Best Drones for Fishing May 2020 – 15 Best Fishing Drones

Best Drones for Fishing: a Full in-depth review – May 2020

If you are familiar with our blogs, you probably have heard about drones that are being used for fishing.

However, if you don’t know how drones can be of help for fishing watch this video which went viral. This is about two Australians who used a Phantom drone and caught a long tail tuna with it.

If you are a fishing enthusiast, and you want to improve your catch, then you should consider using a drone, or a fishing drone, which is safer. This, for sure, can be a great improvement for you, and will defiantly increase your catch.
The assistance of drones to fishing is not something new at all, and today you can see even commercial fishermen use fishing drones when they go out to work.

The advantages of drones in fishing are very clear, you can scout for places where fish schools. You can also use a payload release device to drop baits or lures at your desired location. It can hold a line for you. Or like some people that even used their drone as a fishing rod to take the fish out of the water.  The possibilities are endless for you.

Since drones became so popular in fishing, I decided to review the most popular drones today and check if they are suitable for fishing or not. Which one will be the best drone for fishing? Keep reading to find out.

So this is my full list of the best drones for fishing. and don’t you worry, I won’t just say which drone is the best fishing drone. In conclusion, I will tell, who are the 3 best fishing drones in my opinion, so if you prefer something else, at least you will know how good is it.

I will keep this article up-to-date so whenever there will be a new drone or a new release, I will update this post.

Before you decide to use your drone for fishing, you need to consider this…

It is very important to say that when using a drone for fishing since many drones out there are not waterproof, you need to be very careful when flying a drone above the water, or near it.

Before I dive into this list of drones for fishing, here are 2 videos that will show you how you can use a drone incorrectly for fishing, the first video goes okay, and you can even see there a good catch of bass.

However, the second video, on the contrary, ends up with a crashed drone into the water. Luckily, the guy succeeds to repair it.

So, I don’t want you to think that using drones for fishing is something easy and not risky. So make sure to read our article about drone fishing risks, which will help you a lot.

Back to fishing drones

Here are the drones which I am about to review:

• SwellPro SplashDrone 3+
• Cuta Copter EX1
• DJI Phantom 4 Pro
• SwellPro SPRY+
• Cuta Copter Revo 4
• DJI Phantom 3
• DJI Mavic Pro
• IDEAFLY Poseidon 480
• MOBULA
• Gannet Pro+
• Yuneec Typhoon H
• 3DR Solo
• DJI Inspire 2
• Autel Robotics X-Star Premium
• UpAir One

I know that it is a long list, but I did my best to cover all drones that are relevant and which people are generally asking questions about it.

There is also the AguaDrone, which was about to be released to the market, however, till now (May 2020) it is still not ready. I don’t know when it will be released, and I am starting to think that it will never be released – It is in “Coming soon” for 3 years by now. But, this drone, like the SwellPro SplashDrone 3+, was designed specifically for fishing. When (if any) it will be released it might be a good competitor as a fishing drone. I will keep an eye on the AguaDrone and will update here accordingly.

Another company that makes fishing drones are AeroKontiki, this company designed their AeroKontiki EVOLUTION II UAV drone which was built with a combination of carbon fiber and fiberglass which protects it from the damage that can be caused by the saltwater. The material is extremely durable and lightweight and also has a special pigment which prevents it from peeling away after it touches saltwater. The reason this drone is in this list is since it was specially designed for fishing. But, this drone is being sold only in Australia. So I don’t want to disappoint anyone that wants to have it. So, for now, I kept this drone away from our list until I will have more detailed information about it.

Flying a drone for filming is not the same when you fly it out for fishing. This is due to extra accessories that you need to use, like a payload release, an extra weight that the drone carries, and also the winds are stronger. So in addition to know the risks in drone fishing, it is important to know how to use the drone in fishing. Make sure you read our complete guide for drone fishing.

So according to this list of drones, we will decide who is the best drone for fishing.

What are we going to review?

