20th Anniversary of the Underwater Camera Camera Posts 20th Anniversary of the Underwater Camera – Joel Nelson 09/03/2020 / 09/03/2020 by marcum-tech "Before underwater cameras, I used to think that certain weed-beds held bass, and others had the panfish I was after. Careful study and lots of on-ice viewing showed that most often, the best weeds and weedbeds held both, but few panfish roam edges or openings in the presence of predators. Two-feet can be too far if you're trying to get a bull gill to come from cover and eat. Punch a hole right on top of them, where they don't have to leave the safety of cover, and you can pluck them from where you never thought they existed." Read more » 20th Anniversary of the Underwater Camera Camera Joel Nelson Underwater Camera Underwater Footage Underwater Recording
20th Anniversary of the Underwater Camera Camera Posts 20th Anniversary of the Underwater Camera – Tony Roach & Joel Nelson 11/04/2020 / 11/03/2020 by marcum-tech TONY ROACH AND JOEL NELSON TALK ABOUT THE PAST 20 YEARS AND EVERYTHING THEY HAVE LEARNED A ANGLERS THROUGH THE LENS OF AN UNDERWATER CAMERA. Read more » 20th Anniversary of the Underwater Camera Camera Joel Nelson Tony Roach Underwater Camera Underwater Footage Underwater Recording
Accessories Lithium Power Posts Battery Checking Season & Best Battery Replacement Options 08/22/2022 by marcum-tech The dog days of summer and that’s your green light to grab your MarCum flasher or digital system from the garage and give it a once over and top off the battery. The first step in your pre-season routine should be checking your batteries. Most flasher failures on the ice are caused by a bad battery, so now’s the time to inspect your MarCum’s power source. “You could be kicking yourself later if you don’t take a minute to check everything out now,” says MarCum Pro-Staffer, Joel Nelson. “Nothing will wreck a good day of fishing faster than a bad battery, because there’s nothing you can do about it out on the ice." Read more » Battery Charging Get prepared Joel Nelson Lithium Lithium Battery Test Your Battery
Lithium Power Posts Battery Checking Season & Best Battery Replacement Options 07/28/2024 / 06/24/2024 by marcum-tech The dog days of summer and that’s your green light to grab your MarCum flasher or digital system from the garage and give it a once over and top off the battery. The first step in your pre-season routine should be checking your batteries. Most flasher failures on the ice are caused by a bad battery, so now’s the time to inspect your MarCum’s power source. “You could be kicking yourself later if you don’t take a minute to check everything out now,” says MarCum Pro-Staffer, Joel Nelson. “Nothing will wreck a good day of fishing faster than a bad battery, because there’s nothing you can do about it out on the ice." Read more » Battery Charging Get prepared Joel Nelson Lithium Lithium Battery Test Your Battery
Accessories Lithium Power Posts Battery Checking Season & The Best Flasher Battery Replacement Options 10/13/2021 / 10/20/2021 by marcum-tech The first step in your pre-season routine should be checking your batteries. Most flasher failures on the ice are caused by a bad battery. Leaves are gone from the trees, and that’s your green light to grab your MarCum flasher or digital system from the garage and get ready for the ice-fishing season. The first step in your pre-season routine should be checking your batteries. Most flasher failures on the ice are caused by a bad battery, so now’s the time to inspect your MarCum’s power source. “You could be kicking yourself later if you don’t take a minute to check everything out now,” says ICE FORCE Pro-Staffer, Joel Nelson. “Nothing will wreck a good day of fishing faster than a bad battery, because there’s nothing you can do about it out on the ice.” Read more » Battery Charging Customer Service Get Prepaired Joel Nelson Lithium Battery Test Your Battery
Lithium Power MarCum Posts Best Battery for Ice Fishing in 2021 09/20/2021 / 10/05/2021 by marcum-tech If you know you want to re-power your ice fishing fish finder or underwater fishing camera with Lithium, but you don’t know why, here’s a great article that discusses all the benefits that Lithium has. In general, 12v lithium batteries possess key advantages over SLA batteries, but it’s important to know a bit more about the details of each as your power source may be the most notable piece of ice fishing gear you purchase this season. Read more » Brute Joel Nelson King LiFePO4 Lithium Battery Lithium Shuttle Max Mite
