Fishing gets futuristic: Drone lets anglers fly out their bait and find plant-free spots with plenty of fish
- A team in the Netherlands has designed a drone to help fisherman
- It has a winch that lowers an underwater camera and the bait
- The drone is flown out over the water before the bait is lowered
- It lets fisherman avoid getting their line stuck in plants
An aerial drone fitted with a waterproof camera could be used by fisherman to position their bait and catch more fish.
Instead of the traditional method of casting off from a river bank or sea shore and hoping for the best, the specially-adapted drone allows anglers to fly their line, bait and weight to a prime deep-water spot.
However, some fishing purists have lamented that the technology ruins the skill and enjoyment of fishing.
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A team in the Netherlands has designed a drone to help fisherman (shown). It has a winch that lowers an underwater camera and the bait. The drone is flown out over the water before the bait is lowered. It lets fisherman avoid getting their line stuck in plants
The product is the brainchild of Roger Borre and his five-strong team at aerial technology company Dronexpert based in Bentelo, Netherlands.
A special waterproof camera beams back live footage of the murky depths so the angler can see if there are any fish at a location.
The user then detaches the line and flies the drone back to the bank safe in the knowledge their tackle is in the right spot.
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The drone measures 18 inches (45cm) in width and weighs 4.4lbs (2 kilos). It can carry a payload of bait and a weight of 1.1lbs (500 grams).
Its makers say it is every fisherman's friend but angling experts and fishing purists fear the technology is a way of cheating and will take away the skill element of fishing.
The product is the brainchild of Roger Borre and his five-strong team at aerial technology company Dronexpert based in Bentelo, Netherlands.
They came up with the one-of-a-kind system that allows the fishing line to be released automatically when the rig hits the bottom of the lake.
'This idea comes from the underwater camera-winch we made for a fish-finder bait boat,' he said.
'After we finished the development for the bait boat, we thought it could also be done by a drone to speed up the process.
'With a drone you can also fly to the exact pre-programmed GPS position where the carp are feeding.'
A special waterproof camera beams back live footage of the murky depths so the angler can see if there are any fish at a location
The drone uses a winch system that detaches the bait (shown) when it makes contact with the bed underwater
The special floats on the drone means it can bob on the surface as long as needed, and a downwards facing camera fitted to it allows the fisherman to see exactly where the hook is.
If it has landed in underwater plants the angler can simply move it to a better location using the drone.
'A lot of carp fishermen complain that they are not sure if their bait is hanging in the plants, so they wouldn't catch fish,' Mr Borre said.
'Now they can see where their rig is situated.'
The drone can also help find fish, with a 'fish-finder module' showing what it sees on a display held by the fisherman.
'Using drones could well be the future of fishing,' Mr Borre added.
The special drone setup is still in development but the team hopes to put it into production in the future. A price has not yet been announced.
The drone measures 18 inches (45cm) in width and weighs 4.4lbs (2 kilos). It can carry a payload of bait and a weight of 1.1lbs (500 grams)
The special floats on the drone means it can bob on the surface as long as needed, and a downwards facing camera fitted to it allows the fisherman to see exactly where the hook is
'Using drones could well be the future of fishing,' Roger Borre of Dronexpert said. Shown is an image from the drone over a lake. However, some have said it ruins the sport of fishing
Not all are in favour of the use of modern technology in fishing, however.
Martin Salter, national campaigns manager at the Angling Trust, said the innovation goes against the ideal of fishing set out in Izaak Walton's 1653 book The Compleat Angler, the sport's bible.
He said: 'Obviously people are free to fish how the like within the rules.
'But some of these high tech gizmos have now taken the "contemplative man's pursuit" of Izaak Walton - the patron saint of angling - to almost absurd levels.
'Personally I think fishing should be about the skill of presenting a bait or lure to the fish by your own endeavour rather than by some sort of radio-controlled monstrosity.'
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