In order to decide who is the best drone for fishing, on each drone, I will review the following key points:

How long is the battery life, is the drone Waterproof, is it floats, fly range, camera quality, is the drone designed for fishing, does the drone come with a payload Release, maximum carry weight, its’ speed, wind resistance, and, of course, the drones’ price. Moreover, I will inform you about the cost of extra accessories which are needed for the drone. Accessories like battery, propellers, payload release device, carry case, and some pros and cons for each one.

I recommend not to fly the drone in strong winds. This can be a bit dangerous to you and to your surroundings. Safety should always be on top of all your priorities.

In addition, it is important for you to know that you should not buy a drone alone according to your final budget. Why? Because the drone alone is never enough. It is highly important to know how much the accessories cost. The battery that comes with the drone is not enough. When you go outside and films your adventure, the battery will not last for long, and you want to have a few extra batteries with you. Also, when landing the drone, many times the propellers break, so having extra propellers will be wise. So when you consider buying the drone, you MUST have a budget for these important accessories. Here, I will also let you know how much these accessories cost.

From our experience, to be set for a normal adventure with a drone, it is good to have with you 2 extra batteries and a full set of 4 propellers with you.

Let’s start

SwellPro SplashDrone 3+

I couldn’t start this post about the best drones for fishing without beginning with the SwellPro SplashDrone 3+. Why? Well, because the SplashDrone 3+ was built and designed specifically for fishing, while most of the drones within this list aren’t. No doubt, this is a serious competitor in our list to be the best fishing drone.

Today, in 2020, I don’t think that there is someone out there who considers getting into drone fishing and which he did not hear about the SplashDrone 3+.

In the early days of SwellPro, it was known that SwellPro drones are waterproof. However, as time goes by, SwhellPro upgraded their drones dramatically and made their drones as good as other popular drones today. Having the main features like Return To Home, or Follow Me which are very important for drones, that placed SwellPro as a serious player in the drones industry. While 3 years ago, many drone reviewers avoided SwellPro, today, no one ignores it anymore – and you shouldn’t as well. You can read more about the SwellPro SplashDrone 3+ here.

SwellPro SplashDrone 3+ Important features

SwellPro SplashDrone 3+, as said, was designed for fishing, that means, it is completely waterproof, equipped with a payload release device which allows it to carry an impressive load of 1km, it can land and take off from the water. And the drone also floats on water. So if you lose connection with the drone and it crashes into water, you can easily find it like this guy in this video.

The drone’ speed is not as fast as most of the other drones on this list, its’ flight speed is 58KM/H, but this is still good enough to do several casts on the shore.

Another great advantage of the SwellPro SplashDrone 3+ is the carry bag that comes with it. Most of the drones in this list does not come with a dedicated bag, and you will need to buy one.

Another great feature of the SplashDrone 3+ is its remote control. It’s a solid and wide remote control, which has its own display. That means that you don’t need to fly this drone using your cell phone. And you don’t need your phone to view whatever the camera is pointing, you can see everything on the remote control’s display.

Last important feature, but not least, is the flip function. Let’s say you landed the drone on the water, but then a wave came and flipped the drone. Well, SwellPro developed one of the most important features, in my opinion, which flips the drone back to. so you will be able to take-off back again. That’s promising that you will never lose your drone when flying over the water.

What about Fish Finder

Another great feature of this drone is thanks to the combination of 2 features of this drone.

Since the drone floats on water, and the camera with its payload release device is waterproof, that gives you the ability to land the drone on the water and watch live what is going on underwater. So, in other words, you have a live fish finder at your remote control. Moreover, if you see a nice fish underwater, you can release the bait and take off… Leaving you to deal with the fish without any disturbance.

This is for sure an advantage none of the drones here don’t have.

SwellPro SplashDrone 3+  technical information

Extra important accessories

All the specifications of the SwellPro SplashDrone 3+ Fishing can be found here.

The full set price of the SwellPro SplashDrone 3+ Fishing edition is 1677$

Pros

• Was designed specifically for fishing
• Has a native payload release device.
• It is easy to fly.
• Can flip over in the water (in case a wave flipped it upside down)
• You don’t need a phone to fly the drone.
• Modular – You can upgrade the drone with other components – so it can be used in other ways.
• Floats on water.
• Can land and take off from the water.