Digital Flasher GPS MarCum Posts Sonar Best Ice Fishing Sonar of 2021 09/27/2021 / 10/05/2021 by marcum-tech Everyone has personal preferences when it comes to their ice fishing sonar. MarCum has you covered whether you like the proven technology of an ice flasher, or the customization and cutting-edge performance of a digital system. It’s important to note the differences and strengths between systems, as each category has come a long way in recent history. Read more » Blake Tollefson Digital Sonar Ice Fishing Flasher Joel Nelson Tony Roach
Camera Posts Best Underwater Fishing Camera for 2021 10/04/2021 / 10/05/2021 by marcum-tech Two decades ago, MarCum released its first underwater video camera with a monitor for fishing, giving eyes below the surface to an entire generation of anglers. Their world has been forever changed because of it, from the way modern ice anglers fish to the equipment they use, underwater viewing has shaped the evolution of the sport. While the systems themselves have also evolved through the years, the one thing that remains consistent over time is the amount of information anglers glean when seeing underwater for the first time. These MarCum underwater cameras can be used for ice fishing, freshwater, and saltwater fishing. Read more » Camera Joel Nelson Lithium Battery Underwater Camera Underwater Footage Underwater Recording
Digital Flasher GPS Lithium Power MarCum Posts Sonar Can I use a MarCum on my Boat? 05/02/2022 / 04/27/2022 by marcum-tech It’s this time of year when our ice sonar is swapped for long rods and soft water, but that doesn’t mean your MarCum should be put in the back corner of the garage. All sonar systems, digital or mechanical styles, offer keys and cues that help anglers be more successful on the water That’s especially true in small crafts like kayaks, canoes, or small skiffs where a larger, permanently mounted traditional LCD display isn’t in play. Here’s just a few ways to trick your craft, whatever it may be, and get the very most from your MarCum. Read more » Fishing Opener Joel Nelson Minnesota Open Water Sonar Universal Open Water Transducer Wisconsin
Posts EARLIEST VS. EARLY ICE FOR PANFISH 11/27/2023 / 11/27/2023 by marcum-tech Earliest vs. Early Ice for Panfish Deer season is nearly behind most of us, and thoughts of ice fishing get the blood flowing. You know the days; just a few inches of clear, black ice with sunfish twirling below and to the sides of the hole as you extract them from hungry schools off the edge […] Read more » Bluegills Crappies Early Ice Joel Nelson MarCum
News Posts Early Ice Essentials 11/16/2020 / 10/05/2021 by marcum-tech “They’re right where we left them,” I blurted while quickly dropping another small sucker to whoever was stealing them below. It was a private thought that worked its way out on last season’s first-ice-foray. I was pretty certain they were walleyes, as I’d fished them in the months leading up to ice. They remained right off of a point on the first shoreline break where we’d had two flags fly before drilling the rest of the holes. We jigged up a few perch and walleyes amongst those tip-ups right at dark, before gingerly creeping back to shore. We were on solid ice, a good 6 inches of it, but you never can be too careful. Even when well-prepared, I’m not the guy creeping on a few mere inches like I once was. Age, kids, and some dodgy experiences will do that to you. Read more » Ice Safety Joel Nelson
Digital GPS MarCum Posts Sonar Fall Mapping for Winter Fishing 10/18/2021 / 11/12/2021 by marcum-tech While the idea of finding your ice-spots in a boat isn’t a novel one, serious ice anglers should make this a priority this season. No doubt, it’s easier to drive around and scan structure for fish now vs. doing it one ice auger hole at a time come November and December. Advances in electronics make it easier now than ever, such that you can map new water and mark spots with GPS/Sonar combos like the MarCum MX-7GPS. Read more » Joel Nelson Mapping Mr. Bluegill SonarChart Live
