Review: Fish Eyes, Video-Enhanced Fishing Pole

Written on Sep 20, 2011 by RuthJS and filed under Reviews

The FishEyes rod and reel with integrated video camera is a lot of fun for kids over eight and even adults. Our testers enjoyed playing with the camera, and we were impressed with the clarity of the picture on the screen, even under water.

Overview

Retailing at about $80, Fish Eyes is an all-in-one rod, reel, and fish finder that is easy to operate for both children and adults. The rod assembly comes with two sinkers, two bait baskets, and ten attaching clips.

Once free of the packaging, there is some assembly required for the rod, including attaching fishing line (not included) to the attaching clips, the bait basket, and the sinkers. There are detailed instructions explaining how to tie fisherman’s knots and slip knots to help with tackle setup.

One handy design feature is the ability to swap out tackle quickly. Line is attached to clips that connect to the camera housing.

If fish aren’t biting on red wigglers, simply snap off the clips and refasten a different lure without having to tie line and hooks while you are on the water.

Fish Eyes also requires four AA batteries which are not included. Once the batteries are in, the camera is ready. Users can look at whatever the Fish Eyes video camera sees using the full color LCD viewing screen. The sun shield allows you to see the picture even on bright days.

So, what did our testers think?

Out of the Box and Into the Water

As with any underwater camera, the quality of the image is impacted by clarity of the water. So, if all you have is a muddy pond, you will be disappointed. However, if you have access to a pier over reasonably clear water, the results can be very rewarding.

Initially, our testers wanted to cast the Fish Eyes line as you would with a standard rod, throwing it out over the water. However, the camera is not designed to float. After some experimentation, we had the most success on a pier over deeper water.

Unfortunately, we don’t have pictures of that expedition, but I do have something close . . . sortof. At least it shows a good idea of the picture clarity.

One thing we should note is that, while the camera itself is water safe, the reel and screen portion are not. I would not recommend taking the Fish Eyes to a very wet environment, but it is nicely suited for dockside exploration.

Another note is the weight of the pole. Considering the advanced electronics involved, the unit is surprisingly light. However, once the batteries are in, the pole can be difficult for young children to hold for a long time. That said, our eight-year-old testers tired of fishing before their arms gave out.

We didn’t actually catch any fish on the Fish Eyes pole, because the testers were too interested in fish spotting, and didn’t take the time to put bait on the basket. Still, the green light did a nice job of attracting fish to the camera, a la an angler fish.

In a Nutshell

All in all, we really enjoyed Fish Eyes. The camera was fun for kids and adults, and we found some other fun ways to use it once our fishing day was done (spying on Mom through the stair railing, for example). It seemed quite durable, showing limited signs of ware and tear in spite of the fact that our testers were not particularly gentle with it.

Pros

• Full color LCD screen provides a sharp picture in clear water
• Sun shade makes it easy to see the picture, even on bright days
• Attachment clips make it very easy to swap out tackle on either the bait basket or the camera unit itself
• Green LED attracts fish to the camera and the bait basket

Cons

• Pole is short limiting the reach of the camera
• LCD is not waterproof, so you need to be careful in wet environments
• The crank is noisy and can startle fish and people

We give Fish Eyes

4 out of 5 stars

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