Cons

• Cannot carry very big baits (max load is 1Kg)

Cuta Copter EX-1

The EX-1 drone is the second drone in this list which is made by Cuta Copter. It is the third drone on this list which, like the SplashDrone 3+, was originally built and designed for fishing.

The EX-1 comes in 2 flavors, 4S and 6S. The 4S and the 6S means several things. The 6S is stronger than the 4S and it will be able to carry heavier loads, bigger props, more bait drops, and a stronger charger.

The EX-1 drone is very impressive as it is the fastest drone on this list with a flying speed of 100 kilometers per hour, and also with the greatest payload capacity of 3 kilograms. It is a way better drone compared to the Revo 4, which I will compare later on this post. The EX-1′ camera has an HD quality, but the downside about it is that you cannot record the video.

Another great thing about the EX-1 is the durability of the drone. You can land the drone very easily, and you don’t need to be gentle with it when you land it.

Here is a short video of the EX-1 drone. I was really impressed.

What is also great about the EX-1 drone is its carrying capabilities. In fact, it can carry a weight of 3 kilograms.

Regarding the battery life, it will give you an amazing 25 minutes of enjoyable fishing. Keep in mind that flight times decreases as you increase the payload. But don’t think that this is true only to the EX-1. This is true to any drone in general.

One important thing to remember about the EX-1, is that they are not delivered with a battery and a charger. This is due to some shipping restrictions.

EX-1 – technical information

Extra important accessories

The full set price of the Cute Copter EX-1 drone is 1580$

Pros

• Was designed specifically for fishing
• Has a native payload release device.
• It is easy to fly.
• Can flip over in the water (in case a wave flipped it upside down)
• Can carry 3Kg of a load.
• Floats on water.
• Can land and take off from the water.
• Great price

Cons

• It cannot record video

DJI Phantom 4 Pro Ver 2

Phantom 4 is the most popular drone today and many people are flying it. And for some people, this is by far the best drone for fishing, however, this is not because they went over its features. But this is only due to the crowd effect. Phantom 4 has great potential to be one of the best drones for fishing. It is a very stable drone, however, it is not waterproof, so you should be very careful when using it near water. Here, you can watch a video which shows why you must be careful. Keep in mind and remember that if the drone falls into the water it will sink like a rock.

Some features of this drone are impressive, but, since I am looking for a fishing drone, it is important to note that some of its’ great features are irrelevant for fishing. For example, the drone has a remarkable range of 5 km. But, do you have a reel that can take 5 km of fishing line? Moreover, even if you do have a fishing reel that can load itself with 5 km of line, you still need more line for all the fighting time with the fish which takes line once it is caught. So assuming that you want to fish 5km away from you, you still need 6km of fishing line. But in any case, this is not realistic in the first place.

If you want to learn more, make sure you read about drone fishing with Phantom 4.

DJI Phantom 4 Important features

A good advantage of the drone is for having obstacle avoidance sensors. This can prevent the drone from crashing into obstacles. While fishing at sea is not very popular, since it is an open area, still when flying the drone near boats, it can be very helpful.

Regarding a payload release device, well, DJI did not design the drone for fishing, hence, there is no official payload release device for it. But, there are several companies who designed a special payload release device for the DJI Phantom. But, since it is not native to the drone, there is no real function for it on its’ remote control. So the solution was by covering one of the drone’s fronts led light with a resistor. So, to activate the payload release device from the remote control, you need to turn on the light of the drone. This triggers the device and will release your bait down to the water.

This device makes it a bit risky during night fishing since you are not using one of the LED lights of your drone. You can find one like that here. I also have a tutorial that instructs how to install the payload release to the drone.

But that is not all. Remember the video I attached at the beginning of this article? Well, these two great Australians, made the Sky Rigger. The Sky Rigger is a mechanic payload release device which releases your line without the use of the drone’ remote controller.

How over is it when the drone does fall into the water?