Camera MarCum News Posts Press Release FULL FEATURED CAMERA, NOW LITHIUM POWERED 10/01/2021 / 10/05/2021 by marcum-tech Press Release - New Hope, MN (10/22/20) – Two decades ago, MarCum released its first underwater viewing system, giving eyes below the surface to an entire generation of anglers. Their world has been forever changed because of it, from the way modern ice anglers’ fish to the equipment they use, underwater viewing has shaped the evolution of the sport. While the systems themselves have also evolved through the years, the one thing that remains consistent over time is the amount of information anglers glean when seeing underwater for the first time. Read more » Joel Nelson Lithium Battery Mission SD L Underwater Camera
Camera MarCum Posts How should I prepare for the Minnesota Fishing Opener? 05/09/2022 / 04/26/2022 by marcum-tech It’s amazing how many anglers have an underwater ice fishing camera for winter use, and forget to pack it in the boat for fishing opener. In fact, open-water applications abound when it comes to everything from species identification, to finding green weeds, or simply identifying water clarity traits from one end of the lake to another. The fact that now your underwater camera for fishing can be so much more mobile is a major benefit to its use, and the fish-finding information you unlock with it is rather limitless. Here’s just a few ways and reasons to get more use from your winter camera, come spring, summer and fall. Read more » Camera Fishing Opener Joel Nelson Minnesota Open Water Underwater Camera
Digital GPS MarCum Posts Sonar How To Fish Pool 4 For Early Spring Walleyes 03/28/2022 / 03/28/2022 by marcum-tech Minnesota’s early May fishing opener is a date most avid walleye anglers have circled on the calendar, but long before May is the pre-opener down on Pool 4 of the Mississippi River. Warm spells in February, all the way through the traditional opening day, offer anglers a great chance at not just knocking the rust off, but catching both numbers and size for walleye and sauger both. As Joel Nelson says, "There’s no better feeling than the slight “tick” of the rod tip or a line-jump as a shallow-water walleye inhales some plastic. " Read more » Joel Nelson Mississippi River Pool 4 Sonar Walleye
Posts How to Target Largemouth Bass in June 06/27/2022 / 06/23/2022 by marcum-tech Why is it that some of the most pleasing fishing you can do is also some of the simplest? I’m not stepping on bass-anglers with that comment either, but chuckin’ baits up near shore and dragging them back right now will get you bit on most of the weed-choked shallow systems that I fish this time of year. The fishing is that good. As a kid, I grew up bass fishing. For a southern MN boy, they were the most attainable of the “big” fish. Walleyes lived up-north, you needed a float-plane to fish for pike, and sunfish were for “kids.” From age 10 up and through my teenage years while I most often fished for those largemouths, I was far from a kid. Catching bass back then, esp. big ones, made your chest puff out a bit. Read more » Joel Nelson Largemouth
Camera MarCum Posts How to Target Late Ice Walleyes 02/20/2023 / 03/14/2022 by marcum-tech We’re nearing the end of walleye season in MN, and things have gotten a bit tougher. Snow is deep and ice is thick(er), and the amount of available light at depth has been cut dramatically. Your early season haunts are likely nowhere near where you are ice fishing now, and at this point, it’s more about just getting bites rather than talking about how many you’re catching. Read more » Joel Nelson Underwater Camera Walleye
MarCum Posts Jig Fishing 101 07/25/2022 / 08/24/2022 by marcum-tech Who doesn’t have boxes of jigs laying around? No matter the species, it could be the most universal, widely copied, and versatile lure of all time. If we’re talking live bait, it’s the best delivery method for meat that I know of. If plastics, well there’s usually a jig involved here too. Starting with a standard jig-head, you have to think about what you’d like to do with it. If you’re threading on a fathead minnow, a will be the logical choice. The same can’t be said if you’re looking to fish plastics, as plastics fish best with an aggressive wire keeper. As for other features and color, think about the water clarity you’ll be fishing in. Anything with a blade or propeller adds flash and vibration, which may be a necessary part of the presentation. Big minnows call for a , and suspended fish call for a that rises above a weight on the bottom. So many jigs, so many scenarios, but you need to match the style of jig to the type of fishing you’ll be doing. Read more » Jig Joel Nelson MarCum
