GoPro Downrigger Ball Mount: Lake Testing Complete

[JohnVH]

where is a cheap place to get an underwater housing for a gopro1-2?

Howd the lake trials go?

[Smossy]

where is a cheap place to get an underwater housing for a gopro1-2?

Howd the lake trials go?

Amazon is where I got mine.

[h20hunter]

Haven't been able to make it to the lake....Probably Friday evening is the soonest. Sealed all the pieces together and am going to prime, paint it, add prizm tape, and make it pretty prior to lake testing.

[Smossy]

Haven't been able to make it to the lake....Probably Friday evening is the soonest. Sealed all the pieces together and am going to prime, paint it, add prizm tape, and make it pretty prior to lake testing.

Shoulda used white pvc. Then you coulda dyed it.

[h20hunter]

That was the plan...for the white...but they didn't have the reduction end for the housing. So, I went with what they had. Thanks for the reminder though....gotta snag a box from work for my "paint booth".

[Smossy]

That was the plan...for the white...but they didn't have the reduction end for the housing. So, I went with what they had. Thanks for the reminder though....gotta snag a box from work for my "paint booth".

Paint is going to flake, Unless you HEAVILY sand down the entire surface of the pipe. Im talking 80 grit style. Thats why a DYE would work better, It penetrates deeper then paint. That way if it gets smacked around on rocks or the ground it wont lose its color.  You should have added a coupling over the pipe in the middle to make it all fit together flush so there's not that dip from end to end. But if it works it works, Not really a big deal.

[h20hunter]

Good point on the coupling. You don't think the primer will stick to it very well? Was going to prime it a few coats then paint over that.

[smdave]

You would not even have to paint it if you are stickering it up. Leave some black spaces it will be good.

[h20hunter]

Yeah....I'm thinking it would be a paint to rough it up for paint. I've got the tape and some stickers....that will be good enough.

[Skillet]

Is that the same BIL that threw an exploding bag of flounder onto my back deck??  I see the camera adds more than 10#'s... 

Looks cool.     

If you wanted to get really fancy, could you put some battery powered infra red LED's on the inside of that lip around the camera to illuminate the lure in low light? 

[h20hunter]

Yes...same bro in law that may or may not have flounder bombed you.

[Smossy]

Is that the same BIL that threw an exploding bag of flounder onto my back deck??  I see the camera adds more than 10#'s... 

Looks cool.     

If you wanted to get really fancy, could you put some battery powered infra red LED's on the inside of that lip around the camera to illuminate the lure in low light? 

No need, you'd be surprised at how much light these pick up. Specialy if you activate spot metering option for low light conditions.

Heres at 60-100 feet of water with overcast.

SALMON STRIKE 2! - Downrigger Footage

[h20hunter]

Smossy....I've watched that one a few time....thats what I'm going for.

[Smossy]

Smossy....I've watched that one a few time....thats what I'm going for.

You'll be fine with the camera's built in capabilities. Just turn on spot metering.
This is a way of making the camera set the exposure based on what is in the middle of the frame not the average brightness of the whole shot.
Should increase picture quality and color deeper down where there is less light.

[h20hunter]

Well, the lake testing yesterday went very well. We waited until about 9 am to drop it down. This time I attached the downrigger clip directly to the top eye of the ball. This allowed the line to be clipped in along the same line of sight as the camera. The first test I clipped it on the cable and fished normally. However, the line tension pulls the clip, line, and lure to far up and out of the line of sight. This worked much better. It was overcast and visibility on the gear was lost at about 30 feet down. I think in the salt clarity will be better and I'll have a greater depth range. The dodger and spinner were about 12 to 15 feet back from the ball. I'm working on the upload now and will post the video in a few.....