Another important thing, I did see several people which after they crashed their drones into the water, they have could fix it, however, it is important to note that it was fixable only if the drone was taken out of the water quickly and the fixing process will take few days – and it is not 100% promise since they were other people who couldn’t, but again, it is important to note that it is sometimes fixable.

DJI Phantom 4 Ver 2 – technical information

Extra important accessories

All the technical specifications of the DJI Phantom 4 Ver 2 can be found here.

Full set price of the DJI Phantom 4 Ver 2 is 2139$

Pros

• The drone has many great features.
• Long fly range.
• Long fly time.
• Easy to fly.
• Many accessories are available from other companies.

Cons

• It was reported that it gets very hot in warm weather conditions.
• Takes a while to set up
• Does not float.
• Expensive accessories.

SwellPro SPRY+

The SPRY+ is another drone made by SwellPro. It is a compact drone that was designed for water sports activities. Its first release, the SPRY, was not defined for fishing. However, after so many questions and requests by SwellPro’s customers, SwellPro developed the TrollSafe device, which you can attach to the SPRY+ and use it for fishing.

The SPRY+ had a long way with several firmware updates and today is quite a stable drone.

Despite the fact that it was not originally designed for fishing, it has great features that make it a great fishing drone. Having said that, remember that this drone is a compact drone, which means that his flying range, flight time, and load capabilities are lower compared to the other drones on this list.

One thing that is completely unique to the SPRY+ drone is its remote control. This is the first drone to have a waterproof remote control. That’s for sure gives you peace of mind when flying it near the water.

SwellPro SPRY+ – technical information

Extra important accessories

The full set price of the SwellPro SPRY+ drone is 1,169$

Pros

• It is easy to fly.
• Can flip over in the water (in case a wave flipped it upside down)
• Floats on water.
• Can land and take off from the water.
• Waterproof Remote control.
• Great price

Cons

• It cannot carry regular baits (due to its payload limitation)
• It cannot fly far
• low flight time.

Cuta Copter Revo 4

The Revo 4 drone is the second drone on this list from Cuta Copter. You could look at the Revo 4 as the previous version of the EX-1. It is originally built and designed for fishing. But compared to the EX-1, the Revo 4 has fewer features.

It is still quite a unique drone, but still, it is missing quite important features that I would have expected to have in a fishing drone. For example, the Revo 4 is missing a camera.

One of the things I like best about the Revo 4 it’s the durability of the drone. You can land the drone very easily, and you don’t need to be very gentle with it when you land it.

Here is a short video of how you land the Revo 4 drone. This is an old video, but the idea is the same with all the models of the Cuta Copter:

What is also great about the Revo 4 drone is its strength. In fact, it can carry a weight of 3.5 kilograms. By the way, its Pro version can even lift up to 5Kg. That is really impressive.

Regarding the battery life, it will give you 22 minutes. it is okay, but I do hope to see that improving. A load of 750 grams will decrease flight time, and you will remain with 15 minutes. 1.5 Kg of bait will give you 10 minutes of flight, and so on… By the way, this is true to any drone in this list. As much as you increase the total weight of the load, flight time decreases.

The props of the Revo 4 are 14″ Carbon Fibre quick-release type standard. The last important thing to note about the Revo 4 drones, is that they are not delivered with a battery and a charger. This is due to shipping regulations. So if you do buy the Revo 4, you will need to have a 5000mah – 6250 mah 6s (25,2V), 45C battery.

Revo 4 – technical information

DJI Phantom 3

The DJI Phantom 3 drone does not have important differences from his older brother the Phantom 4.

Basically, you can read our review for it on the Phantom 4. I know that probably you will ask how can it be that the same review for Phantom 4 will be good for Phantom 3 as well? So, it is very simple. Keep in mind that this is not a general drone review, this is a fishing drone review. We review here whatever is relevant for fishing. So, having that said, the main features of the Phantom 4 are the same as the Phantom 3. here are the technical specifications of the Phantom 3 drone along with its price.

DJI Phantom 3 – technical information

Extra important accessories

All the specifications of the Phantom 3 Professional drone can be found here.

