Drone Surf Fishing (Video)

[Arbutis]

This was my 3rd attempt at drone surf fishing. Unfortunately I was unsuccessful again but it was such a crazy beautiful December 12th day on the Jersey Shore - I just had to give it another try before the real winter arrives. No fish but I got some great video demonstrating my methods. Ultimately I was able to 'cast' my lure over 1200 feet off the beach! It's just a matter of time before I hook up.

Drone Surf Fishing Video
(https://youtu.be/Ns8pxzsjnyY)(The 1200 ft cast)

Any suggestions for improvement or other ideas - let me know what to try next. . .

My Second Try VIDEO link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H4sAuMSZLo) (at least I saw some stripers and blues)

[Billfish715]

That was mad crazy! It's the closest I've seen to a method that I witnessed as a teenager in Florida. A fisherman there used a remote control boat to drag a bait beyond the reef from his rod and reel on the beach. He strictly fished for sharks and his system worked. The drone thing looks great but if the fishing ever got good, you'd have a long time between "casts". Still, that idea, especially on days when the surf is so rough that casting beyond the breakers would be impossible might be a novel way to get a bait out. Keep working at it.The possibilities for its application are endless.

[Down Deep Sportfishing]

Thanks for sharing. Brings another dimension to flirting with boundary lines.

[b_mac]

Nice... My buddy has that drone, we will have to give this a try. Great video quality with the 4k camera

[slammer]

That is so cool.Very innovative.How do you attach and release the line?

[joerosa1]

Amazing use of technology and great video to watch. Thanks for sharing.

[Arbutis]

That is so cool.Very innovative.How do you attach and release the line?

I thought about this problem a lot. Ultimately i came up with a downrigger release clip which is dangling down from the drone on about a 20 ft rope.
When i want to drop, i flip the bail on the reel and the added tension pops the clip.
A bait-runner type reel would be a good choice but i use the largest spool /capacity i own - close to 500 yards.

[Blind Squirrel]

One DJI Phantom 3 Advanced Drone:
Crown - Porcelain/High Noble Metal (D2750) + Core Buildup (D2950)

One Water Wolf underwater camera:
His & Hers Periodontal Maintenance (D4910)

One "Crazed Dog" wagging tail, making lots of happy sounds and going freakin' nuts:
Priceless :p

Thanks for posting this, Dr. Doug -- I really enjoyed both videos and sent them along to others.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Amazing Doug!! It's obvious a lot of time, effort, planning and editing went into this and it shows.

Great job and thanks for sharing it here!!

[Sharkyispy]

Another dimension to fishing. The rocket launcher and now the drone....thanks for sharing. Very cool to watch it!

[Arbutis]

One DJI Phantom 3 Advanced Drone:
Crown - Porcelain/High Noble Metal (D2750) + Core Buildup (D2950).

I'm doing mostly D2740's these days. :D

[shrimpman steve]

Very cool!!!!

[Flukemeister1]

Very Cool!

[Blind Squirrel]

I'm doing mostly D2740's these days. :D
Oops; I factored in the Rumson Effect but got the procedure codes mixed up. Now I need to find out why my guy only quoted me a D2450, with the foreplay a week hence. I'm a mere 72, so he couldn't be trying to tell me something...
Since I've developed a special fondness for little C.D., I hope her(?) exuberance at liftoff never requires an emergency field extraction of a Flash Mob mini-Umbrella Rig or Tsunami Shad. It looked pretty close there in your 12/12 video. :(
Keep 'em coming, Doc - I can't wait to see your first drone-caught keeper. My lady friend's looking seriously at the SDC, but I think I'd quickly tire of living on bushy-tailed tree rats from my bird feeders, as tempting as those little bastridges are.

[loosescrews]

Awesome video. Very interesting and entertaining. I don't think even I could cast that far. Lol!!! certainly not an umbrella rig. Thanks for sharing.

[jigman90]

might be a thing to try for Stripers since I moved to Nc at below Kerr Dam here in North Carolina! Just to let all my NJ fishing buddies know I miss you guys this time of year catching stripers Happy Holidays!

[liveitup1.75liter]

I jus wanna see u reel in a big blue from that distance!!! Awsome stuff.. bet ud get cool shots fishing top water..

[Blind Squirrel]

Here's video of one of the first actual drone-related catches, Dr. Doug:
http://time.com/3991482/fisherman-drone-san-diego-pier/
He was obviously fishing too light for the target species, something most of us can relate to.
In the "Any suggestions for improvement or other ideas - let me know what to try next. . ." department, not flying your drone too close to that guy comes to mind. :p

[Arbutis]

Yeah, that guy was a jerk. If he had any idea how expensive they were he wouldn't have cast right at it.

I'm thinking about another beach try this week when it's 70 degrees outside. Maybe for blackfish? crazy winter weather. :confused:

[Blind Squirrel]

Yeah, that guy was a jerk. If he had any idea how expensive they were he wouldn't have cast right at it.

I'm thinking about another beach try this week when it's 70 degrees outside. Maybe for blackfish? crazy winter weather. :confused:
Jerk should no doubt have been soundly excoriated for his heedless overhead cast (!) so close to his fellow anglers, Dr. Doug, but I think he was simply weighing in on the growing public dialog over the rapid proliferation of personal UAVs and how we want them to impact our everyday lives. He appears to have a keen appreciation for the difference between the responsible drone stewardship of, say, a genteel Oceanport dentist plying a stretch of unpopulated beach and surf in NJ, and the seemingly gratuitous buzzing of a San Diego fishing pier teeming with folks just like us, who are only seeking contentment and possibly a tasty dinner or two. I'm firmly in the genteel Oceanport dentist camp at the moment, but Jerk and his ilk gain ground every time a wayward drone does more than just violate someone's turf, as some already have:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2P_fZflct4
Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season and some well-earned success on the beach, along with my apologies for the Christmas Eve lecture. I'm eagerly looking forward to video of your first drone catch - whether striper, blue, or tog - as well as to some more joyous antics from Crazed Dog. Long-Suffering Wife may warrant a citation at this point too. :)

[NJPaul]

Very cool. I've been thinking about this for a while. I live on Shoal Harbor in Port Monmouth and this could be the perfect way to get the bait past the shallows. Less of a project than dealing with a kayak although the investment is probably similar in cost. I could also use the drone for recon since I can't see certain parts of the beach from my house. I gotta pick your brain about this.....

[Arbutis]

Very cool. I've been thinking about this for a while. I live on Shoal Harbor in Port Monmouth and this could be the perfect way to get the bait past the shallows. Less of a project than dealing with a kayak although the investment is probably similar in cost. I could also use the drone for recon since I can't see certain parts of the beach from my house. I gotta pick your brain about this.....

Using it for recon has great advantages. It's truly amazing what you see from a higher vantage point and many times on a clear and calm day I'll scout around the shallow water and get a clear view of the bottom contours.
Many people dwell on the negative uses of a drone but for fishing applications, I think there are some great untapped opportunities that we are just beginning to realize.