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Coming soon to the canal?

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capequahog

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PERTH, Australia—When fisherman Robbie Riches laments the ones that got away, he means his $1,000 drones. 

He belongs to a school of anglers who have swapped the seaside tranquility of surf fishing for the motorized whine of drone fishing. The flying machines ferry baited fishing line from the angler’s reel far from shore and then lower the hook to where the best tuna, mackerel and snapper are said to lurk. 

If all goes well, the drone releases the line, and the fisherman reels in the catch when a fish bites. If there is a problem, a hooked fish can yank the drone into a costly crash landing. 

“Lots of things could go wrong,” said Mr. Riches, a geologist-turned-fisherman. “A bird could get tangled in the line or something, and then pull it into the water. That’s probably the worst thing.” 

Mr. Riches, 36 years old, has crashed three drones over the past year or so for various reasons: a balky release mechanism, low battery, bad luck. He has insurance but is out the deductible.

The risk is outweighed by a shot at bigger fish farther offshore. Mr. Riches said he once bagged a 42-pound mackerel. 

Other times, drones yield only trouble. Last week, Mr. Riches lost track of how much line was left in his reel. When it reached the end, his fishing rod bent forward, and he saw the drone falling into the water.

He pulled in the waterlogged drone and two small snapper.

 

“Once they’re in the drink, mate, they’re write-offs,” said Mr. Riches, who runs a fishing-tour business called Perth Fishing Safaris. 

The impressive catches have drone-fishermen hooked, according to Frank King, owner of the Elk Fish Robotics drone shop near Perth. It “really went bananas about six months ago,” he said. 

To keep up with demand, Mr. King ordered several waterproof drones—the SplashDrone 3+, which sells in the U.S. for anywhere from $1,200 to $2,300. 

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Mark Derwin, a construction supervisor in Perth, nearly lost a drone when the fishing line snagged on a friend’s finger. He managed to keep the drone out of the water and return it to shore. 

“It’s not a relaxing time frame between dropping the bait and bringing it back,” Mr. Derwin, 34, said. “My heart is always in my mouth.”

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A drone using Jaiden Maclean's Sky Rigger release mechanism. PHOTO: SEA ULCER

During a flight over the shimmering blue waters of the South Pacific, a flock of seabirds once surrounded his drone, said Jaiden Maclean, 29. The birds batted the fishing line with their wings.

“I was just like, ’Oh my God, I can’t even move the drone,’” he said. “I was lucky I had enough battery to stay there until they settled down a bit.”

Mr. Maclean, a former lobster diver in Australia, said he and a friend developed a release mechanism called a Sky Rigger. The contraption, made of marine-grade brass, nylon and stainless steel, uses mechanical pressure, instead of batteries, to release the fishing line, reducing the chance of the line getting stuck and dragged down by a hooked fish.

In Florida, Josh Jorgensen, *began using a Sky Rigger this year. Since then, he said, he hasn’t lost a drone while fishing and planned to sell them online. 

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Jaiden Maclean, right, holds a tuna he caught drone fishing. PHOTO: SEA ULCER

Mr. Jorgensen, 29, uses a video feed from his drone to spot fish. “I literally drop the bait into the fish’s mouth,” he said. “It’s like a videogame.”

Drone fishing is legal as long as fishermen follow standard flight rules, such as keeping the device in sight, according to Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority. It also is legal in the U.S., as long as the drone is registered, and the pilot follows applicable operating rules. 

“It was originally just people taking regular drones and customizing them in their garage,” said Jack Vitek, the association’s marketing director. “Now you have specific products being made just for drone fishing. I wish we had thought about this when I was a kid.” 

Other anglers aren’t as welcoming. “I’m a purist,” said Greg Prowse, preferring the thrill of luring fish the old-fashioned way. He is president of the New South Wales Rod Fishers’ Society, a fly-fishing club in Australia that dates to 1904.

On a drone-fishing tour last month, Mr. Riches’s four customers caught more than half a dozen fish from a beach about 6 miles west of downtown Perth.

The drone made about 15 to 20 flights over four hours. It made its beach landings on an orange mat that looked like a small helipad. 

One catch that day was a 3½-foot gummy shark, which is commonly served in fish-and-chip shops. Between flights, Tracey Lawrence said the first time she drone fished, it seemed risky to send such a pricey piece of gear over water.

Edited by TimS
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open borders :thdwn:

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3 hours ago, FEW3 said:

Awesome method, but it would only be for surf. No drones allowed over the canal i was told.

 

3 hours ago, SalmonAndStriper Stalker said:

no drones allowed on canal. seems pointless. just buy a beater boat or a kayak for the same price of the drone.

the only use in fishing I could possibly see a drone for is to possibly replace a spotter plane for stick boats. 

 

I'll have mine on the rocks.

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4 hours ago, SalmonAndStriper Stalker said:

no drones allowed on canal. seems pointless. just buy a beater boat or a kayak for the same price of the drone.

the only use in fishing I could possibly see a drone for is to possibly replace a spotter plane for stick boats. 

That's true, but electric scooters, skate boards and bikes are allowed either but are very common...…….....

 

People seem to care less and less as time goes by...……….

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