The full set price of the DJI Phantom 3 is 1399$

Pros

• The drone has many great features.
• Long fly range.
• Long fly time.
• Easy to fly.
• Many accessories are available from other companies.

Cons

• Was reported that it gets very hot in warm weather conditions.
• Takes a while to set up
• Does not float.
• Not being produced anymore.

DJI Mavic Pro

The DJI Mavic Pro drone is a very popular drone today, and according to some known websites, it is one of the most sold drones in the world. The Mavic Pro has a specifically designed payload release (not an official device by DJI) and you can find some cheap (60$) and some expensive (200$). And thanks to its price, while reviewing it, it might be the best fishing drone. After all, YouTube is full of videos demonstrating how to use the Mavic Pro as a fishing drone.

The drone has an impressive fly time and a good camera, some prefer it over the Phantom 4 since it is foldable and easier to carry.

Like the DJI Phantom 4 drone, if it will fall into the water and you will be able to get it back, it is important to know that it is not always the end of the drone. There were people who succeeded to fix a drowned Mavic Pro and bring it back to life. You can search for yourself in YouTube for such videos, however, here is an example of it. But don’t take it as a promise, same as some succeeded, many others didn’t.

DJI Mavic Pro – technical information

Extra important accessories

All the specifications of the DJI Mavic Pro drone can be found here.

The full set price of the DJI Mavic Pro is 1499$

Pros

• Good price for the value.
• Great DJI features like the Phantom 4 and Inspire.
• Long fly time.
• Easy to fly.

Cons

• It does not float.
• It cannot carry a significant load with it.

IDEAFLY Poseidon 480

Another drone that in the contest for the best fishing drone is the IDEAFLY Poseidon 480. This is a dedicated fishing drone that was specifically designed for fishing purposes.

Finally, another drone in this list that can be seriously considered. I looked carefully at this drone.

The IDEAFLY Poseidon 480 has a built-in DJI software, which is very reliable. Also, it has inside a DJI data link, which enables you all the great features of DJI like tap to fly, set waypoints and etc’… Just keep in mind that to use it, you will need to have a tablet for it.

Like the SwellPro SplashDrone 3+, it has its own monitor, which means that you don’t need to fly this drone using your phone.

The camera is not WIFI and it is running real 5.8 GHz video and a better higher frame rate, however, it does not have a gimbal. So, you need to set the camera angle before you fly it.

Regarding its’ payload release device that comes along with it, keep in mind that it is NOT waterproof, so make sure to keep this device away from water, otherwise you can cause an electric circuit in the servo.

Overall, I am happy to see another dedicated fishing drone in this list, however, it is not as good enough as the SplashDrone 3+ Fishing Edition, it lacks many essential features that are essential in fishing.

IDEAFLY Poseidon 480 – technical information

Extra important accessories

Full set price of the IDEAFLY Posidon 480 is 1644$

Pros

• The drone has designed for fishing.
• Waterproof (except its payload release device).
• Has a native payload release device.
• Use DJI software
• It doesn’t need a phone to fly.

Cons

• Not a high-quality camera
• The camera does not have a gimbal.
• Short battery time – less than 20 minutes

Rippton – Mobula (Coming Soon)

A new player is going to hit the market very soon, and it’s called MOBULA. Not too much information is available around it, however, the few that we are aware of, we will share with you.

First, the drone is splash resistant, which means it is not 100% waterproof. It is a bit pricy, as it will be selling for 2,800$. However, it has a flying range of 2000 meters and it will be able to carry up to 2.5 Kg.

The Mobula has an application called Rippton, and you can program it for taking off, hovering over spots, casting and dropping your bait, returning back and landing. They say their application is easy to use, so any angler can use the MOBULA drone for fishing.

We all need to wait and see how this new drone will perform in real life.

I hope the Mobula drone will be successful and we will see it around us very soon.

Gannet Pro+

A new player in the fishing drones market is the Gannet Pro+. This drone is completely new and it was developed by Gannet, the company which is known for making payload release devices for drones.

