What is Drone Fishing and How to Get Started

1. UPair One FPV Fish Catching Quadcopter (Best Budget)

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Editor’s Rating: 4.4/5.0

The Best Budget fishing quadcopter goes to the UPair One 2.7K camera drone. It’s an affordable flying robot that’s easy to control, stable, and sports high average features.

• Best feature 1: Decent flight range
• Best feature 2: 7inch LCD screen
• Plus points: Headless mode, quality camera, gimbal, GPS positioning, altitude hold
• Minus points: Low average flight time, 2-axis gimbal, not easy to transport

The UPair One’s Fishing Potential

The UPair One 2.7K camera quadcopter is an excellent first choice inland fishing drone. It can fly out to a range of around 800m which is just under half a mile. The video transmission distance is only 500 meters. That makes the craft better suited to inland angling rather than sea fishing. One of the best features with the UPair One Drone is the controller’s built-in 7” screen.

Use this drone to locate the ideal fishing spots from above. You can also attach a line & bait to the quad to fish in otherwise hard to reach locations. The First Person View (FPV) gives a clear real-time transmission that makes fishing possible. Other fishing-friendly features include altitude hold, headless mode, and GPS positioning. There’s also the one-key return to home (RTH) function.

The Not So Good

The flight time in ideal conditions is around 15–18 minutes. That’s on the low side of average for a drone in its class. It’s better than some, but most pilots still invest in an extra battery or two. The camera has gimbal stabilization which is great. It’s only a 2-axis gimbal and not as good as a 3-axis for steadying the camera. Again, it’s not bad, but it could be better.

The final con is with the design of the UPair One Drone 2.7K. It has a solid build with no foldable parts. That makes the quad more cumbersome to travel with than smaller, more portable drones.

2. DJI Phantom 3 Standard Quad for Fishing (Best Value)

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Editor’s Rating: 4.5/5.0

The DJI Phantom 3 Standard is an oldie but goodie. This camera quad practically bolts itself to the sky. It’s this stability that provides angling pilots with super-steady flight performance for fishing.

• Best feature 1: GPS assisted flight features
• Best feature 2: Long flight time
• Plus points: Easy to fly, super stable, altitude hold, FPV, quality gimbal camera, fast charging
• Minus points: Not travel-friendly, high cost of flight batteries

The Phantom 3 Standard’s Fishing Potential

It’s possible to fish with a lot of quadcopters, but the Phantom 3 Standard is one of the favorites. There’s even a lightweight Gannet Bait Release designed for the drone. All it takes is two minutes of your time and you’re ready to fish. The bait release is fully autonomous and uses its own rechargeable battery. It can perform around 50 line drops from a single charge.

There are other tools too like the RCstyleAirDrop Release Fishing Bait. This one uses a wireless connection and works via a one-click operation up to 1km. You can also make your own device if you have a creative mind. Yes, the Phantom 3 Standard makes a perfect fishing drone. It’s easy to control, has altitude hold, GPS-assisted flight features, and a long 25 minute flight time.

The drone’s 2.7K HD First Person View (FPV) camera gives anglers a real-time birds-eye view. Battery recharging time is also impressive for such a powerful quad at just 60 minutes or less.

The Not So Good

The Phantom 3 is not the kind of drone you can throw into a small backpack. The sacrifice for such a stable design is that it’s not a travel-friendly quadcopter. The landing gear is somewhat rickety too. Lastly, price of extra Intelligent Flight Batteries is high for this model though they are exceptional.

3. DJI Phantom 4 PRO Drone Quad for Fishing (Top Pick)

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Editor’s Rating: 4.7/5.0

Another DJI makes our top three shortlist of fishing drones. This time it’s the favorite Phantom 4 Pro Bakcpack Kit. It’s a camera quadcopter that enjoys a reputation for excellence on so many levels.

• Best feature 1: Easy to fly at beginner level
• Best feature 2: Long flight range
• Plus points: Long flight time, First person View (FPV), obstacle avoidance, return to home
• Minus points: Costly flight batteries, no propeller guards

The Phantom 4 PRO’s Fishing Potential

The Phantom 4 Pro makes an excellent fishing drone. There’s even a video on YouTube that shows a couple of Aussie guys using one to fish for long-tail tuna. DJI’s Phantom 4 Pro checks plenty of the right boxes as an angling quad. It has a high-quality gimbal camera, a sturdy, lightweight build, long flight time, and an insane range. It’s also a stable flyer with 5-direction obstacle sensing.

