SwellPro releases new product for drone fishing

Drone fishing is becoming a real thing. And SwellPro has just released something that will allow SplashDrone owners to safely troll a baited line without fear of losing the drone with a snag or large catch. Fish fry, here we come!

Drone fishing

Yes, it seems there is a growing market for people who want to use their aerial drone as a fishing buddy. And we say “aerial” here because people have already been using underwater drones like the PowerRay Wizard for carrying a line or general underwater reconnaissance.

If you haven’t seen what the PowerRay line can do, it’s worth checking out this video. It’s like having your own Remotely Operated Vehicle, because that’s exactly what it is. Who wouldn’t want a video feed that provides a view from your own tiny submarine?

SwellPro knows that some of its users like to fish, and has already come up with three devices that allow the pilot to carry out a fishing line and drop it precisely where you want. The only limit is how much line you have on your fishing rod, though theoretically, at some great distance, weight will become an issue.

The new widget is called Trollsafe (a name that sounds like an internet app for keeping trolls at bay). It’s an adjustable device that allows you to set the tension for holding your line while trolling. Think, for a second, what might happen if you were trolling and a fish struck the hook. If that fish was of any reasonable size and decided to dive or run, it might be taking your drone with it. And while the SwellPro line is designed to handle the water, who wants their drone dragged underwater? Not you.

So the device has your line threaded between two ball bearings. You control the tension those bearings place on each other, allowing you to set for variable weights. Point is, when something hard pulls on your hook — whether it’s a fish or a snag — the line will release from the drone.

That ball-bearing mechanism holds your line in place, but releases when necessary

Drop that line

Want a little tutorial on drone fishing with a SplashPro? Or course you do:

Wait, there’s more

It’s kind of addictive, this waterproof-drone fishing concept. Hmmm… that’s got me thinking:

Reasonably priced

Want one of those Trollsafe units? They’re actually very reasonably priced. You can pick them up for $29 directly from the SwellPro site. But remember, this is just an adjustable safety system to ensure the line will drop from your drone if the tension becomes too great. If you want to be precisely controlling when your line drops, you’ll still need a payload release system like the PL1, PL2 or PL3 fishing rigs.

Would you try drone fishing? Would you prefer to be using an aerial drone like the SplashPro, or an underwater robot like the PowerRay? Let us know in the comments!

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