MarCum Posts Late Ice Panfish Tips and Tricks 02/28/2022 / 01/25/2022 by marcum-tech With gamefish seasons closed at least in my home state, end of ice forays are all about panfish. Whether crappies or bluegill, there’s usually something going by the time March’s sun angle and warmer temps are beating back shoreline ice or at the very least, keeping snow cover down and allowing easy on-lake travel. However, late ice is a fickle period with weather being the primary driver of conditions and the resulting bite. While it’s probably no surprise by now that the later on hardwater we get, the better the fishing and shallower they may be, here’s a few location tips I’ve learned while chasing late ice panfish. Read more » Bluegills Crappies Gills Joel Nelson Panfish
Flasher Posts Sonar MarCum M1 – Best Bang for Your Buck 12/13/2021 / 12/14/2021 by marcum-tech Midwest angler Joel Nelson knows a thing or two about ice sonar. As MarCum’s longest tenured pro-staff member and media personality, he’s been running a MarCum since the brand’s inception. Though he could run any fish finder on the planet, he’s an avid fan of the M1. “It’s really a sonar that takes me back to some of the original MarCum units that just flat caught fish,” says Nelson. “You get exactly what you need in an ice locator, ready to fish out of the box.” Nelson logs thousands of miles across the ice belt each season, fishing and filming for a host of TV and video segments, all while toting an M1. “I appreciate so many of the MarCum units in the lineup, but I’ll always have an M1,” says Nelson. Read more » Ice Fishing Flasher Joel Nelson Sonar
Flasher MarCum Posts Marking More Fish on Your Hardwater Finder 01/10/2022 / 12/13/2021 by marcum-tech From the day you get your first flasher, the ice-fishing universe is forever changed. Ice anglers go from simply guessing at bites and what may or may not have been a fish, to tracking them throughout the water column. Not only can you use it to find fish and track how they respond to your bait, but you can also use it to find active fish before a line is even wetted. At one time, it was considered somewhat odd; almost a novelty. Now, ice-fishing electronics are a multi-million dollar category, and the thought of fishing without one seems pointless. Read more » Ice Fishing Flasher Joel Nelson Sonar
Digital Flasher MarCum Posts MECHANICAL FLASHER VS. DIGITAL SONAR, WHICH IS RIGHT FOR ME? 09/13/2021 / 09/14/2021 by marcum-tech “There’s just no other family of systems on the market that serve the bulk of the ice-fishing public like MarCum,” says ice pro Joel Nelson. “Whether you’re a shallow, weedy-water bluegill angler from the south of the ice belt, or you fish deep Canadian Shield lakes for walleye and lake trout, there’s a perfect MarCum for you.” Read more » Digital Sonar Ice Fishing Flasher Joel Nelson
Digital GPS Posts Open Water Mapping with the MX-7GPS 07/04/2022 / 06/28/2022 by marcum-tech Open Water Mapping with the MX-7GPS Fish long enough, and you’ll find spots that border on magic. Sometimes they’re seasonally great, for only a certain species, or during a specific wind, but when it comes together, they account for some of our best memories on the water. Typically these locations on a given lake represent […] Read more » Joel Nelson Maping MX7GPS
MarCum Posts Sonar Pre and Post Spawn Panfish Patterns 05/30/2022 / 05/27/2022 by marcum-tech If you’re a crappie angler, one of the best bites of the year has come and gone with the early spring crappie bite. For bluegill fans, the best is yet to come, as we move from a shallow water period for one species into another. There’s no doubt that the spawning season for crappies and bluegills offer some great opportunities for skinny water panfishing, and even sight fishing, which makes fishing feel like it did when you were a kid. Bobbers and small jigs are plopped into any good looking developing weeds or brushy areas, only to drop with an aggression not seen since the previous year’s fishing It’s hard not to be excited about it. Read more » Bluegills Crappies Joel Nelson Open Water Panfish Sonar