It is quite hard to recommend this drone at this time due to several reasons. First, it is still not available for sale. Second, it is a very expensive drone compared to the others, its price is 1700$ before purchasing any accessory, including the camera. Third, there is no market proof, showing if this drone is successful or not. In case you would like to add a camera to the drone, you will need to pay an extra 250$. And that will be for a 2.7K quality, which for this price tag, I would expect to have 4K.

Regarding reviews, The only one I could find on the internet was made by Gannet’s company, so you can imagine what type of review it was.

I guess we will need to wait at least another year to see how the Gannet Pro Plus performs to really know how good it is. Also, keep in mind that every first drone’s version that was developed had serious issues. And only after getting customer feedback, the companies could fix the problems and release upgraded versions. This is true to any company out there – including DJI, SwellPro, and Cuta Copter.  Which, by the way, today are well experienced and they provide us with great promising drones.

Another issue that made me disappointed is the price tag. When I look back, in the early versions of each drone (Phantom, SplashDrone and etc), the price tag of these drones was relatively low. And only after the drones were confirmed and well used and tested, their price tag got higher. That, as well, made me very disappointed when I saw the price of the Gannet Pro Plus – which is very high (almost 2000$).

There are other things that I don’t like in this drone, which are related to its median look – like the number of screws the drone has on its belly. But that is not related to fishing.

Ganner Pro Plus – technical information

Extra important accessories

Full set price of the Gannet Pro Plus  is 2,285$

Pros

• The drone was designed for fishing.
• Waterproof.
• Floats on water
• Use DJI software
• Can carry heavy loads up to 3.5 Kg

Cons

• Not a high-quality camera
• Very pricy drone
• Short battery time – less than 20 minutes

Yuneec Typhoon H

The Yuneec Typhoon H drone is a great powerful drone. As Yuneec is a serious drone manufacturer, it is no surprise to find their drone in this list as well.
The drone has a remarkable 7” display and 360 degrees’ camera which allows you to view a crystal-clear image of your surroundings, which will definitely help you scout for fish above the water.

Another good feature of the Yuneec Typhoon H is its obstacle avoidance sensors. No need to explain this as I already explained it in the DJI Phantom 4 review.

The Yuneec Typhoon H is a fast drone that can get its speed up to 72km/h. So, if you are experienced with flying drones, you will be able to have more sessions of dropping baits with this drone.

One thing that we didn’t find yet for this drone is a dedicated payload release device. While the SplashDrone 3+ comes with a native device, and DJI Phantom drone has a payload release that was built specifically for it (it is not an official accessory made by DJI).  However, Yuneec Typhoon H even that it doesn’t have. But, do not worry as you will find on the internet some tutorials on how to customize a payload release mechanism to this drone.

Yuneec Typhoon H – technical information

Extra important accessories

All the specifications of the Yuneec Typhoon H drone can be found here.

The full set price of the Yuneec Typhoon H is 1778$

Pros

• Not expensive as the others on this list.
• The drone has many great features like DJI.
• Long fly time.
• Easy to fly.
• 360 degrees’ camera

Cons

• Does not float.
• There is no dedicated payload release device
• The drone’s propellers are visible on the display

As a reminder, the Yuneec Typhoon is not a waterproof drone. So like the Phantom drones, you can see videos showing this drone sunken in a lake. For example in this video here.

3DR Solo

The 3DR Solo drone is no doubt a great drone and also the cheapest drone in this list. I will be honest and say that when I thought on reviewing this drone, I thought that it will be a waste of time. I even thought that it won’t even be listed within this “Best drones for fishing” post. However, after reviewing it for quite a while, there was a time I thought that this drone can actually be titled as the best fishing drone.

It is a great drone since it is good for scouting around you, looking for groups of fish. Like the Yuneec it does not have a specially designed payload release device, but there are many release devices that can fit this drone. Its’ fly range is 800 meters. And despite the fact that this drone has the shortest fly range in this list, it should be more than enough for you. After all, I don’t believe you can cast far than 800 meters.

