I have been flying drones for quite some time now and only just came across drone fishing the other day. I was curious about it and decided to do some research, here is what I found.
Drone fishing is the technique of using a drone to catch fish. There are generally three drone fishing methods used.
Keep reading to find out why it is so easy to fish using a drone, how best to do it, and also a deeper look at the ethical side of things.
If you are familiar with fishing, you’ll know that the person fishing would basically use a fishing rod to cast a lure or bait into the water in order to attract fish on to the hook.
Once hooked, the fisherman would start reeling in the fish until they are able to pull it to shore or on to the boat they are on.
Simple stuff, right? But, what if I told you that humans are now using drones to do their work for them?
Drones have brought a completely new perspective to the hobby of fishing. Some people love the addition of drones to fish, while some avid fishermen, who have spent many years fishing, do not feel the same way!
When fishing using a drone, all it requires is for someone to attach the line to the drone. The drone will then lift-off and fly out to sea away from you. How far it goes will just depend on the drone you have.
You can then use the display screen on the remote or the device you are using to fly the drone to look for fish using the drones’ camera. Once you have located a shoal or school of fish, then you can detach the line from the drone and let it drop into the ocean or lake you are fishing in.
When a fish hooks itself to your line, all that’s left for you to do is to start reeling it in and bring it to you!
Some people take drone fishing to the next level and attach the line to the drone in a way that allows them to lower the drone when dropping the line in the water. When a fish hooks itself in the water, they use the drone to lift the fish out of the water and bring it directly to them.
This has a lot of factors affecting if it will work or not and it is also very risky. Fish obviously fight back when being pulled in, so the size and carrying capacity of the drone will determine if the fish pulls the drone under the water or if it is able to lift the fish out and bring it to the pilot.
The size of the fish also is something affecting whether or not the pilot will get his or her drone back. If the fish is too large and exceeds the carrying capacity of the drone, then they are probably going to need to fish for the drone instead!
Otherwise known as drone reconnaissance, involves using the drone camera and the screen on the controller or the device you are using to control the drone, to look for schools of fish while flying above.
A lot of drones on the market today are equipped with high-quality cameras which you can then use to scan or scout the area below the drone to find fish.
Fishery. A fishery is an entity that is engaged in raising or harvesting fish. This may involve capturing wild fish or raising fish through aquaculture. As long as you follow and obey drone rules and regulations, you will be free to explore a fishery for fish.
Fish tend to gather around underwater structures. If you are fishing in a shallow area it will be extremely easy to scour the area and look through the camera of the drone to get an aerial view of the fishery.
If you are anything like myself, then you probably find it hard to cast a line more than 50 or 60 feet from the shore or the boat you are on! If that is the case for you too, then drone casting is definitely something you should look into.
If you are going to use a drone to cast your line, then the distance of your cast is basically only limited to two things:
This is basically a method to expand your reach when fishing. This allows many who might either lack the strength or skill to cast far away from themselves but also those who might be beginners, to fish where they weren’t able to before.
What makes this method controversial and what makes more experienced fishermen view it as unethical, is the fact that because a drone has a camera and you can see through that camera, you can basically drop your line directly where the fish are and cut your fishing time in half.
This is possible by using payload release systems that are sold separately by some companies.
Pulling is very similar to drone casting, as you follow the same method when drone casting except you do things slightly differently in order to make things a whole lot easier!
You might be wondering, “How could it possibly be easier than the drone casting method?”
Well, the answer is simple, really. While the drone is pulling, the pilot will attach the line to the drone and essentially follow the same steps as the casting method above.
When the fish takes the bait and is hooked to the drone, the drone then takes off and the pilot just flies the drone all the way back to shore. No fishing rod needed!
As convenient as this method is for many fishermen, it is highly controversial to many. It is deemed as unfair and unethical, as it makes it far too easy to catch more fish for those who have the money and resources to do so the “lazy way”.
With that being said, let’s take a deeper look at the ethical side of things. Should people be allowed to essentially let machines do the fishing for them?
Similar to any popular sport or activity, there will always be ways to make things just a little bit easier! But, there will also always be people who object to this and simply see it as a lazy short cut. But even I have to admit, that I do see the ethical issue with drone fishing and how this could certainly upset more than a few folks out there.
Like hunting, fishing is a hobby that involves capturing or killing wildlife. This means it needs to be monitored in order to ensure that animal species do not go endangered.
Because of the high efficiency of using a drone to fish, there is a high and realistic possibility of endangering marine life. When people are able to collect large numbers of things and become greedy, they will not stop until it is completely gone. This has clearly been a recurring theme throughout history.
It’s also very rewarding to catch a fish the old-fashioned way, casting your line and waiting long periods of time for a fish to take the bait, then finally pulling it is extremely satisfying!
I do believe, however, that if the use of drones to fish is controlled and rules are implemented to control their use, there can be a great way for beginners to fish and to be able to venture into further waters.
Drones are also not just used to “ruin” the hobby of fishing, but there are some good applications for them. In fact, marine biologists often use aerial and underwater drones to learn more about aquatic ecosystems.
One thing is for certain—drones being used for fishing will not stop, and as drone tech continues to improve, people will also find new ways to use drones to fish.
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