There are plenty of fishing ideas, tips, and product ideas shared by the community. One favorite purpose-made tool is the FLiFLiAirDrop FAD-1000ST Release & Drop Device. The gadget is lightweight, unobtrusive, and simple to control when it’s time to drop the bait. It has a 1 mile wireless connection in ideal conditions and can function in temperatures as low as -4.

The Not So Good

The 30 minute flight time is excellent, yet most drone anglers still invest in extra batteries. DJI Intelligent Flight Batteries are exceptional but expensive. The Phantom 4 doesn’t come with propeller guards either. The prop guards are available online and cost around $25 at the time of writing.

4. GoolskyIDEAFLY Poseidon-480 Pro Fishing Drone

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Editor’s Rating: 4.5/5.0

This is the only camera quadcopter on the page that uses “fishing” in the promotion. The full term is “Waterproof Professional Fishing Drone.” The name is what makes this bird so exciting.

• Best feature 1: IP67 waterproofing (see review for details)
• Best feature 2: Real-time First Person View (FPV) w/ 7” monitor, swappable camera
• Plus points: 1200g payload capacity, long flight time, fast charging
• Minus points: Average camera, little user feedback

The GoolskyIDEAFLY Poseidon’s Fishing Potential

IDEAFLY Poseidon brands itself as a purpose-made fishing drone. It checks a lot of boxes too and even has an IP67 waterproof level. IP67 confirms 100% protection against dust, sand, and liquids. The guarantee is that IP67 products can survive 1m underwater for at least 30 minutes. That alone gets the GoolskyIDEAFLY Poseidon-480 off to a fantastic start.

This quadcopter comes equipped with a First Person View (FPV) camera and a 7” FPV monitor. The image transmission range is around 800 meters. It’s possible to swap the stock camera with a 3-axis sports gimbal camera. The payload for the IDEAFLY Poseidon is 1200g. The drone has powerful brushless motors and an altitude hold function to keep it steady during fishing trips.

The quad houses a bait/net dispenser that boasts a large torque servo and a controllable hook. Drone anglers can use it to dispense bait or cast a fishing net. This bird resists winds up to level 5. It can also fly up to 25 minutes on a full battery and recharge in an impressive 40 minutes.

The Not So Good

With so many fishing features you may wonder why this waterproof quad didn’t make the top pick.

Well, it comes with an average 5.8G 700TVL HD FPV camera. It needs better optics to improve its appeal as a quality camera drone. It is possible to install a better 3-axis gimbal camera, but it’s an extra cost. There isn’t much user feedback either due to its niche appeal.

5. DJI Inspire 2 Quality Camera Quadcopter Bundle

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Editor’s Rating: 4.6/5.0

The DJI Inspire 2 makes an excellent pro-level camera quadcopter. It works well as an angling drone too. Only professional pilots dare to fish with it due to the high cost of this bird and its accessories.

• Best feature 1: Tough magnesium alloy build
• Best feature 2: Long flight range
• Plus points: Long flight time, retractable landing gear, dual operator control, FPV, fast flyer
• Minus points: High cost of quadcopter and extras

The DJI Inspire 2’s Fishing Potential

It’s unlikely that anyone would buy the DJI Inspire 2 only for fishing. However, pro-level aerial videographers and photographers may own one and also like to fish. There’s good news on that front. The quad has a robust magnesium alloy build, long flight time, and an incredible range. It has retractable landing gear, dual operator control, and First Person View (FPV) capability.

There are custom fishing tools for the Inspire 2 like the Gannet Payload Release. Operators can mount this angling device to the quad in seconds (no tools needed). There are similar gadgets around, though some brave folks prefer to use improvised devices. Purpose-made fishing mechanisms can do 20+ drops on a single charge as far away as 1000m from dry land.

The Inspire 2 is a fast flier and capable of accelerating from 0–50 mph in just 4 seconds. The top speed is somewhere around 67 mph in ideal conditions. That’s really useful. It means the drone can reach far out fishing spots—and back—in a short space of time.

The Not So Good

The only disadvantage to the DJI Inspire 2 is its high price tag. Many enthusiastic amateurs would love one of these incredible birds. Sadly, few can justify the cost. It’s the same for the extras like 5.2K gimbal cameras and the expensive Flight Batteries.