Meet GoFish: The Wireless Underwater Camera That Will Change the Way You Fish

Most men don't like to admit something like this, but I'm just going to go ahead and do it anyway—I'm horrible at fishing.

I know, you're probably thinking: "How can one really be THAT bad?" Well let me tell you firsthand, fishing is a science. You're not just throwing a line and praying for the best.

For starters, there's plenty of reconnaissance work that goes into it. Not every part of every body of water is just swimming with fish. So basically, you have to do your homework. There are also other common issues like proper casting techniques and, of course, ultimately reeling in the fish after it "took the bait," so to speak.

For my birthday this year, my father, clearly fed up with my incompetence during our father/son fishing trips, decided to get me something that would make me feel like a little less of a, for lack of better words, complete failure. He bought me GoFish—an underwater fishing camera that instantly elevated my "fishing abilities," but more than anything else, made it a much more enjoyable past time altogether.

No, the GoFish isn't some new dating app (although I probably need one of those too), it's a wireless underwater fishing camera with an array of awesome features that can help even the most disinterested fishers (much like my former self) actually get into fishing. I'm also kind of a tech-geek, so not to sound a little pretentious, but I wasn't very fond of the rudimentary style of fishing I had been accustomed to.

What's really great about the GoFish underwater cam is that you can use it in both fresh water and salt water, making it ideal under pretty much any circumstance. I personally like to fish in the Hudson River (since I'm right there), so it's perfect for me, as the river is a rare blend of saltwater, fresh, and ever-present garbage.

How It Works

Now I've been hyping this thing up, but let's actually get into how it works, shall we?

Basically, you just attach the GoFish camera to your fishing rod, and it syncs to the (free to download) GoFish app. The mobile app helps you control the camera while it's at the bottom of the sea. So obviously, you're going to need a smart phone if you want to use the GoFish, but that shouldn't be an issue for many people these days (if any).

In terms of picture, you can't get much better than the GoFish. It provides full HD video (1080P) at 60Fps and 30Fps, as well as 720P at 60Fps.

The camera itself is only one and half centimeters long and weighs around 95 grams, so it's small enough to fit easily on your line. The design of the camera looks cool, but it's actually more for function than form, as it's optimized for top-notch stability.

One of the best parts about the GoFish and its app is how Millennial-friendly it really is. Most people want to share their stuff on social media, so they can garner some type of user engagement. The GoFish makes it easy to review and share video content on social media, so you can brag to all your friends (and haters) about your fishing haul. If you want to simply gain some insight for future fishing trips though, that's totally fine too.

The GoFish has some features that make it a little more versatile than your typical underwater camera. It has night vision, so you can go fishing at the crack of dawn (or even earlier) all the way till the evening. I don't typically go out fishing for too long, but since it's Daylight Savings it gets dark early, so the night vision feature is definitely a life-saver.

Another great feature is the preset weight system that makes the GoFish optimal for trolling huge trophy fish. I'm not much of a "Big Game" fisher so to speak, but for those who are looking to catch giant sharks or whatever it is big-time fishermen look for, this is easily adaptable. According to the product's website, the camera has a 1,000 pound tension rating.

Perhaps the coolest feature though is the camera's float fishing capabilities. If you want to live stream your fishing excursion, it comes with a GoFish Cam Float Accessory that will turn the camera into a bobber and record a top-down view of your underwater action. Unfortunately, you can't live stream under water, but there's really not much need to thanks to the crystal clear above-water picture.

If you're more of a bottom fisher, that's fine too—you can put the camera on your rig setup and sink it for the opposite effect. Again, you can't livestream this way, but you can still get some pretty cool traditional footage.

When I say cons, really, I only mean just one: It is a tad expensive.

Right now on Amazon, it's going for around $250, which isn't all too bad. There are some underwater cameras that are a bit cheaper, so I was a little skeptical about the price—at first.

I realized, however, this camera was definitely of a higher quality than some of the other traditional underwater cameras you might find, so at the end of the day, a $250 price tag really isn't that bad. As I said earlier, I received mine as a gift from my father (because he's so desperate for a competent fishing buddy), so it really didn't affect my pockets. Now that I've used it on a consistent basis though, I'm confident in saying I would shell out the extra money for the GoFish.

My Recommendation

The short answer: definitely.

While some people like the mystery surrounding their fishing excursions, I'm not one of those people. I like to see what's going on underwater. Especially when the picture is this good.

If you're tech-savvy enough, and into the whole social-media aspect of the camera, I'd definitely recommend. Even if you're a little old fashioned and just looking for a reliable underwater camera that you can use at night, you really can't go wrong with the GoFish.