But, keep in mind that the drone does not come with a camera and a gimbal. So, you will need to purchase them separately. Buying a dedicated gimbal for this drone will cost you another 400$ – a price that is more expensive than the drone itself.

Also, you will need to purchase a camera, which in this case, a GoPro Hero 6 will be suitable. A normal price for that is around 400$ as well. So, after summing all up, you will end up with an expensive drone set that can get to 1100$. And since the camera is not built-in to the drone, you will need to make sure you have enough batteries to it as well, and that all batteries of the camera and of the drone are all charged before going out for fishing.

Another great thing about this drone is its speed. This drone can get up to 89 KMH.

3DR Solo – technical information

Extra important accessories

All the specs of the 3DR Solo can be found here.

The full set price of the 3DR Solo is 1399$

Pros

• Cheap drone.
• Accessories are not expensive as well.
• Good for scouting groups of fish.

Cons

• Does not float.
• Does not have a gimbal and a camera.
• There is no dedicated payload release device
• Shortest fly range
• Need to charge drone and camera separately.

DJI Inspire 2

Well, DJI Inspire 2 is one of the best drones out there with no questions asked. However, I will never dare to take it out for fishing. Why? 3000$ is a great reason. So you probably ask yourself now, “So why is the Inspire 2 in this ‘Best drones for fishing’ post”? Well, after all, the price is only one aspect that we consider in order to decide who is the best fishing drone.

Look, with all my love for fishing, I will never risk 3000$ over a fish. And like many other videos about drones that crashed into the water, you will find a video with this drone underwater as well.  This drone is not waterproof and was not designed for fishing. It is one of the best drones for photography, but for fishing… well, I honestly prefer not to risk it and use something else.

Its’ specs are wonderful, long battery life, huge fly range (which as I said before, it is not needed for fishing), flying very fast at 94KM/H – making this drone the fastest drone on this list. It has the great features of DJI and also it can carry 2 Kilograms of bait – winner in this category as well.

DJI Inspire 2 – technical information

Extra important accessories

All the specifications of the DJI Inspire 2 drone can be found here.

The full set price of the DJI Inspire 2 is 3910$

Pros

• High-quality camera.
• Fast drone – up to 94KM/H
• The drone has many great features.
• Long fly time.
• 360 degrees’ camera

Cons

• Does not float.
• Not easy to fly
• Very expensive.

Autel Robotics X-Star Premium

The Autel Robotics X-Star Premium drone is defiantly a great competitor of the Phantom 4 drone, and like the Phantom 4, it has a great potential to be one of the best drones for fishing. And in the opinion of many people, it has good reasons to challenge the Phantom 4. There are two main reasons for it, the price of the drone, which is much less than the Phantom 4, and the second reason is the similarity in specifications. So, having that said, and after looking at its retail price, the Autel Robotics X-Star Premium is one of my favorite call to be the best fishing drone.

I didn’t find a special payload release device for this drone, however, I believe it won’t be hard to customize something for this drone.

The fly time of the drone is 25 minutes which is very good. A range of 2 kilometers which is more than enough for fishing. 3-axis gimbal along with a camera that shoots in 4K, great features like the return to home or auto-land when the battery reaches 10%. The Autel Robotics X-Star is really a great drone and it is one of our favorites in general.

Autel Robotics X-Star Premium – technical information

Extra important accessories

All the specifications of the Autel Robotics X-Star premium drone can be found here.

The full set price of the Autel Robotics X-Star Premium is 1220$ 

Pros

• The drone has many great features.
• Long fly range.
• Long fly time.
• Easy to fly.
• Best price compared to all high-quality drones on this list.

Cons

• Takes a while to set up
• Does not float.

UpAir One

Another drone that in the contesting for the best fishing drone is the UpAir One. This is a reliable drone which can fit also for beginners.

The UpAir One is a great drone. It is a great drone even for beginners. It is easy to fly. A wonderful price tag, no doubt the winner in this price aspect. And it comes with a Sony HD camera.

This drone is almost a clone of the Phantom 4 in its’ look. This made this drone very popular.

