Boat Captures Drone
FOOTAGE
By Capt. Joel Campbell
Welcome to August ladies and gentleman! They call it the dog days of summer, but in the heat of the day, even my dog seems to be in the water and nowhere else. This time of year, the glitter and glam of offshore fishing during the mahi run is long gone, and the epic dock pictures have turned into grumblings at the ramp of unproductive days. But all that being said, this can still be an awesome time of year to troll.
August is a great month to dial in on the billfishing. It’s too early for the wahoo bite and too late for the dolphin, so why not dedicate a trip to fishing for something you only need one of to make the day anyway? On board the WAHOO!, a 48-foot ocean sportfishing charter boat that I captain out of Ripley Light marina, we will take customers out and pull all day just waiting for our shot at the man in the blue suit!
With the squid chains jumping and the dredges flashing, it’s almost too tantalizing for the fish not to come see what’s happening, and that’s when the magic happens. We have a dedicated crew member just waiting to spring into action. With the mayhem of activity on board that you know all too well if you have ever encountered a marlin strike, our guy launches a drone with filming equipment into the air to get an unrivaled and unprecedented shot at the fish from above during the fight and landing sequence! Imagine being able to preserve the memory of your fish-of-a-lifetime with a high definition video from right above the action. Every jump and splash the fish gives, we capture up close and personal.
Obviously, there are risks involved, and it takes a skilled hand to fly thousands of dollars of electronics through nine lines and out over the water, where any mistakes mean it’s gone so quickly that putting it back in the boat is unlikely. However, our man on the controls is nothing short of talented. We find that the pleasure and excitement we are able to provide to our customers is well worth the inevitability of having to replace our drones. Because we are able to process the video on board, on the ride home you can sit in the A/C and watch your highlight reel of the day on a flat screen TV. Of course, we will send customers a copy for their enjoyment for years to come.
So, if you are wondering if you should brave the August heat, I say absolutely! The fish you have been dreaming of is right out there waiting!! Be sure to look us up at fishthewahoo.com and be sure to ask for Capt. Joel!