In reply to Post #45
I remember my Dad calling using a bite alarm "not fishing" 30 years ago. Wonder where we'll be in 30 years time!

TBH I don't mind a bit of tech here and there to make things easier. Using a Deeper to map the lake depth vs popping a float up every few yards for example... the minimisation of casting disturbance and not getting floats snagged in weed. It doesn;t tell you everything and its certainly not a fish finder but I reckon a positive addition.

I haven't made my mind up about bait boats - not for me but generally as long they are operated respectfully and not on all lakes.... I guess its ok.

I couldn't imagine a lake where 15 people were fishing and they all used drones though lol... the noise and the mid air collisions, crashes into the lake etc. Carnage!

In reply to Post #46
My dad was similar..

In the 70s we used to go up to the Royalty,can remember heated discussions with uncles,bailiffs and anyone else lol...over these new fangled gadgets called....swimfeeders,there was hell up over it ..

Although in father's case ,he shut a few up catching a big,big whisker on bacon rind from a grotty sandwich..and no swim feeder..

He'd most likely implode regarding today's angling I can see him now on some local pool,Wax jacket ,centrepin ,Fjt trotter all his tackle in his pockets and a chair n landing net,good trad angler..

Time and tide waits for no man,tech is king ,I don't want any part of it ,insofar as angling is concerned on where I fish...its the last bastion long may it remain...

In reply to Post #45
Each to there own as far as I'm concerned is as far away from selfish imo you can get it's quite the opposite it's liberal minded to me

On our lake you can use bait boats I don't use them but I don't get upset with those that do it's in the rules they can and I accept that would it upset me if they banned them no like I said each to there own

As for ruining someone's peace and quiet and mindfulness you literally can't please everyone all the time that's not selfish that's life if we was all the same it would be a boring old world

I don't like people camping and getting drunk and pretending to fish because there birds won't let them go on the ale but if the rules state you can have a drink then i accept there the rules and if I fish there I have to accept it can happen

I love the solitude of fishing with no one around and the piece of quite that's why I fish the venues I do others love the social side

From the hair rig bait runners bite alarms all tech advanced to bait boats drones it's all the same just some people can't accept that their are advances constantly Yates would never dream of using carbon rods and he was the record holder

So each to there own

Bite alarms are just a modern development of a float. It's an indicator, like dough bobbins, foil, swing tips etc, audible rather than visible, same thing, different approach.
A bait boat and drones are used by desperados or those who rely on results to make a living, there is, after all supposed to be some element of challenge and art or else it starts to emulate performance enhancing drugs in sports.
We kid ourselves otherwise.

In reply to Post #48
I understand what you are trying to say,fair enough..but in the context of the subject matter discussed ..you have missed the point in its entire..

Flying a drone low over another angler ,disrepct and disregard,and potentially spooking any fish or wildlife, but each to their own..

Using a baitboat to infringe upon another anglers spots ,steering the boat around islands,and fishing right up and into snags ,...but each to their own

Shouting across the lakes to their mates,at silly O'clock, cos they've caught a fish ,but each to their own.

Using high powered headtorches at night ,all the pulses used to find the single beam mode,.but each to their own..

Getting drunk ,using drugs when fishing ,but each to their own..

Leaving the rods unattended, fishing up against snags ,or going 200 yards away for a brew with a friend ,each to their own..

Casting onto another anglers spots or baited area,but each to their own

Not being able to play fish correctly , but each to their own..

Using overgunned tacke and winching smaller carp and so called nuisance fish in fast..each to their own

Leaving litter ,but each to their own..

'Each to their own 'is a very dangerous use of word age,it layman's terms ,its a cop out.

There should be a sense of respect or etiquette, but each to their own....!!!

In reply to Post #50
I also understand what you're saying and nearly everything you say there is the reason I would take up golf if that is all that was left

A club I'm in the rules are basically only fish with 3 rods make sure you have a 42inch net and unhooking mat and no dogs or guests the rest is do what you want I have never fished any where with rules so lax and no problems all fish with proper etiquette heaven

All you mentioned most can be stopped with rules then each to there own stops because the rules state u can't no drinking or drugs rule means anyone doing it doesn't have each to their own rights and so on

In reply to Post #51
Yeah, I was a member of a place like that ,there was no rules ,except common sense and 'self policing ' of the place amongst the others ..

I hate rules in general anyway ,as its sometimes one or t'other who spoil it,although on other places I've fished,and like most people I've fished loads of waters up n down the country ,and have seen at times behaviour which to me ,a lifetime angler with no agenda other to chill out and enjoy the countryside find it completely unacceptable how some go about their business ,not only ruining it for others ,but ultimately themselves .

Or seemingly ,each to their own,means different things to different people,I guess..

In reply to Post #31
Yes theres a few lakes in that area they are being used unfortunately. As for the live and let live attitude thats exactly what i do....if its allowed on the lake i just angle in my own way where its not allowed i will point it out and take further action if the culprit continues. Thats how it works but make no doubt i dont like or agree with this totaly souless weapon in these boys armoury.... the fact some of them forget to mention their use of drones in their "atmospheric" films yet still give a run down on what tackle and bait they use(sponsered) says it all.... they know its not right which is why they omit the fact they use one. Only my opinion and accept not everyone agrees.

