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Technology and Fishing

5296 Views 44 Replies 35 Participants Last post by  DBStoots
I am curious to know y'alls opinions on this topic.

Technology is rapidly advancing and becoming more accessible to us as fisherman and helping us catch more fish. My question is do y'all think there is a point where it takes the sport out of it? Or makes it unfair to the fish? Should it all be allowed? I go back and forth on this topic.

For example, using drones to find schools of redfish. At first it seems like a really cool idea but then I start to not like it as it feels like it takes that side of fishing away that requires the angler to be in touch with the fish and the environment to understand their patterns and the reward of it all coming together and finding the fish tucked away in a creek or something like that. Seems like it creates so much pressure on fish because they can be found so much easier, and can start to drive fish away as they look for new areas to be safe.

To me it is almost like spotlighting deer. It's not fair to the animal.

To me fishing is about going out, dissecting water and understanding how the fish respond to conditions to eliminate water and find the fish. Yes we take the advantages we can get with satellite imagery, chart plotters, and sonar. However, they don't seem to have the same ability to do the work for us that a drone would provide. I think about flying the length of creek at low tide seeing if there are fish there in a matter of minutes vs how long it would take to properly direct a creek to find out if there are fish there. Just unsure how I feel about that and what it does to our sport.
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A similar argument was made about modern fish finders (fresh water) several years ago. It made fish "too easy to locate and catch." Now every fishing boat you see has multiples.
I don't agree with using drones to locate fish. Fishing needs to be about the pursuit as well as the cast and catch. I've had drones fly over me while trout fishing on mountain streams, with no one in sight. No idea why. Drones don't belong in fishing. They may be useful for recording a catch or research, but not in the pursuit of fish.
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