 oz
- Same 1080p video quality
- Battery goes for 2.5 hours
- Has a Dive Lip + Stabilizer Y-Fin
A great choice if you fish longer sessions, or deal with currents and need a little extra control keeping the camera steady.
🎦 Learn More about the Westin Escape Cam
Both are easy to rig, quick to sync with your phone, and built to handle being dropped, cast, dunked, and reeled in a hundred times over.
Do I Need Any Special Setup?
Not really. That’s one of the biggest perks.
- No cables
- No external battery packs
- No downloading footage to a laptop just to see it
Just mount it, fish it, and review it when you’re done. If you’re running a Westin Cam, it’s all mobile-friendly—so you can see what happened while you’re still out there, not after you get home.
Final Thoughts
Nothing humbles a fisherman faster than seeing just how many fish swim right up to your lure, give it the side-eye, and ghost you.
If you’d like to learn something new from every cast, this is one of the most affordable and low-effort ways to do it. You’re already out there, already fishing. A camera just adds a whole new layer of feedback.
You’ll swear your bait looks perfect… until you see it spiraling like a busted propeller because the knot was crooked. Or twitching way too hard when you thought you were being subtle. Or maybe doing nothing at all when you thought it was dancing.
You’ll laugh, you’ll swear, you’ll re-rig your whole setup halfway through the day because now you know it was off. And next time you hit that same spot? You’ll throw something different—because you’ve seen what didn’t work.
And sure, maybe you’ll film a few cool clips worth sending to your buddy who always talks big but never shows receipts. Or maybe you’ll just sit there rewatching a slow-motion strike 10 times in a row because it’s that satisfying.
So whether you’re creating fishing content for social media or just trying to dial in your bait game and catch more fish, a wireless underwater camera is something worth casting with.
You already put in the hours. Might as well see what the fish are seeing too.