If you are new to drone fishing you are probably wondering how to attach your fishing line to your drone. Well, I did some research and found some great methods to do exactly this!
There are a few very simple methods you can use to attach a fishing line to a drone. You can either buy an attachment or make one using everyday household items, here are the 4 best ways:
| Fishing line release system: | Cost: | Website: | |
| 1. | Gannet Bait Release System | $50 | [BUY NOW] |
| 2. | SkyClip Bait Release System | $100 | [BUY NOW] |
| 3. | Coat Hanger Bait Release | DIY free option | [VIEW DIY VIDEO] |
| 4. | Downrigger Release Clip | DIY free option | [VIEW DIY VIDEO] |
If you want to learn more about these methods and how to rig your drone like an absolute pro, then keep reading!
01. Gannet Bait Release Method
The Gannet company is basically the home of drone fishing, as they make waterproof drones that are built with rigs to release bait from the drone. They also make bait release mechanisms for many other drones.
Their most popular drone release systems are the release systems they make to attach to the DJI Phantom series of drones and the DJI Mavic series of drones. They are some of the most reliable and consistent drone fishing bait releases you can buy!
Gannet made sure to pay special attention to these drones. For example, the drones have sensors along the bottom which allows for obstacle avoidance and self-landing, which is super helpful for anyone using their drone to get a catch.
Gannet made their drone bait release system that attaches to the drone in such a way that doesn’t interfere with any of these sensors, yet is still effective!
Gannet bait system available for these drones:
- Mavic series
- Inspire series
- Spark
- Swellpro
- Autel
How to attach the Gannet Bait System:
The Gannet bait release system is really easy to attach to any drone. They are built specifically to be attached to a drone without disturbing the propellers or any of the sensors or cameras. Because there are a wide variety of drones and rigs made to be attached differently on each drone, I won’t be able to cover all of them in this article, however, I’ll mention how to do it on the Phantom so that you can get an idea.
DJI Phantom Attachment Steps:
- Remove propellers from the Phantom drone(Phantom 3 or 4).
- Flip drone over so the landing gear is facing the ceiling or sky.
- Slide attachment in between the landing gear.
- Make sure the attachment is placed directly in the middle in order to avoid the sensors.
- Clip-in the attachment by clipping the ends onto the drone’s landing gear.
- Flip drone over and reattach the propellers and you are ready to go!
- Attach the fishing line to the Gannet and take off.
How much will it cost:
The prices have various ranges but for new drone anglers, I recommend the Gannet Sport drone fishing bait release that costs around $50.
They also have a generic drone bait release system that is able to be attached to most drones.
02. SkyClip Bait Release
Using the SkyClip Mechanical release device to haul your fishing line is one of the simplest methods you can use in order to attach your fishing line to the drone you are flying.
SkyClip mechanical release excels over other tension systems by being designed to be repeatable every time it releases with minimal variance. The SkyClip is a high-tech engineered precision mechanism with reliable and consistent results.
The tension is set to the limit of the specific drone models carrying capacity at the factory and will release instantly if the tension exceeds the setting of the mechanism.
SkyClip available for these drones:
- SJRC S70W
- Phantom Series
- Swellpro
- Mavic series
- Hubsan X4Pro
How to attach the SkyClip Bait System:
How to attach the SkyClip on to a Phantom 3 or Phantom 4:
- Remove the propellers from the drone and flip it over so the landing gear is facing the ceiling or sky.
- Take the SkyClip attachment and clip it to the landing gear of the drone.
- When that is done you need to secure the attachment by putting two zip ties on both sides to secure the attachment to the landing gear.
- Cut the access off from the zip ties.
- Turn the drone over and reattach the propellers and you are ready to go!
- Attach the line to the SkyClip and take off.
How much will it cost:
At around $100, the SkyClip can be pretty expensive, however it’s definitely worth the cost if you’re looking for a bait release system that works and that is reliable.
03. Downrigger Release Clip
This method is very simple and hardly needs anything other than stuff you probably will have in your fishing gear already.
This method has only been tried and tested on a DJI Phantom drone, so if you have a DJI Phantom or are thinking of getting one to use for fishing then you might want to try this method out.
What you will need:
- Clip
- Downrigger release clip
- Rope
- Another rope or string
How to attach downrigger system to a drone?
- Take off propellers and turn drone upside down so the landing gear is facing the ceiling or the sky.
- When the drone is upside down you will need to tie one of your ropes or the string to either side of the drone’s landing gear so it is going across the drone like a bridge.
- Next you will need to tie one side of the other rope to the clip.
- When you have done that you can tie the other side of that rope to the downrigger release clip.
- You can then flip the drone around and attach the propellers.
- Attach the clip to the rope or string that is on the drone and you are good to go!
- When ready to fish just connect the clip to the fishing like and fly away.
04. Coat Hanger Bait Release
This may seem like a funny concept, but if you are looking for a way to drone fish and still keep the cost to a minimum, then this is a method you should take a look at!
This method involves taking a coat hanger that you should have in your closet and attaching it to the drone in order to carry your line to release your bait.
Tips before getting started.
- Do not use a coat hanger that flexes too much, rather try to find a coat hanger that is a bit stiffer.
- When attaching the coat hanger to the drone, make sure not to cover any of the sensors or the cameras underneath the drone.
What you will need:
- Zip ties
- Coat hanger
- Wire cutters
How to create a coat hanger bait release system:
- Cut the looping part (hook) of the coat hanger. Make sure to cut a decent length.
- Open up the arms of your drone.
- Flip the drone over.
- Place the coat hanger hook in the center of the drone but also slightly to the right so you are not covering the sensors.
- When you have placed the hook and you know which section of the drone you will be tying it to, remove the plastic covering the straight part of the coat hanger.
- Place the coat hanger on the drone.
- Zip tie the hanger to the drone. Try to zip tie the hanger near the corner so you are still able to remove the battery while the zip tie is attached.
- Make sure the coat hanger is secure and you are ready to go.
- Loop the line on the coat hanger and you are free to take off.
Final Thoughts
There you have it! You are now fully equipped with all the methods and knowledge on how to attach your fishing line to your drone. Fishing with your drone, and knowing how to do this properly, can be an extremely rewarding and exciting experience, so grab your drone and hit the nearest lake or dam!