Drone Fishing with Mavic Drone

While DJI Mavic is the most sold drone in the world. It is no surprise to see that drone fishing with DJI Mavic is one of the top 3 popular ways in drone fishing nowadays.

What are the other top two popular ways to drone fishing you ask? Well, drone fishing with SplashDrone 3+ and drone fishing with DJI Phantom is the most popular ways today.

If you have the Mavic drone and consider drone fishing with it, you probably you imagine yourself carrying amberjack or a yellowfin tuna on your next fishing trip.

As time goes by, people understand that drone fishing is not that simple. You need to control the drone well while verifying that your fishing tackle stays safe. You also will need to use specific rigs for it (in order not to crash your drone) and a few other things which are more drone-related. But, don’t get me wrong, drone fishing with Mavic will help you a lot. Just don’t think that the Mavic itself will attract the fish for you. And it won’t make your bait look nicer to the fish.

In addition, in order to catch these great fish using the Mavic drone, you will still need to have good fishing gear, and angler instincts in order to succeed.

However, drone fishing with Mavic will provide you with new abilities that you couldn’t do before without it.

So, keep reading this post about drone fishing with Mavic in order to accomplish this type of fishing.

Drone Fishing with Mavic – Let’s begin.

So, as said earlier, drone fishing with Mavic is one of the three most popular ways for drone fishing.

Even though the Mavic has several editions, like Mavic Pro, Mavic 2, Mavic Air (and so on), I will explain the things about drone fishing with Mavic in general. But keep in mind that you will need to do the “fine tuning” for your specific drone.

For example, since you want the Mavic to carry out for you a bait, a lure or even a fish (I will get to that later) you will need to be aware of the maximum weight that the drone can lift. Of course, each Mavic has its specific strength. Making a mistake with this can end you up with a crashed drone.

Let’s dive in…

If I look at the number of drones sold by DJI for the Phantom and the Mavic, it seems that 80% bought the Mavic, while 20% bought the Phantom. Of course, there are several reasons for it – which price is just one of them. But, when it comes to drone fishing, most anglers prefer to use the Phantom over the Mavic. Also, when it comes to commercial use, according to FAA, it seems that the Phantom 4 and Phantom 3 are the best sellers.

Having that said, it doesn’t mean that drone fishing with Mavic is not good. And don’t you worry about not finding the information you need about it. Just keep in mind that the drone fishing community is having more options, accessories, variety, and knowledge in regards to the Phantom over the Mavic.

In general, since DJI is the biggest company in the world who makes high-quality drones. The Mavic drone is one of the very first options people consider when they think about drone fishing.

There is no need to explain here why the DJI Mavic is a good drone. If you are not familiar with this drone yet, you can read more about it in DJI official website. And in recent years, the Mavic had lots of different flavors like Air, Pro, Platinum, 2 and so on. It just proves how great this drone is.

Drone Fishing with Mavic – Clarification

Before I will explain how to drone fishing with Mavic, it is vital for you to understand that each of the Mavic flavors was not made originally for fishing. That means several things about the drone which you must know prior to using the drone for fishing.

Is the Mavic Waterproof?

No, the Mavic is not waterproof. And by not being waterproof that will require you to be more concentrated when flying the drone above water or during regular flying tasks.

Normally, If someone crashes his drone he can go and pick his drone back. However, if you crash the drone 400 meters away from the shore (while trying to drop your bait), most probably you won’t swim those 400 meters and then dive in order to search and rescue your drone – so, you must admit, it is quite lost in this situation.

And you should be aware that crashing a drone can be for several reasons. It might be the drone fault or even your fault. In this situation, it does not really matter why, this way or another you lost the drone. And even if that was the drone fault, normally you could contact DJI and report it. And if DJI finds that the crash was due to their fault they will send you a new drone. But if you crashed it in the water, that means you can’t send the drone to DJI and ask for a new one.

So do me a favor, be careful when flying your drone for fishing around water. I recommend you to read this post about drone fishing risks, which can help you a lot before you go fish with your drone. And it can also save you a lot of money, great sorrow, and damage.

Drone Fishing with Mavic – Making the Mavic Water resistant

Despite the fact that the Mavic is not a waterproof drone, you still can protect it from the water. Phantom Rain is a great company making wetsuits for most popular DJI drones. Hence, you can find wetsuits for the Mavic Pro,  the Mavic 2 Pro, and Zoom (there is also a wetsuit for the Phantom 4).

The Mavic wetsuits will protect your drone while flying it during heavy rain, and it will protect your drone in case it will fall into the water for a short time.

Drone Fishing with Mavic – Technical specifications

Regarding drone fishing with Mavic, you must be aware of your drone’s limitations.