Camera Digital Flasher Posts Sonar Plus Camera – Ice’s Dealiest 1 – 2 Punch 10/19/2020 / 10/19/2020 by marcum-tech It could be the most common question found on internet forums, Facebook groups, and among the freshman class of ice’s newest anglers – “Sonar or camera?” Sounds like a simple question. Multiple choice even. The answer has always been straight-forward too, with most experienced anglers leaning towards a sonar first, then purchasing a camera to eventually fill in the knowledge gaps as needed depending upon their species of interest. Read more » Camera Joel Nelson Sonar
Digital Flasher MarCum Posts Sonar The Beginner’s Guide to using an Ice Fishing Sonar 11/30/2022 / 12/01/2021 by marcum-tech Every year, a new set of anglers both young and old learn to use ice fishing sonar or flashers for the first time. That said, I encounter many anglers on the hardwater each year that still have their ice sonar depth finder on default factory settings from when they bought the unit 10 years ago. Whether you’re brand new to the game, or it’s old-hat, here are some answers to age old questions along with new ones to keep it interesting and catch more fish. Read more » Ice Fishing Flasher Joel Nelson Sonar
Camera Lithium Power Posts Press Release THE BEST CAMERAS ON ICE JUST GOT BETTER, LIGHTER 11/29/2021 / 11/24/2021 by marcum-tech New Hope, MN (10/25/2021) - Marcum Technologies, the undisputed leader in underwater viewing, takes an on-ice staple and improves it with lighter, longer-lasting lithium batteries. A new generation of anglers takes for granted what cameras have brought to the sport. Inline reels and the effect of lure-spin was revealed through watching fish swim away on an underwater camera. Winter panfish location and the connection to green standing aquatic plants, along with countless other observations; all brought to you by underwater viewing, now made better with a little help from an advanced fuel source. Read more » Joel Nelson Lithium Battery Underwater Camera
Camera Digital Flasher MarCum Posts Press Release THE BEST SONAR AND CAMERAS, NOW LIGHTER AND LONGER RUNNING 10/01/2021 / 10/28/2021 by marcum-tech Press Release - New Hope, MN (9/29/21) - Marcum Technologies, the undisputed leader in ice-fishing-specific sonar and cameras, takes tech to the next level. Their long-held principle is that features are useless unless they help an angler catch fish, and that can be seen throughout decades of innovation. Patented technology like moveable zoom that led to angler’s ability to target fish anywhere in the water column was the first ping heard round the world among the ice sonar community. They followed it up with additional advancements to help distinguish echoes from noise in an interference rejection system so advanced, it’s also patented. Read more » Ice Fishing Flasher Joel Nelson Lithium Battery Press Release Sonar Underwater Camera
Camera MarCum Posts The Best Underwater Fishing Camera for Open Water – 2022 04/18/2022 / 03/28/2022 by marcum-tech Underwater cameras are undoubtedly one of the greatest technological advancements in the sport of fishing these past few decades. Anglers in recent generations have come to depend on cameras to do far more than help them watch fish eat, but to observe their surroundings, study fish behavior and movements, even learn how fish certain baits better. Not only then has it been a technology that’s useful in its own right, but the simple fact is that underwater viewing has helped push forward the sport of fishing in general. From evolutions in tackle design, reels, and line, to changes in the way we fundamentally fish, looking at the underwater world through a camera is here to stay. Read more » Boating Camera Joel Nelson Open Water
