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Build Your Own GoPro Mounting System

PVC makes it affordable and flexible...
doug gopro

doug gopro

I love my GoPro Hero2, no doubt about it. While these tiny cameras are great for video, they also take excellent, moderately high-resolution stills.

Either way, once I started using the GoPro, I realized that to do what I wanted to do presented a couple challenges.

When I’m fishing from a skiff or center console, whether offshore or in the backcountry, I often wish it were possible to hop into another boat and get some boat-to-boat shots.

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With the GoPro, you can do that even when you’re the only boat around. All you need is to extend the camera out a few feet beyond the boat. That’s a bit of a reach for most arms, so I often ended up trying to find a gaff or tag stick to use – but sometimes these were needed for the purpose intended. And often the diameter at the business end wasn’t right to attach the camera securely.

The other challenge was when fishing on my own, from my kayak. If fishing with a buddy, no problem: “Yo, Bill – get a shot of me with this fish before I release it, will you?” But seldom is there a Bill, Bob, Mike or anyone else around. But I knew if I could get the GoPro to shoot from various angles around me, I’d have my own Bill, Bob and Mike right there with me to take photos anytime I needed.

So after playing with pipes for a while, I now know that for just 10 to 20 bucks, an angler can make a very flexible GoPro mounting system for use on various boats. Mine has been serving me well indeed, so I thought I’d share the idea.

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It ain’t rocket science, requiring nothing more than some half-inch PVC pipe, various fittings, a can of PVC cement and a hacksaw (wood saws will work fine, too, but hacksaws’ finer blades make a less-ragged cut).
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Click here to see the step-by-step photo tutorial that shows both how easy my PVC-pole system is to put together and what I’ve been doing with it.**

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