In the early 2000’s, Josh Jorgensen began posting videos of himself catching sharks on the beaches of Florida. The videos were becoming so popular that Josh was able to start his own fishing business, BlacktipH, using funds earned through YouTube advertising. People were loving the joy and excitement of watching Josh catch sharks, marlins, and even 300lb Goliath groupers. However, he began to notice a change in how people were engaging in his content. “What worked 2-3 years ago, doesn’t work now,” he said. “It would always be like the fish should be like, they were a major part of the story. But we realized we’ve kind of caught everything, and so from a business perspective, we need to make it more about the adventure, and not so much about catching this one fish.”

And this is where using drone technology catapulted Josh’s channel to a new level. Using drones to film footage edited with handheld cameras, Josh was able to portray a dynamic and more exciting experience. The drones also give Josh an idea of where the best spots to fish are. In March of 2019, drone footage gave Josh a good idea of where to head out for some shark fishing with his friend, Hall of Fame Golfer, Greg Norman.

Once out on the water, Josh sent the drone back up and spotted a large school of blacktip sharks. “One of the most incredible things about nature is to expect the unexpected,” Greg said about the experience. “While Josh was flying the drone, you know what he saw? He saw a giant hammerhead chasing a blacktip!” Both Josh and Greg were amazed at what they were seeing on the monitor from the drone. While this was going on they were able to bait and hook a blacktip. “All of a sudden,” Greg continued, “this giant hammerhead came flying in on this blacktip, and it was the most incredible scene I’d ever witnessed.” The hammerhead swallowed the blacktip, along with Josh and Greg’s line. Eventually, the pair was able to reel in the shark that measured an estimated 14ft 7in, over 1,200lbs, possibly bigger than the record holder at the time.

In July of 2019, Josh set out to sea with a mission to get some drone footage of fish. But with a storm brewing, he decided to use the drone to not only find the fish but to bait them too. Josh first caught a large bonito fish to use as bait. He then attached it to a line from his rod to the bottom of the drone. The drone was flown a few feet over the water surface, with the bait fluttering on the surface. The drone bait was irresistible to the giant Goliath groupers.

The drone bait experiment was so exhilarating and successful that Josh used it to accomplish one of his lifelong dreams a few months later. “I’d say it’s one of the biggest accomplishments for a Florida angler to catch a tarpon from the shore – it’s a very challenging fish to catch,” Josh said. But, with the help of the drone, after a 30 minute struggle, Josh was able to reel onto shore a massive 100lb tarpon. Josh is passionate about chasing and catching sea monsters, the biggest fish he can find. Drone technology has given him a way of enhancing his adventures.

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