In reply to Post #1
I'll prefix this by saying g that I don't have one myself.

However if you're a busy family man who's short on time, and the use of the drone is not interfering with anyone else's angling, I dont see the problem. Not everyone has the luxury of time and it can certainly go some way to level the playing field with some of the time bandits out there.

That said, in the UK the chances of drone use NOT interfering with other anglers is pretty low, unless you're the only person fishing a lake.

I've no experience of fishing around drones, but you don't have to be a genius to see what a massive advantage they would give on varied types of water.
Baitboats are allowed on a water I've had a ticket on for a couple of years. Although I only fished three nights the first year I did walk it plenty and witnessed the typical baitboat antics a plenty. Those up to the normal antics didn't really seem to be catching much anyway.
This season saw something very different, a good angler who really knew how to get the most out of the tech.
The water is very weedy and most trundle their boats about looking for the elusive clear spots, not this guy, he was finding the fish using the echo sounder and the depth of the weed they were sitting above. He then sent the boat back out carrying a zig rig, tied to present his bait just above the weed. His results were fantastic.
Now I'm firmly of the belief that any water will only give up a certain amount of bites per year, the number will obviously this will depend on various factors, but if someone comes along with a different approach that catches them way more than is normal, then the catches for the other anglers will drop. I've seen this first-hand when two new members of another water were blatantly breaking the rules by hand placing their rigs from boats. They caught more between the two of them than the rest of the members combined. Makes you think about the "live and let live" thing doesn't it?
Anyway personally I've decided that I won't be joining anywhere that allows baitboats in the future.

In reply to Post #55
Makes you think about the "live and let live" thing doesn't it?

Yes. On a lake where bait boats are not allowed the fish may be hiding under the canopies of trees or other inaccessible places
Everyone has to wait until finally they come out to feed. If boats were allowed then they would used to place bait in these places.
Result, a disproportionate amount of fish would go to the boat owners.
Those without a boat and a "live and let live" attitude will suffer and probably end up joining the boat brigade.
In my opinion those anglers should choose waters where boats are not allowed

I know others will give examples of waters where these scenarios don't exist but I'm talking about the ones that do.

In reply to Post #53
“That said, in the UK the chances of drone use NOT interfering with other anglers is pretty low, unless you're the only person fishing a lake.”

This sums it up for me. I don't use either, but have been fishing when both are in use by others. A baitboat depends if the user is a dick or not, a considerate user and no problem. Drones, however, are just incredibly annoying and ruin the peace regardless of who's using them. I'd be embarrassed to use a drone where other anglers are fishing, regardless of the benefit.

if
carp are as clever as everyone gives them credit for, then using a boat will only be an advantage until they get caught over tightly bunched piles of bait in the margins or under trees, and then they will start to get caught over singles in the middle again.

I have a couple of drones but I have never used them for fish spotting, it would be pointless on the venues I tend to fish as they are either small muddle lakes (no visibility) or the tidal rivers (no visibility)
I bought my first one years ago when they were quite expensive and I used it to film waters from the air. e.g. I have footage of a river I used to fish, the drone flying along following it's bends and curves...the videos I have created are purely for my benedit, I have never shared them, they are there for me to watch as I get older/lazier and don't get out to 'wilder' waters as much

Bad drone use:
A couple of years ago I was invited to Holme Fen. A guy there was using the drone to find fish. As you can imagine, the fish would move into unfished areas, so the swim would be free. He'd up sticks, drive to the free swim, chuck his bait boat out and get a run or two. He didn't land many as he was going past kelp beds and all sorts to get the bites.

He never got invited back to this years (2024) trip, and I believe drones are now banned on the venue.

Boats:
One thing that always used to bother me about the bait boat argument ... especially back in early CarpForum days ... quite often the people saying they were cheating were avid row boat users! In my opinion, a row boat can offer far more advantages (maybe not stealth!) than a bait boat. Winch cams and even echo finders weren't around back then, but these guys would think that hanging over the side of the boat with a glass bottomed bucket looking for clear spots was 'carpy' ... and you could hand place baits, poke the lead core into the clay/silt, run the line back along the edge of a weed bed to avoid the fish swimming into it...etc etc (done all those things myself from a boat in France and done very well). However, to them, a boat boat user (who could see none of this from the bank) was cheating due to an unfair advantage!

When all said and done, there's no single/correct answer. Lots of different fishing scenarios where sometimes certain things would be permissible.

At the end of the day I think it's a respect thing....I try never to do anything that I think would annoy another angler on the lake in the hope that they will return the favour. We're there to relax, set our traps and maybe catch one or two.

Ive no issue with drones, bait boats, pre-baiting or reserving swims etc for the reason of making a film. I find the resulting footage of this (above and below the water) more interesting than the catch itself.

I dont think you can compare bite alarms, battery packs, bivvy heaters etc with the use of bait boats and drones though ... the differences is bite alarms and bivvy comfort has no relevance to angling skill.

Lets be honest, anyone who catches using bait boats, drones etc must, deep down realise they are only cheating themselves? ..... Its on par with fishing an overstocked carp puddle! ..... but there is always going to be a market for this type of angler. The plus side is it will keep this type of angler away from the waters i like to fish so that in itself is a bonus