For generations, fishing has been a favorite pastime all over the world. It is estimated that close to 50 million Americans participate in some form of recreational fishing each year making it one of the most popular outdoor activities. For some, fishing is a way of getting in some quiet reflection, while others enjoy the social bonds of fishing with friends. As Henry David Thoreau famously said, “Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after,” it is the experience that makes fishing worthwhile. After all, whether you are going salt or freshwater fishing, deep sea, river, or in a small creek, you never know what you are going to get. True, catching a “big one” can make the fishing experience all the better, sometimes you win and sometimes you don’t. But what if there was a tool that could help you access the best fishing spots, giving you an edge to the day’s catch?

Eric Hu got his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Huizhou University in China. He began his carer by researching and developing cameras that can be made waterproof. When he went on a trip to the Caribbean in 2013 he witnessed someone crash a drone into the ocean, rendering it useless. It inspired him to take his knowledge of cameras and a passion for hobby aircraft and build a waterproof drone and camera system. In 2014, Eric founded FPV Factory, which soon went on to be renamed SwellPro, launching the first consumer waterproof drone called Mariner. With the help of a Kickstarter campaign, SwellPro was able to raise $300,000 and update the Mariner to the Splash Drone which would go on to become SwellPro’s cornerstone product.

The Splash Drone has gone through several updates since 2015, but at its core, it is a drone that is entirely waterproof, easy to use, can float, and is capable of capturing amazing images. One big change that was added to the Splash Drone was a payload release system that could be used to deliver lifesavers. A New Zealand man decided to modify the payload release system on his Splash Drone so he could use it to go fishing, and SwellPro was given the inspiration to once again revamp the Splash Drone.

Splash Drone 3 is the ultimate drone to transition between land and water recreational activities. The drone’s body and rotor blades are made of a corrosion-resistant, waterproof material that provides precision aerodynamics and buoyancy. It can handle rain, wind, and snow so you can fly and film in any condition. The 3 axis gimbal, 4K camera provides a crystal clear live view and stunning film and photographs. It can reach speeds of 40 mph with a 25 minute flight time. The easy to use remote control has a range of flight options including mission planning and an automatic return to home feature. And now, the payload feature has a means of towing out a fishing line.

With several payload attachment options fishing is now easier than ever. You can be standing along the ocean shore or the bank of a river and use the Splash Drone 3 to precisely drop your fishing line to increase your chances of catching a fish. The TrollSafe attachment has two ball bearings that you feed the line, still connected to a fishing rod, through. The tension on the ball bearings can be adjusted so that once lowered into the water, if a fish takes that bait, the line will release from the drone and you can reel in your catch. The benefit of keeping the fishing line connected to the drone with the TrollSafe is that you get a perfect visual marker of where your baited line is at all times. The other option is a range of attachments that will release the line into the water below. The drone can then be used to maintain visual contact with the line or used to film the surrounding area.

Either way, with the Splash Drone 3’s fishing accessories you can track where the fish are concentrating in the water from the shore or a boat. Some of the mystery of what you may be able to catch gets taken out of the equation so that every fishing trip proves a success. This isn’t to say that the contemplative patience found on a fishing excursion is gone. As Thoreau said, fishing is about more than catching a fish, and using a drone to guide you still leaves room to search for things other than fish.