In the battle between man and fish, technology has swayed things to the humans' favor. Fish finders are probably the most prevalent use of technology in fishing, and FishHunter takes things one step further by incorporating Bluetooth and a smartphone into the fish-locating equation.
We previously saw the ReelSonar smartphone-connected fish finder hit Indiegogo, but it never met its funding goal. FishHunter, on the other hand, is actually available now for fishing enthusiasts.
The biggest advantage of a device like this versus more traditional fish finders is that it doesn't need to be mounted to anything. Instead, it works like a bobber, floating around the water. Obviously, users will want to affix some fishing line to keep the bobber from drifting away, but this certainly opens up the technology to shore fisherman.
The device is slightly limited by the range of Bluetooth, which means it can't travel further than 80 feet (24 meters) from the smartphone. The sonar is able to track fish at a depth up to 100-120 feet (30-40 meters).
Of course, in order for the bobber to show users the data it sees, an app is required. It is available for free from Google Play and the App Store, and it has some other features besides locating fish. It allows users to track their catches using GPS so they can come back to a sweet spot later, and it has a fish species encyclopedia. Additionally, it also features some social functions like photo contests and the ability to link with other popular social networks for sharing those big catch stories.
The device is on sale now directly from FishHunter for US$229, which is a little more than your average fish finder. It all comes down to whether the portability and lack of mounting is something that suits the needs of a particular fisherman. In addition to the device itself, a charging station, USB cord and carrying bag are also included.
Source: FishHunter via Gizmodo