I know, you probably know by heart most of the common specifications of the drone. But wait, in drone fishing some important specifications won’t be relevant.

For example, I am sure you know how many minutes your battery gives you, right?

However, in drone fishing that won’t be correct. The reason for that is due to the additional effort the drone will need to put in order to accomplish the specific fishing tasks.

When Mavic Pro says that you have 21 minutes of fly time, that means in idle conditions. But, since you will ask your drone to carry out a bait, or even pull a fish out from the water, the drone will need to put more energy, which means draining out your battery faster.

Also, at the beach, you have stronger winds which will require more energy from the drone. So be sure to manage the time which is left, and always make sure to be on the safe side. Don’t push its limits.

Here is a good example of how to lose a drone due to wrong wind calculation at the beach. At least this guy saved his drone, but that was due to a great effort and money, of course.

Another aspect that is being affected is the flying speed. When the Mavic will carry out your bait for you, it will fly slower than normal.

So, as a rule of thumb, always make sure to go out fishing after verifying that your battery is fully charged, and bring out with you as many spare batteries that you can afford.

Drone Fishing with Mavic – Let’s go to the fun part

So, after understanding the risks, the limitations, and the specifications, it is time to move on.

Drone Fishing with Mavic – Possibilities

Well, like with all the great drones out there, drone fishing with Mavic will allow you the following:

• Scout for schools of fish.
• Drop baits and lures where ever you need.
• Let the drone catch fish for you without using a rod and reel – Which I do not recommend.

Let’s dive into what it takes to simply take your Mavic drone and turn it into a fishing machine.

Basically, the most common way of drone fishing with Mavic is to send it out with a bait attached to it, scout for schools of fish and then drop your bait just in front of them at the right moment.

So, in order to accomplish this task, you will need a bait dropping device which will be able to carry out your bait to those specific places, and also to be able to be remotely controlled to release the bait whenever you want or need.

Drone Fishing with Mavic – Bait dropping device

Well, the only thing that prevents from fishing with your Mavic drone is a payload release device. This device, in case you are not familiar with, can simply hold your bait and release it when needed.

In the market, there are lots of payload release devices to many different types of drones. While the idea behind them is identical, still, there are great differences between them. Differences that can protect you – not getting hurt, and protecting your drone from crashing out.

Since drone fishing with Phantom is more popular, there is a wide selection of payload release devices for it. However, the Mavic drone still has enough options, it is just not like the variety of the Phantom.

Sounds easy, right?

Well, it’s not! Controlling the drone along with your fishing tackle might be a bit tricky. Lot’s of things can happen during the flight of the drone, and which can risk your drone.

This is probably one of the reasons you will see that people go drone fishing with a friend or two. One is responsible for flying the drone, while the other one is taking care of the fishing rod and the other fishing gear.

Drone Fishing with Mavic – DIY Payload Release Devices

Before you accept the fact that you need to spend money on payload release device, I will say that there is a way for you to build one without spending a dime.

Here is a simple example of how to do it, using a coat hanger.

But, there is also a downside for the homemade payload release devices. The downside is the risk you bring to your drone. Failing to balance the device, or even blocking the sensors can lead very easily to a crash. And for sure, the last thing in your fishing agenda is returning home without your drone.

Drone Fishing with Mavic – Mechanical Payload Release Device

The best solution I prefer for drone fishing is a non-electric device. The reason is simple:

1. You don’t need to charge another battery for it.
2. The battery adds more weight – which in other words, less weight to carry bait.
3. If the device is using the battery of the drone, that means less fly time for you.

That is the reason some companies developed a bait dropping device which will not work with your controller.

Sky Clip – Bait Dropping Device

Sky Clip is a new company which entered the market lately. This company, which is experienced in making drones accessories, has a great variety of payload release devices for the most popular drones out there. You can find one for the Phantom, for the Mavic and even for the Spark.

What’s also great about the Sky Clip is its price. While we got used to seeing bait dropping devices that cost around 150$ to 200$, the Sky Clip is sold for only 60$ (shipping included).

No batteries are needed, you just need to set your desired tension, mount it on the drone (won’t take you more than a minute) and you are done.

Drone Fishing with Mavic – Electric Payload Release Devices

Going up in this category, there are electronic devices which are operated using the LED light of the drone.

These devices are not expensive and normally will cost you between 50$ to 65$ depends on the specific model.

Drone Fishing with Mavic – Serious Payload Release Device

Except for the ones I have just listed, there are some companies that develop payload release devices for the Mavic drone, which protect you and the drone as much as possible.

For example, let’s say you sent out the drone to drop bait for you, and during the flight, the line that is coming out of your reel’s spool got stuck. At that moment the drone will stop flying forward and which will “hit” the drone. With that shock, it might fall into the water. So these payload release devices are having such a mechanism that will drop the bait right away. Which by that will save your drone from falling down.

