In our last blog about fishing, we pointed out why roofing pros make great anglers. Now, we’re here to celebrate some of the technology that is making fishing more rewarding than ever for hi-tech roofers. What’s a hi-tech roofer? It’s a pro like you who always looks for ways to leverage technology to run their business more efficiently and profitably.
What excites the folks at iRoofing as much as seeing your roofing business thrive are all the smart innovations in technology, not just in the building industry, but in other areas that make our lives more rewarding, for example… fishing!
Advances in rod and reel materials, computer mapping, and other electronic technologies are helping anglers find more fish and improve their odds of landing them.
People’s passion for fishing has driven incredible technical innovation in the sport; from stronger, more flexible fishing rods like St. Croix’s linear S-Glass Mojo Bass rod, to high resolution fish finders made by legendary manufacturers like Lowrance and Humminbird that can clearly render images of underwater objects and details of bottom contours.
No longer do anglers need to rely solely on their instincts, hearsay, or the fishing gods to sense where the big fish dwell. Thanks to new technologies in fishing, you can now move away from banks, sloughs, and eddys where less tech-savvy anglers clamber around the same spots. Instead, you can venture out to new, more productive waters where the fish are frolicking.
Is technology in fishing a good thing? Is it bad? That’s for you to decide, but the newfangled fishing gear featured in this blog is meant to enhance the sport, similar to the way iRoofing has enhanced roof measurements, estimates, and sales presentations with hi-tech, mobile and remote DIY software! So let’s check out some of the innovations which have been introduced in recent years to benefit anglers.
New Hi-Tech Tools for Anglers
Berkley Glowstik Rods
Let’s start with something simple but very cool, indeed. The Glowstik rod. This bright idea was designed for nighttime fishing. The rod itself is made from strong fiberglass (E-glass), but the rod’s most unique feature is its photo-luminescent glow pigments. The illumination of the rod helps anglers “read” the rod action in the dark. Seeing the subtle movements of a rod lets you know if you’re getting a nibble. This simple bit of technology will only set you back a few bucks, too!
Smart Boats
A lot of the technology that comes down to anglers begins at the top of the fishing pyramid… commercial fishing and marine conservation. Money is poured into the industry to develop technology that will better ensure man’s sustainable marine food sources. While most commercial fishing fleets lag behind the tech curve, some commercial fishing is beginning to leverage technology through advanced cameras, trackers, sensors and other data-gathering instruments. As this technology matures, we’ll see some of it trickled down to us weekend warriors, so that we too can haul in big catches!
Marine Metal Livewell Bubble Box Aerator
This cheap little gadget can keep your catch fresh and lively in whatever makeshift livewell you happen to have on your boat, even if it’s just a Home Depot bucket! Wouldn’t you rather preserve your keepers nice and fresh rather than limp and lifeless all morning and afternoon? The Bubble Box is the way to go. You can even get one at WalMart.
Telescoping Minn Kota Talon
Lowering an anchor isn’t just bad for your back – it can be noisy and intrusive to skittish fish that would otherwise be waiting to bite your hook. A talon is a discrete rod that silently extends down into the water and grabs the bottom to keep your vessel in place when you’ve arrived at your honey hole. It’s not going to hold the Queen Mary at its port, but it’s ideal for a bass boat or fishing kayak. You have various ways to control your talon— with a foot switch, wireless remote, and its smartphone app. The product also has a LED depth indicator and a notification system that tells you not to take off until you “raise anchor.”
Garmin Force Trolling Motor
$3,000 isn’t too much for a state-of-the-art trolling motor when you’re rolling in dough like most roofing pros, right? Relax. If you’re saving a lot of money every month using iRoofing, you can easily afford this stealth piece of fishing wizardry. Sit right where you are and control the motor with a foot pedal. It even comes with a handheld remote control, so no more clumsy stumbles toward the back of the boat to start, stop, or turn your trolling motor. There’s a diminished chance of getting stuck in weeds too, thanks to the electric motor’s tapered shape and sleek design.
RCstyle Mavic 2 Drone With AirDrop Bait Release
Enhance your fishing fortunes with drones! This concept is new to us (which is a surprise, since the team at iRoofing includes experts in drone technology). Drones are now being used to carry your baited line to a position where you see fish, then drop it in the water thanks to a “payload attachment” that releases your bait with the flip of a switch on your handheld controller. It’s possible to observe a big game fish or schools of fish near the surface of the water thanks to your camera-outfitted drone. A vantage point high in the sky beats any perch on your helm or crow’s nest.
Palm-Sized Underwater Drone
Here’s another drone that surprised us. This is more like a mini remote-controlled submarine that you can send out on patrol for that prized largemouth bass you’ve been after. Anglers who’ve used it say the fish are not intimidated by it either. Perhaps they think it’s an ugly cousin! With an underwater drone you can really explore the bottom landscape and see where natural shelters lie. It’s in these protected patches and structures that fish go to hide or to ambush passing prey… such as your lure!
Smart Sonar Fish Finder for Ice Fishing
You don’t have to be Nanook of the North to be a great ice fisherman. No doubt, there are more than a few of iRoofing’s Canadian clients who enjoy this chilly form of fishing. And, who wouldn’t be excited about hooking a nice big walleye, trout, pike, perch, or largemouth bass while sitting on their cooler out in the middle of a frozen lake?
You don’t have to be an Inuit to catch such delectable delights because technology has arrived to help us! The Deeper Pro series sonar device looks like a big bobber. It’s packed with tech features that allow you to see what’s happening up to 260 feet deep. The device connects via WI-FI to your smartphone and gives you extraordinary visual data about your lure’s location and the proximity of fish around it.
AquaTech AxisGO iPhone Waterproof Phone Housing
You’ve worked hard all week. You’re tired. Fishing is a way to help you relax and recharge. Spending hours on a bass boat, fishing kayak, Boston Whaler or whatever you’re captaining is part of the fun and challenge of fishing, but circumstances aboard any vessel can get wild and woolly when the waves kick up. When your buddy hooks a big fish and it’s suddenly all hands on deck to get that sea monster in the boat, that’s when your cell phone decides to take a dip and that’s why it’s essential to have the best, purpose-built waterproof phone housing.
May the Fish be With You!
Finally, have you ever thought about how basic Google Earth technology can help you be a better fisherman? When you think about it, it’s true. Having an app that gives you satellite imagery can be illuminating when it comes to identifying productive fishing conditions. With Google Earth you can see fairly clear and date-stamped images of an area that you want to fish. You can decipher where vegetation has grown in the past or where clearer waters run adjacent to a tidal marsh and redfish, flounder and other catch is potentially abundant. For example, redfish are often caught near a shallow grass line. As you get used to reading the imagery you can tell where vegetation covers the bottom and what time of year it’s most prevalent.
There are many more hi-tech products serving the anglers so do your own fishing around for the gadgets you need. Technology is becoming half the fun of the sport! At least the technophiles at iRoofing think so. Let’s hear what you think… Is using advanced fishing gear cool or does it take away from the fun of one of the world’s oldest pastimes?
