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Scanning for fish in the ocean

121gigwatts

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Taking the Autel 2 6k pro to the ocean to go scouting for fish, on a boat and from the shore...

what would be some of the best camera settings to see fish?

any tips relevant to boat and shore fish scouting is appreciated!!
 
As long as it doesn’t cause them indigestion. I would hate for them to experience discomfort after ingesting a 2000.00 meal.
 
Don't know how well an IR camera would work.. Fish are cold blooded, or am I all wet? ;)
 
Pola for sure. Make sure the pola angle is set to fully reduce glare at the same angle the camera will be at.
The only other thing I can think of would be to switch out the camera assembly for an IR camera.
It's unlikely infrared will pick out a cold-blooded fish underwater... ?
 
what you may be able to see will be dependent very much on what type of habitat you are fishing (marine, freshwater, open ocean, over sand, reef etc) as what you may see is very much influenced by how deep the fish may be, how clear the water is and whether the fish contrast with their surroundings. Many have camouflage and can even change colour when they swim from one area to another (e.g. from sand to reef) . As mentioned earlier, with the exception of a few large species of tunas and sharks, fish are cold blooded and wouldn't show up on infra red. The polariser is a good idea for sure as the angle of your aircraft and sun glare have a big impact on what you may see.

There were a lot of fish moving along the beaches near where I live over the summer. I didn't need a drone to see them but did take lots of video looking for sharks in amongst them (didn;t see any). Whilst there are good photos around of sharks etc they are very difficult to search for using a drone. I spent quite a few years in a light aircraft at 400feet looking for sharks over hundreds of kilometres and they are uncommon and challenging to spot so doing it from a drone I think is even harder. Its more a matter of either luck or seeing one on the surface and then putting the drone over it. In my experience surface fish are easier to see with the naked eye and fiddling about putting a drone up and over them takes time away from casting a line.


Here's a few sequences that may be of interest.

This was a random find, fish just hanging out on the surface -
- see minute 2 or so
See Minute 2 or so -
See Minute 2, 3 (birds over fish) and 3:30 (not sure how I did this) -
 
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what you may be able to see will be dependent very much on what type of habitat you are fishing (marine, freshwater, open ocean, over sand, reef etc) as what you may see is very much influenced by how deep the fish may be, how clear the water is and whether the fish contrast with their surroundings. Many have camouflage and can even change colour when they swim from one area to another (e.g. from sand to reef) . As mentioned earlier, with the exception of a few large species of tunas and sharks, fish are cold blooded and wouldn't show up on infra red. The polariser is a good idea for sure as the angle of your aircraft and sun glare have a big impact on what you may see.

There were a lot of fish moving along the beaches near where I live over the summer. I didn't need a drone to see them but did take lots of video looking for sharks in amongst them (didn;t see any). Whilst there are good photos around of sharks etc they are very difficult to search for using a drone. I spent quite a few years in a light aircraft at 400feet looking for sharks over hundreds of kilometres and they are uncommon and challenging to spot so doing it from a drone I think is even harder. Its more a matter of either luck or seeing one on the surface and then putting the drone over it. In my experience surface fish are easier to see with the naked eye and fiddling about putting a drone up and over them takes time away from casting a line.


Here's a few sequences that may be of interest.

This was a random find, fish just hanging out on the surface -
- see minute 2 or so
See Minute 2 or so -
See Minute 2, 3 (birds over fish) and 3:30 (not sure how I did this) -
Great examples, thanks!
For those who may be interested, the Facebook group, "DJI Owners Australia - No Sheriffs" welcomes ALL drone flyers from around the world and has outstanding examples of marine life photographed from the air.
In the "No Sheriffs" group, individuals take responsibility for the legality of their flights. Rule bashers and any one who wants to criticise the legality of flights, are immediately ejected from the group. :)
 

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