Technology moves so fast. New phones, TV’s, smart watches, cameras, computers, it’s hard to keep up. New tech is so commonplace these days. But when it comes to sport fishing, apart from the odd new innovative upgrade to a rod or reel, we have not seen anything revolutionary in recent years. As the ‘Internet of Things’ extends its reach to the great outdoors, Japan’s SmartLure Corp recently launched its latest tech: the world’s first intelligent sensor-packed SmartLure Model Zero.
Sport fishing meets technology
Dedicated anglers, fishing guides and captains have forever documented their days on the water in the pursuit of better understanding when and where to fish. Time, tides, barometric pressure, water temperature and moon phase all have an impact on the success of your day on the water. It can take years of collecting this data before a successful pattern emerges. Then when you think you’ve cracked the code and promised your mates an eventful day on the water…then nada!
Nevertheless, there is one thing that never changes. That desire to understand when to launch the tinny or head to the canyons in pursuit of that trophy.
With this never ending pursuit of knowledge in mind, SmartLure Corp’s ‘Model Zero’— ‘smart’ lure has been developed to enable anglers to capture invaluable data and push to your smartphone whilst fishing. A kind of automated way to log your days on the water. Sounds cool? Let’s take a look at this intelligent artificial lure.
The SmartLure Model Zero
The Smart lure Model Zero is equipped with water detection sensors which collects and transmits high definition and accurate data collected from your underwater environment. It works much like the conventional lure, with the addition of ‘smart’ capabilities to collect data including water temperature, brightness, lure action, trajectory and lure depth. The data is then pushed to the app on your phone.
CEO of SmartLure Corp., Yuki Okamura, mentioned his fishing community had been on the lookout for a solution to collect information while managing a fishing spot in his local Tochigi prefecture. He then worked on developing the technology and integrated it into a smart lure. This resulted in the clever idea of using a lure to gather invaluable data of the underwater environment.
Since SmartLure was founded in 2017, Okamura and his team have been producing and testing product prototypes, as well as interviewing anglers to analyse how data is applied to their pass time. By January 2021, they produced 30 units of EVT (Engineer Verification Test) level sensor modules which were tested in March.
“We hope that our findings obtained through our intelligent lures are utilised for preserving the hydrosphere environment and for tracking the population of fish.”
– Yuki Okamura, CEO of SmartLure Corporation
Model Zero was then created. Now anglers have access to this useful information to assist them better understand the environment they fish in.
RELATED: Tips to help you catch more fish.
The SmartLure Analysis App
The SmartLure Analysis App enables anglers to request the information collected by the Model Zero Lure at anytime. The app processes the data to provide information on locations, weather conditions, moon phase and tides, giving anglers invaluable insights into the behaviour of their target species and ultimately, improving fishing results.
RELATED: Baits or Lures; Which Is Best to Use?
The Future of the Smart Lure Model Zero and “Smart” Fishing
SmartLure has kickstarted pre-order for the Model Zero. At the same time, Okamura and his team continue to develop the sensor modules and test the lure’s stability and performance for mass production. They also launched a crowdfunding campaign targeting anglers who are keen on recording their activities. The funds raised will assist the ongoing development of the sensor module and parallel testing initiatives, as well as the ODM (Original Design Manufacturing) contract.
The Smart Hook
It was also announced that the SmartLure team are also in the process of creating a new type of hook. The team are dedicated to using technology to further develop sustainable fishing products. The team have been making remarkable progress using the data gained from the Smart Lure to create a new hook aimed at preventing fish mortality post release.
RELATED: Will the Grillox Fighting Belt Catch You More Fish?
Watch this video to find out more about the capabilities of Model Zero. If you’re interested in finding out more on the SmartLure’s team’s progress check out their Kickstarter page.
