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MANDEVILLE, La. — Wanting to increase his success in fishing, a Louisiana teen created an electronic device that he has named the "Fish Call."
Jack Danos, 16, said he grew up fishing and that he could "cast a fishing pole before he could walk." He said in Louisiana, it is common to fish with lures that make noise. The lures each make different sounds to help attract certain fish species, but Danos said he would still often struggle to catch anything.
"We are not the kind of fishermen that go out and catch our limit every time," he said. "We are the fishermen that a lot of times struggle."
In an effort to increase his chances of catching fish, in November 2014, Danos said he came up with the "Fish Call," an electronic device that floats in the water and periodically emits sounds to attract fish. Danos said the noises sound similar to a school of small bait fish and other fish detect the vibrations and water movement from the device.
The Fish Call is about the size of a small nerf football and is battery powered. It is thrown into the water where it can either be anchored or allowed to drift and anglers cast near it. While the concept of a fish call has been explored before, Danos and his father said they have designed the first throwable, floating, electronic fish attractor to hit the market.
"The first time we used it, we went out there not knowing if it was really going to work or not because we didn't know if the sound was right," Danos said. "Usually we are at spots where we catch redfish and trout. … Well, we go to this spot and we throw it out and we start catching all sorts of different species: redfish, trout, black drum, bass, flounder, sheepshead — all of these different species all in the same spot."
Danos launched the Fish Call on Kickstarter and said he raised his funds within two days. The device has since raised more than $77,000 and Danos hopes it will revolutionize fishing.
"The response has been amazing," Danos said.
Division of Wildlife Resources Coldwater Sportfish Coordinator Paul Birdsey said until he analyzes the Fish Call, he can't say whether or not it would be legal to use in Utah. Birdsey said the ethics of using the device will have to be answered by the public.
The Fish Call costs $99 and Danos said after the Kickstarter ends Sept. 17, he will sell the device online.