These payload release devices cost between 100$ to 250$. In my opinion, some of them does not justify their price, while some others are really great and worth their money.

It is up to you to decide which one you prefer.

You can read more about payload release devices in our article about drone fishing with DJI drones.

Drone Fishing with Mavic – No rod, no reel.

As said before, I do not recommend this type of drone fishing at all. And I will say that again, I do not recommend this at all.

It is very risky for your drone, and I saw several people already that lost their drones due to this.

Other than that, the idea is very simple, you wrap a line, rope or anything else which will embrace the drone. Then, you tie a fishing line to the line which embraces the drone.

Tie this line as much as possible to the center of gravity of the drone. Make sure it is balanced, so it won’t make your drone fly unbalanced. Also, make sure the line that embraces the drone won’t disturb the sensors of the drone.

At the end of the fishing line, set a hook with bait and send it to your desired location. When you find a spot you want to fish, just lower the drone, allowing the bait to get into the water, and then you wait for a fish to bite. Exactly like you do with your drone.

Whenever you have a bite, you have 2 options to get the fish:

1. In case the fish is small enough which your drone can handle, you lift the drone up in the air. This will take the fish out of the water and up in the air. Then you fly the drone back to you.
2. The second way, in case you caught a nice bass or other fish that the drone cannot lift, you fly the drone back to you. Don’t fly it too fast. So you will take the fish from the water and not from the air.

Regarding this drone fishing method, I saw people fishing this way only at lakes but never saw it at the beach.

Here is an example of drone fishing with Mavic using no rod and no reel. Even though he caught 8 fish, he ended up crashing his drone in the water. I do hope that you don’t end up like this guy.

And just in case, one day, you will crash your drone (some will say that it is just a matter of time), it is still not the end of the world and you can save your drone. Just make sure to read our article about how to fix a water damaged drone, before crashing the drone. I do recommend you to read it prior to crashing the drone since several steps are very vital in order to save it. And if you won’t do it right and fast enough, it won’t help you to read it after. So don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Drone Fishing with Mavic – The Rig

Like in every fishing style, each style has its own rig, drone fishing has its own special rig (or rigs) as well.

There are many different approaches to these rigs. However, one thing should be in common to all of them. Before landing a fish, you want to succeed in landing your drone back next to you.

Many times, I heard about drones, not only the Mavic, that crashed into the water since the fishing line got tangled in one of the drone’ propeller. And while the drone is flying above the sea, having such an accident has only one sad meaning – This is the end of your drone – which, by the way, happened so many times before.

So, the idea with the fishing rigs for drones is firstly to be safe for the drone.

Things we need to consider when setting the fishing rig:

1. Prevent the pendulum effect.
2. Keeping the line away from the propellers.

In general, the line should be between 2 to 3 meters’ length.

This length of the line won’t prevent the pendulum effect to occur, but it won’t affect the drone in a way that it can lose its’ balance. If a strong pendulum effect will tilt the drone, the crash will be unpreventable.

Drone Fishing with Mavic – Reducing the Risks

DJI, one of the biggest manufactures for drones today, cares about the drone you buy from her. As such, DJI understands that not all the drone pilots are good enough for this mission, and with that said, DJI has developed their DJI Flight Simulator which will help you practice flying a drone, before having the drone yet.

DJI Flight simulator is accessible, intuitive and realistic, and you can practice lots of different training scenarios. It has 3 training modules that will allow you to develop the skills you will need to fly your drone safely for any task. You can practice, take off and maneuvering tasks. You can practice lots of hours behind the sticks.  It accurately has all the drone models and the way the drones perform in real life scenarios, including the effects of winds, sunrise, sunset and more. Learn more about DJI Flight Simulator in the following video.

Conclusion

Drone fishing with Mavic is a game changer and it is a great way to improve your fishing, and you can expect to catch big fish with it.

But, make sure that before you take your Mavic to fish, you follow these key points:

• Know your drone, know how to fly it, know how to operate it smoothly.
• Know the drone limitations, and don’t dare to push it.
• Practice in a safe environment how to attach your bait. And practice on dropping it.
• Don’t fly the drone in a no-fly zone.
• Plan ahead how long it will take an entire session of attaching a bait, fly it away, drop the bait and come back for another session. Make sure before each session that you have enough battery for it.

Practice as much as possible, until you feel confident enough with the drone and your fishing tackle.

I hope you enjoyed my guide about drone fishing with Mavic.

Let me know in the comments section below what you think about it, and let me know if there is something important I left outside this guide.

Till the next time, fly safe and tight lines.