Father Jeff and son Jack Danos are self-described amateur anglers who have developed a gadget they claim will attract any kind of fish and also make them aggressively bite a fishing lure. While there are competing devices on the market, this one is simple and has a lower price.
The device called, “Fish Call,” is shaped like a mini football and meant to be thrown into the water. The gadget emits sounds and vibrations that the inventors claim mimics a school of feeding fish. Fish are attracted to the area with its promise of food and then will lunge at a fishing lure. The gadget can run six to eight hours using a 9-volt battery.
The Danos team have applied for a provisional patent for the sound and vibration technology, which they tested in salt and fresh waters — by getting out there and fishing a lot. The device’s catchphrase is “less fishing, more catching.” They claim the device works because all of their catches were within close range of the device. Among the fish they say they’ve caught were red fish, speckled trout, flounder, blue fish, bass among others.
There’s a saying among anglers, “Shh, you’ll wake the fish,” but what do fish really hear? Fish sense movement, water pressure changes and vibrations. Depending on its size, a fish will react differently to the same sound — smaller ones may flee where a larger one may attack or ignore the sound.
Anglers know that fish are easily scare, but are also curious. If a fish senses a noise from a distance, it may come to take a look and even nab the bait. Some anglers will run a small gasoline outboard engine while live-bait fishing. They believe that the sound of the motor will call fish to the boat, and that once attracted, they can be easily enticed to strike. Another technique called “thumping” is rapping on a boat with an oar in a rhythmic fashion.
If sounds/vibration technology works so well, why hasn’t a gadget been invented before? The answer is that there are competing products on the market. For example, Livingston lures vibrate in a way that resembles a wounded bait fish — easy prey that larger fish may try to grab. Different models offer different features, including LED lights. The price tag for such a lure is $399.
Other products using bluetooth technology and even underwater drones have been created to make amateur fishing more exciting.
Fish Call is being sold by Kickstarter preorder for $99 and seems to have willing customers. The father-son team blasted past their original goal of $10,000 and, as of writing, have raised $31,225. They say they have a working prototype, but plan to manufacture them to reduce costs and expect to ship December 2015.
