Waterproof Drone for Fishing

[Koz]

If you're a bank fisherman like me there are times that I bet you wish you could cast out to deeper water or an inaccessible area. Well, now you can. Get yourself a great big reel with a ton of line on it and try out the Splash Drone 3+. It's a waterproof drone with a servo attachment that allows you to carry payload - like a lure - and drop it wherever you want. That's right - this drone is waterproof. You can even set it in the water and use the drone's camera and the live view on your controller to see what is under the water (provided the water is clear and there are no gators trying to eat the drone). Be sure to spool your reel with braid for more solid hooksets and no stretch when you drop that lure 300 feet out.

 

But seriously, this is a pretty cool idea although for $2k for what you need you may just want to buy a kayak instead.

 

 

 

[geo g]

You got to be kidding!

 

[BIGfryFish]

Fishing license [x]

Fishing Gear [x]

Drone [x]

Drivers License [x]

Pilots License [ ]

FAA Flight Path Clearance [ ]

 

No not worth the effort or headache.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scaleface]

Thats a heck of a bluegill . I would use one of those things below a couple of dams I know .

[Koz]

8 hours ago, BIGfryFish said:

Fishing license [x]

Fishing Gear [x]

Drone [x]

Drivers License [x]

Pilots License [ ]

FAA Flight Path Clearance [ ]

 

No not worth the effort or headache.

 

It does cost about $150 to get certified to fly now. It did need to be done because there were way too many idiots out there doing stupid things with their drones. You'll also find that many towns now ban the use of drones in public areas.

 

I did some commercial drone flying a few years ago taking pictures and video, but it ended up being too much of a hassle and we dropped those services.

 

Still, I know one small lake where I fish where the big bass tend to hang in deeper water feasting on the shad out there and it's too far to cast. Maybe a long range RC boat with a servo would do the trick.

[TnRiver46]

Between this and the bass forecast app I'm thinking of taking up a new career in selling @Koz the latest greatest thing in fishing once a week........ (Insert poking with a stick emoji)

[Koz]

16 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Between this and the bass forecast app I'm thinking of taking up a new career in selling @Koz the latest greatest thing in fishing once a week........ (Insert poking with a stick emoji)

??

 

In reality I'm too cheap to spend money like that. Once the free period of the app is over I'm done with it. Besides, none of it's good days or bad days have panned out for me.

 

I spend my money on foolish things like food, shelter, retirement savings, and my son's desire to further his baseball career.

[TnRiver46]

16 minutes ago, Koz said:

??

 

In reality I'm too cheap to spend money like that. Once the free period of the app is over I'm done with it. Besides, none of it's good days or bad days have panned out for me.

 

I spend my money on foolish things like food, shelter, retirement savings, and my son's desire to further his baseball career.

There's a guy with an underwater drone that used to upload his footage on YouTube. Most of it was from chickamauga lake 

[Ratherbfishing]

5 hours ago, scaleface said:

Thats a heck of a bluegill . I would use one of those things below a couple of dams I know .

Yeah, and this guys hands are HUGE, too.

[MAN]

Saw quite a bit of new underwater drones at ICAST and Outdoor Rec show. Their coming to the market. Right now they all have to be tethered because the signal won't transmit through water.....so they are racing to see who can overcome that.  

[slonezp]

If the fish are way out there, why do most bass boat fishermen cast towards the shore?

[WRB]

Off shore tuna fisherman use kits and helium balloons to take out live mackerel over 100 yards keeping the bait jumping on the surface. A drone will be ideal as you could fly them up wind or side wind in lieu of only down wind.

Tom

[slonezp]

15 minutes ago, WRB said:

Off shore tuna fisherman use kits and helium balloons to take out live mackerel over 100 yards keeping the bait jumping on the surface. A drone will be ideal as you could fly them up wind or side wind in lieu of only down wind.

Tom

Fishing for tuna is not fishing for freshwater fish. Without knowing the depth/contours/structure/cover of where that bait is being dropped, you might as well be fishing blind. As a child, I always thought having a remote controlled boat to run the line out would be awesome. In reality, having a remote controlled boat to drag a bait around would be a better deal...until it gets hung up.

[MickD]

I've considered drones, but I would use them to fly over hundreds of acres of a bonefish flat so I don't have to walk it to find there are no bonefish there.

[WRB]

Being shore bound and not able move or to cast to surface feeding fish further away then you can cast isn't any different then having tuna surface feeding further away then you reach.

I can see the water proof drone becoming a useful tool when the price comes down where average anglers can afford them. 

I will garantee the salt water big game anglers will be using them at the current price point. This issue will be how many drones can fly at the same time!

Tom

[schplurg]

Hell no.

 

I am firmly against seeing or hearing a drone when I'm fishing, mainly because they are loud. Please keep them away from me and the fish I am trying to catch. I already have to deal with boats screaming by.

 

You guys really want to see and hear a bunch of drones buzzing around your nice quiet fishing hole, or even a not so quiet one?

[Koz]

23 minutes ago, schplurg said:

Hell no.

 

I am firmly against seeing or hearing a drone when I'm fishing, mainly because they are loud. Please keep them away from me and the fish I am trying to catch. I already have to deal with boats screaming by.

