As the title suggests, I’m looking for a drone that can carry enough weight to transport fishing weights (around 3-4 ounces of lead, plus bait and line) about 100-200 yards offshore. Ideally, I would like to keep the budget under $300. I did consider building one myself, but since I have little knowledge of coding or anything wireless, I ruled that option out. I am open to any suggestions or feedback! Thanks, everyone!
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A fishing rod and reel work great for that purpose!
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It sounds like they’re trying to get their setup further out for beach fishing. Casting usually doesn’t reach far enough, so most people have a friend in a kayak to take it out.
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Why not just fish from the buddy’s kayak? I’m guessing the buddy is fishing from their kayak, and you don’t have one yourself…
For $300, it might make more sense to just buy a kayak instead of a drone.
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Also, flying over water with cheaper drones can get pretty risky. Adding extra weight and drag from fishing lines will only make things worse. Sit-on-top (SOT) kayaks are so affordable now for what they offer.
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You guys are cracking me up. Drone fishing is totally legit and works really well!
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Some people are just too stubborn to try something new. Drone fishing has so many advantages, like avoiding your line getting tangled on everything when reeling it back in. Over the years, I’ve lost thousands of dollars and even a couple of poles.
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I’m not going in the ocean in a 300 dollar kayak.
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Shore fishing for large ocean fish involves using a 10-foot or longer rod, a heavy reel, and targeting fish or sharks that can weigh a few hundred pounds. This isn’t something you can effectively do from a kayak. It’s simply a different style of fishing.
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I would be worried about drone fishing with something so powerful, especially if there is a risk of a $15,000 to $20,000 drone getting pulled into the water. Drones capable of lifting that kind of weight tend to be very expensive.
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As a kayaker who isn’t into fishing, there is no way you would get me out on the ocean in a boat that smelled like bait.
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I used to think using a drone for fishing was a bit out there, but it actually makes sense upon reflection. Normally, my casting range is limited to about 30-40 yards due to gravity and my strength. However, a drone, while still affected by gravity, isn’t as constrained. My Mini 3 Pro can fly about 1 km away, and I’ve seen videos of drones going up to 5 miles.
For fishing, especially if you live near a large body of water, a drone can transport bait much farther than a cast. This could give you an edge over other anglers who are limited to less than 100 yards without a boat. It also helps to avoid spooking fish caused by nearby beachgoers or watercraft. Plus, it opens up access to deeper waters and different fish species.
Regarding the OP’s question, if you want a reliable setup for drone fishing, you might need to spend more than $300.
A kayak could also address this issue, though it costs around $1,000 to $3,000 new and requires a vehicle to transport it.
Additionally, using a drone adds about 5 minutes to each cast due to setup, takeoff, and retrieval, even for a short 30 ft flight. While one cast every 5 minutes to a good spot is more efficient than multiple casts to a poor spot, this approach is suited for bait or bobber fishing, where casting is less frequent. It’s less effective for methods like spinning, trolling, or fly-fishing that require frequent casting.
Moreover, there’s always a risk of losing your drone over water, and adding the weight of a fishing line only increases the chance of malfunction, as fishing line can be particularly damaging to drones.
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This is for surf fishing the ocean. Not lake fishing. You send that shit hundreds of feet out.
It is clear you haven’t been fishing, and that’s okay. Just be careful about discussing alternatives as if they’re factual. Drones are primarily used for surf fishing, allowing you to drop heavy bait hundreds of yards out for larger sea fish. A kayak isn’t a viable option for this because it can’t handle the weight and could easily flip or be overwhelmed. While a boat can work, it’s significantly more expensive often more than 12 times the cost of a good $2,000 drone and offers safety for handling large fish.
Casting 300 yards might not be as beneficial as you think. You will still need to retrieve your line through all the obstacles you bypassed. The main advantage of a boat is the ability to stay in deep water and cast into the cover near the shore without getting snagged. Small fish tend to gather in these covers, and larger fish come there to hunt them. Personally, I find that fishing from a canoe and casting along the edge of lily pads works best for me.
Ocean. Not lake. This is a thing. It works.
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Tell me you have never been surf fishing without telling me you have never been surf fishing.
I have been surf fishing plenty of times… with a rod and reel.
I like to fly, and I like to fish. Just no fly fishing. Wait… that’s something else.