Can I go fishing with my DJI Mavic or Phantom Drone?

The short answer to this question is YES! In fact the DJI Phantom has been a very popular drone model for fishing for many years, from the Phantom 2 right through to the Phantom 4 models. These drones have generally proven themselves to be a reliable asset for many beach fisherman.

Out of Stock: Can I go fishing with my DJI Mavic or Phantom Drone?

More recently, fishermen around the world have begun moving to the DJI Mavic range, especially now that the Phantom has been discontinued.

DJI Drones are Excellent Photography Drones

Of course, the Phantom and Mavic models were never designed as fishing drones, nor were they designed to carry much weight. However, these DJI drone models are purpose build, and excellent photography drones. Given this, both the Phantom and the larger Mavic models are capable of lifting multiple bait payloads, as long as the weight is under about 800 grams.

Attaching Fishing Lines and Bait Release

The question we’re asked is: how do you attach the fishing line to the drone, and how is the bait released?

There are a number of DIY solutions out there (you can check these out on YouTube), and some great commercially available options, such as the Sea Ulcer. The most active and top-listed bait releases are by the innovative fishing drone company Gannet, out of South Africa. Gannet makes these releases for every different DJI model, and is at the forefront of new fishing release designs.

Sure you can purchase cheap releases from international websites for your Mavic or Phantom drone, however our personal experience is that these releases are often of low quality, and simply don’t work well. We have heard of several cases where customers purchase these, only to end up losing their expensive DJI drone in the ocean – the payload doesn’t release as expected, and the drone takes a dive.

In our view, you will do better to stick with a quality option for your expensive drone, like those by Gannet.

Bait Release Systems

There are two types of bait release systems on the market:

1. A tension system, where you simply lock the reel on it’s way out, and it will release the payload, OR
2. a mechanical release, where you engage the release from your remote controller (often these work by using the Lights on your DJI Drone).

Gannet provides both the basic tension type release, AND mechanically controlled releases. Obviously there are big differences in costs between the two.

Here at Drone Fishing NZ, we have Gannet’s DJI Phantom and Mavic fishing releases in-stock and available for sale. They can be found HERE.