Fishing with drones is against federal law; Texas fishermen take closer look at rules

Fishing with drones is against federal law

A rise in done use among Texas fishermen sparked a closer look at federal wildlife rules. Officials said drones cannot legally be used.

AUSTIN, Texas - A rise in drone use among Texas fishermen sparked a closer look at federal wildlife rules. 

Officials said drones cannot be legally used.

What they're saying:

"The old saying was, big fish are in big water, right, so we have always tried to figure out ways to get our bait out further and further into that big water," Drone Expert Gene Robinson said.

Gene Robinson has watched that effort evolve, from homemade gadgets to high-tech drones.

"We can come up with all sorts of different devices to try to get our bait out there," Robinson said.

Robinson said drones help, flying from the beach to hundreds of yards out.

"You have a mechanism attached to the drone that you can put a link on, and it will lift the bait up. The drone is very efficient, it can fly out there as far as you have a line on your reel when you get right down to it," Robinson said. "Then you push a switch on your controller on the drone, and it drops the bait right there in place."

Robinson said he understands why many fishermen are interested, especially for safety.

"There's no question that it would increase safety," Robinson said. "I have gotten caught in rips, riptides, everybody knows what those are, they're very dangerous. You're holding on to a 12-foot Olympic rod with an expensive reel, and suddenly the current starts taking you out and that can be very, very scary. At the very least, you could lose your rod and reel. And at the most, you could lose your life."

Texas Parks and Wildlife said a surge in questions about drone fishing pushed them to take a closer look at federal law. They said the Federal Airborne Hunting Act, enacted in 1956, prohibits the use of drones to deploy bait.

Robinson said he doesn’t think the law has caught up to technology.

"What is the difference between this and a remote-control boat or a kayak or a kite?" Robinson said.

Robinson said he hopes changes are made.

"I think that modifications could be made, and I think that it could be argued that not only from a safety standpoint, but from a practical standpoint, it doesn't violate fair chase law," Robinson said.

Texas Parks and Wildlife said this is a federal, not state violation.