Posts The Easiest Way to Get Bit During the Dog-Days 08/01/2022 / 08/24/2022 by marcum-tech There’s a lot of ways to catch fish during the lazy summer months, but it’s worth remembering that fish are pretty fat and happy right now. Weedlines are well defined, bait is plentiful in most lakes, and warm water temps mean fish are at peak metabolism. While they need to eat often, it’s not hard to find a great place to get dinner. The menu options are varied as well, so it tends to take most fishing patterns and nullify the amplitude of their effectiveness. Read more » Joel Nelson MarCum
Lithium Power MarCum Posts THE LITHIUM ADVANTAGE FOR ICE FISHING 09/20/2021 / 09/13/2021 by marcum-tech If new to the sport or have taken a few years off, one glaring change from mere seasons ago is how Lithium fuel sources have taken the ice by storm. For good reason too, though there is a slightly higher cost of entry, the benefits of Lithium battery technology are many. For most anglers, the weight savings alone are enough to switch out their old Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) batteries, with new Lithium versions weighing less than half of their predecessors. You’ve also got longer run-times, even from batteries with similar amperage output that are not Lithium. That means you can fish for durations numbering days, not hours, with anglers often only re-charging their batteries after a long weekend of use. Read more » Joel Nelson LiFePO4 Lithium Battery Lithium-Ion Sealed Lead Acid SLA
Accessories Lithium Power MarCum Posts The Switch to Lithium 10/25/2021 / 10/08/2021 by marcum-tech Though there is a slightly higher cost of entry to MarCum for putting these batteries in as standard options, the benefits of Lithium battery technology are many. For most anglers, the weight savings alone are enough to switch out their old Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) batteries, with new Lithium versions weighing less than half of their predecessors. You’ve also got longer run-times, even from batteries with similar amperage output that are not Lithium. That means you can fish for durations numbering days, not hours, with anglers often only re-charging their batteries after a long weekend of use. Read more » Brute Joel Nelson Lithium Battery Lithium Shuttle
GPS Posts Use Cameras and GPS to find ice spots now 09/19/2022 / 09/08/2022 by marcum-tech Many times, these locations are consistent producers during all months, yet others are specifically good for ice and not during the bulk of the open-water period. The latter types include shallow transitions from mud to sand, or sand to rock, as well as small gravel or rock patches marooned again in shallow weeds or non-like surrounding substrates. Early ice fish push to these places, especially after sundown in clear-water systems. Spots that are no larger than a kitchen table can seem impossible to drill out and find, while they stick out like a sore thumb once you drop the camera needed to discern sand grains from gravel. Basic sonar technology is a great asset to ice anglers during the summer and fall months, as few things hide from it, even in heavy weed cover or timber. Even if you don’t own this technology, chances are you know someone who does, or better yet, invest in a unit that does both sonar and GPS so your ice spots will transfer to summer and vice versa. Spend time getting to know the system in either case, and make sure to idle at the proper pace to provide the very best image you can. Read more » GPS Joel Nelson Underwater Camera
MarCum Posts Sonar Walleye Warm Water Temperature Transitions 06/06/2022 / 05/27/2022 by marcum-tech Water temperatures that build into the high 60 and 70 degree marks will definitely get fish moving, and that usually coincides with a few hatches. Bugs crawling out of the deep mud get rafted against the main-lake structure, and signify some of the initial pushes to offshore humps, bars, and reefs. It’s often when casual walleye anglers, or those who see early mixed bags of walleyes with crappies and gills, stop catching them. Anglers don’t always follow, sometimes because they’re not required to. This is a dynamic time of year as the summer food chain ramps up production. That means anglers don’t always have to look deep to find fish, and several patterns can be going at the same time. Read more » Joel Nelson Open Water Sonar Walleye
