How Technology has Changed the Way we Fish Today
Technological advancements have changed the fishing industry which was originally guided by the fisherman’s intuition and knowledge passed on from generation to generation. Plenty has changed since the days fishermen meandered down to their preferred fishing holes only with their prized rods and reels in hand.
Old boats that were previously skippered comprised of a compass, a chain steering plus an old-fashioned paper sounder. Fishing success had a lot to do with good luck than good management. Today, high-tech fish finders plus navigation devices are quite important in the way we fish especially for those who cast their nets from canoes, boats, or kayaks. With satellites to trace the fish and steer you to path x, trial and error is no longer relied upon for fishing success. Read on for more insight.
GPS trolling motors
Trolling motors are seen as standard equipment on any fishing boat. However, they too have undergone changes as technology revolutionizes the fishing industry. Most of these trolling motors are hand controlled and fitted on the bow. Although they can do the required job, they don’t match the versatility associated with GPS controlled motors, popularly referred to as GPS anchors.
Features
The latest GPS trolling motors boast of myriad features that old motors don’t offer. For instance, GPS motors can move a boat from one area to another through the single press of a button. Moreover, the new motors can also allow a boat to stay at a specific location and maintain that position notwithstanding the prevailing wind and currents.
Today, you no longer need to re-anchor several times in order to steer your boat over a single rock. Just deploy the GPS motor, look at the fish finder and if you notice whatever you want to fish on the display screen, simply press the button. It never gets easier than this. These new motors are somewhat wider compared to the older versions. So you may need a bit of work if you want to retrofit your boat with this fishing technology.
Fish finder
Imagine you’re on a fishing expedition on your new boat; you take out a really cool device and after several beeps, the gadget lets you know about a shoal of fish a few meters away from your current location. Now, that’s very cool and convenient. It’s akin to an ultrasound scan of the lake or the sea that lets you know where you can find fish to harvest. Nowadays, we are using fish finder gadgets for fishing. A good example is Maptech’s new i3 module. This device incorporates GPS, chart plotter, radar, and fish finder features all at once. Through its touch-screen interface, you can see in real-time the type of fish around and beneath your fishing boat in HD images. No more wasting time on fishing expeditions.
Monofilament fishing lines
New electronic gadgets are not the only ones that have improved how fishing is done. Fishing line technology has also played a significant role in how we reel in fish. Nothing is as frustrating as trapping fish on the hook only for the fishing line to break or snap. Thanks to the entry of monofilament fishing lines, you can say goodbye to snapping of fishing lines.
Made up of a combination of several polymers, monofilament fishing lines are stronger and cheaper than the typical fishing lines. Moreover, they are available in a wide range of colours, sizes, and thickness. They also hold knots quite well and are fairly invisible over the water.
Rods
Technology advances have also caught up with fishing rods. Today, you can get rods that are lightweight, cast straighter and employ resin technology for better accuracy. All these developments serve to optimize the performance of the fishing rod. Of course, these technology advances raise the cost of the rods. You’ll have to pay more to enjoy better features.
Internet lessons
The growth of internet has also had an effect on the advancement of fishing technology. Originally, those who wanted to lessons in fly fishing had to look for a shop that focused in this sport, and look to learn from someone in there. Gone are those days. Today, you can learn about fly fishing through online lessons. Moreover, those who are looking for the best fishing gear can shop online which is quite convenient.
FADs
FADs, the acronym for fish aggregating devices are basically objects that have long been used by fishermen to take advantage of the trend of tuna fish to flock around floating objects like rafts, coconuts or dead whales. Fishermen have always made their mock floating objects to attract tuna. While today’s FADs bear a resemblance to those of years past, they come with advanced additions. Take for example; they are fitted with sonar and satellite buoys which can inform the fisherman aboard a fishing vessel the type of fish that’s swimming beneath the FADs from far away.
Before speeding to cast fishing nets over FADs, the fisherman will already have a rough calculation of:
- Size of the shoal of fish
- The type of fish
- Size of fish
. All these aspects are captured by sonar and broadcasted through a satellite. The fact that the size of a shoal can be figured out more accurately today means there’s a reduced likelihood of the closing net getting ruptured. Furthermore, information about the fish and its size will stop time and energy being wasted on throws after species that ought to be released.
Simply put, FADs do a lot more than just enhancing the ability of a fisherman to find or locate fish. In fact, they have become the go-to tool in finding fish.
Conclusion
Thanks to technological advances, fishermen have a wide variety of technologies that can be employed to help point to where the fish are located. As a result, this saves on time and allows you to return home with a considerable catch. The truth is that new fishing technology doesn’t come cheap, however in the end; these technological advances are definitely worthwhile.