 

You guys really want to see and hear a bunch of drones buzzing around your nice quiet fishing hole, or even a not so quiet one?

I understand that some people have reservations about drones, especially because there are a bunch of people who fly them irresponsibly.  But they are a great tool for aerial video and photography. The photo below (reduced in size and quality) is one I took that is actually comprised of 12 aerial shots that I stitched together.

 

I will say that I've had some white knuckle flights as well. Flying $3,000 worth of equipment over the ocean or salt marshes and having a battery or equipment failure. Using a drone like the one above that is waterproof greatly lessens that anxiety.

 

In the situations you describe, drones aren't the issue - it's the drone operators. And as for the noise, with the ones I have used you really don't hear them until they are right on top of you.

 

 

[WRB]

There always will be folks who want to live like pilgrims in Jamestown or colonist in Williamsburg and that is their choice. 

I grew up using a slide rule and #2 pencil managing to evolve using cad/solid models as a aerospace engineer, from Mercury capsule to the Space Station. Not all technology advances our life experiences, most do. Here I sit posting this on a IPad .

Drones will find a niche in fishing regardless of how you feel about them now.

Tom

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

On 5/14/2019 at 10:51 AM, Koz said:

It does cost about $150 to get certified to fly now. It did need to be done because there were way too many idiots out there doing stupid things with their drones. You'll also find that many towns now ban the use of drones in public areas.

 

I did some commercial drone flying a few years ago taking pictures and video, but it ended up being too much of a hassle and we dropped those services.

 

Still, I know one small lake where I fish where the big bass tend to hang in deeper water feasting on the shad out there and it's too far to cast. Maybe a long range RC boat with a servo would do the trick.

Dont need to be certified to fly a drone recreationally.

[schplurg]

21 hours ago, Koz said:

I understand that some people have reservations about drones, especially because there are a bunch of people who fly them irresponsibly.  But they are a great tool for aerial video and photography. The photo below (reduced in size and quality) is one I took that is actually comprised of 12 aerial shots that I stitched together.

 

I will say that I've had some white knuckle flights as well. Flying $3,000 worth of equipment over the ocean or salt marshes and having a battery or equipment failure. Using a drone like the one above that is waterproof greatly lessens that anxiety.

 

In the situations you describe, drones aren't the issue - it's the drone operators. And as for the noise, with the ones I have used you really don't hear them until they are right on top of you.

 

 

 

I don't mind seeing one here and there, and for photography most seem to fly pretty high. But for people to use them to deliver baits beyond casting distance (is that legal in Cali?) and for actual fishing, that could be really annoying.

 

Tom, I don't see drones adding to my fishing experience in any way. To each his own but to me that isn't fishing. And I do have running water and electricity.

 

I'm surprised I'm the only negative commenter here so far regarding drones. Once I install my robotic casting arm to my boat and hook it all up to "Fishidy" and my GPS and trolling motor, I won't have to actually fish at all. I'll take a nap and wake up with a full live well! 

 

Anyways, the drone thing doesn't really seem to be booming in general so hopefully it won't be an issue. My neighbor flew his over the street a few times and I haven't seen or heard it since. Most bank anglers I see are as poor as me anyways

[WRB]

The Delta or river as it's called is a special place. I imagine any drones flying around the river would be considered targets.

Tom

[Boomstick]

On 5/15/2019 at 5:17 PM, slonezp said:

If the fish are way out there, why do most bass boat fishermen cast towards the shore?

Well in my case, the shoreline I want to be fishing right now on many of my lakes is all residential properties so without a boat I'm out of luck.

[schplurg]

On 5/16/2019 at 6:37 PM, WRB said:

The Delta or river as it's called is a special place. I imagine any drones flying around the river would be considered targets.

Tom

 

Especially near Stockton.  I've read some horror stories, even a boat that was shot at from shore.

 

As for casting near shore, not all people are fishing for bass. On the river it's stripers, though they can hang out near shore too. I'm pretty sure in Cali that you must use your rod to get your hook in the water. I thought I read that a few weeks ago when going over the local regs.

 

I just moved back to the San Jose area, the fishing here (not to mention the regulations) sucks. There are some fish around thankfully, but I earn 'em.

 

This county simply closes most of the lakes to watercraft to deal with the mussel problem. All the taxes we pay here and we can't even launch an inner-tube. The lakes that do allow it charge an inspection, parking, and launch fee even for inner-tubes!

 

Yes - you must pay to "launch" an inner-tube. Cheaper than a boat at least.

 

I'm fine with the inspections but not the closures. Santa Clara county is not fishing-friendly. I won't be living here long though.

[WRB]

Anglers use kites and helium balloons to luanch live bait in California coastal waters. With a second rod stamp 2 rods are allowed in the the same time and some shore anglers use a surf rod with heavy weight to cast a long distance, attach a quick release clip and slide live bait down the surf rod line and when a strike occurs the fight the fish with lighter tackle. Drone would eliminate the need for 2 rods, just fly the live bait to the fish and drop it. I can fore see this happening in fresh water where ever it's allowed.

My boat is locked on Casitas becuase of quagga mussels.

It's a pain to live here in California until you need world class medical care and the best climate anywhere.

Tom