However, there are several issues that we found with this drone.

The first serious problem with the UpAir One is the difficulty to get spare parts for it.

Is it good for fishing? Well, its flight time is the lowest among all the drones in this list. Also, it can hold the lowest load. Still, a load of 200 grams can be more than enough for beginners, however, for serious surf fishermen, it is not enough.

Regarding its’ wind resistance, it is also a bit low. According to UPair One’s manual, it instructing: “Please don’t fly the aircraft under harsh weather conditions like strong wind, heavy…”. However, some say that it can hold up to 16 km/h. In my opinion that is not good enough for fishing.

Having that said, I think that the UpAir One can be fantastic for fishing in calm lakes, however, at the beach, I wouldn’t trust it too much.

UpAir One – technical information

Extra important accessories

The full set price of the UpAir One is 695$ (winner)

Pros

• Great price tag
• Easy flying

Cons

• Spare parts are hard to find
• It is not waterproof
• Can’t carry medium baits
• Short battery time – 15 minutes
• Can’t hold in strong winds.

Before our verdict – What is your best fishing drone so far?

I am sure that while reading this article, you chose your favorite best fishing drone. Which one is it? Let us know in the comments section below.

How did we choose the best fishing drone?

There are 3 aspects to choosing the best fishing drone.
The first aspect is how the drone can really help us in fishing. So in other words, the drone needs to carry my bait and drop it wherever I need. The drone can show me live schools of fish for targeting good spots to drop the baits. Also, being able to operate as a fish finder is a great option, even though I think that it is far from being a real feature that people will use it for.
In this aspect, the payload release and camera quality are being considered.

The second aspect is safety. I mean, how safe will be the drone while assisting in fishing. So, waterproof capability, floating above water are the main features that will be considered here.

The third and last aspect is the price. So after looking at the features of each drone, I asked myself, am I willing to spend that amount of money and risking it for fishing? Does it worth it?

All these 3 aspects were carefully considered before choosing the best fishing drone.

Our verdict: The Best Fishing Drone

After reviewing all the 15 drones here, which I must say, some of them are quite popular and remarkable drones, I can say that this year it was not an easy task. But like in 2019, I still consider the SplashDrone 3+ as the best drone for fishing. Still, the EX-1 by Cuta Copter provided a great “fight” and I do think that it will become better than the SplashDrone 3+ soon. Unless SwellPro will upgrade their drone soon.

One of the main reasons I chose the SplashDrone 3+ as the best drone for fishing was due to its modularity. You can replace the payload release devices and cameras as you like. And for each type of device, you have several options to choose from. 5 different payload release devices and one camera.

Another reason I chose the SplashDrone 3+ as the best drone is since you can record the video, which allows you to share your videos later on.

Back in 2018, I compared other drones that can be relevant for fishing, choosing the best drone was easy. However, as time goes by, we see new fishing drones in the market. This is good for us, the customers, as competition will upgrade the competition, and we will have better drones to use for our fishing.

Best fishing drones – 3 Best Drones for fishing

Well, except for the SplashDrone 3+, there are other great drones in this list that can fit better for you. So, if I had to chose the best 3 drones for fishing, I would choose, except for the SplashDrone 3+, the EX-1, and the Phantom 4.

In the first place, as mentioned before, I chose the SwellPro SplashDrone 3+. No need to explain more. But keep an eye on the EX-1 as I predict it to be the best fishing drone very soon. For now, the EX-1 will be in second place for the best fishing drone.

The Phantom 4, still remains in third place. This is since it is a great drone and it has a great flying experience. You also have many accessories for it that will make it easy for you to fish with it. It has a great community behind it, including several Facebook groups that are dedicated to fishing.

Last, in case you already have a DJI drone, you must read our post about how to drone fishing with DJI drones, you can learn a lot from it. In addition, you can read more specifically about fishing with Phantom 4, which will help you as well.

Before Wrapping Up

I hope you enjoyed reading this review. Let me know what you think about this post on the best drones for fishing in the comments section below.

Do you think that I should have reviewed another drone that is not on this list? Leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts.