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Trotline Finder

KatFishKyle

May 13, 2013
1
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May 13, 2013
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I am avid fisherman that enjoys running trotlines on the river. I usually mark my line with some flagging, but due to unscrouplous people I have run into my line being run by someone other than myself. I have an idea for a device that would allow me to mark my lines in a way that only I would be allowed to locate them. I have tried to search google, but can not figure out the component that I would need. I hoped that the superiour intelect:D I would find on this forum might be able to point me in the right direction. Basically my idea is to have a small receiver that I can attach to the bush that I tie my line to. Then I would like to have some type of transmitter that I would keep in my boat. My goal is to be able to drive down the river in my boat with the transmitter powered up and have any lines in close proximity to me blink an led light(for night fishing) and sound a buzzer that would allow me to find my line and not anyone else. The receiver would need to be relativley cheap to build due to the fact that I fish multiple lines and battery powered. The transmitter would need to be powered from the 12v battery in my boat. I would like something with a range of about 150 feet if possible. Any help would be greatly appreciated along with diagrams or links to possible componests. I am not super tech savy so if everyone could speak to me in laymans terms would probably be the best or least try to explain it to me in a way that a lowly fisherman might have someway of understanding:p.

Thanks,
Kyle
 

GreenGiant

Feb 9, 2012
842
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Feb 9, 2012
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842
you could try something along the lines of the wild animal trackers they use with the collars you would see on lions or something, they would use a very small amount of energy outputting a small radio pulse every once in a while that would be directionalized

try looking for pet trackers and things to tear down and repurpose.
 

Mongrel Shark

Jun 6, 2012
260
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260
You could use a small solid state Tesla coil :D (this is probably a silly idea, I just like tesla coils)

I have a small system I made, which can power leds from 10 meters or so away. I have improved it since making the video, by cutting off the excess cardboard tube, and adding an empty drink can as a top load. If your boat has a 12v battery, it would run something like that for many many hours. The coil would be able to power receivers with buzzers and lights from some distance. They would get brighter and louder as you got closer. With the use of a tuned receiver coil, you could probably get a lot more than 10m of range.

While its a tricky business making a good tesla coil. This "Slayer" set up is really simple. 1 transistor. 1 resistor, 2 diodes or LED's, and the two hand made coils. If you wanted to go that way, I could instruct you to make a transmitter for under $10, and receivers for whatever the wire costs, plus a few cents worth of diodes.. It's not "traditional" electronics, but it would work. Deciding factor would be how much fun you would have making it. If patience is not your thing, there may be better ways.

I like it because there is no need for a power supply in your line markers. So if they get stolen or damaged, your only down a toilet paper roll, and a few feet of wire, along with whatever buzzer/led you use. Pretty much every other way of doing it will require batterys on the line markers. Could be ok, or could be a bit much to maintain if you have a lot of them. Although rechargeable batterys and solar panels would be a way too keep line marker end charged. If you went down a radio id path. It could be a bit expensive if a few got stolen.


Downside would be... Cant think of any, Maybe a bit tricky to get working, although if you followed my instructions, I don't think so. Oh, and wireless electricity may be detectable by some fish, and may cause them to act differently to normal. I'm not aware of any study in that area. If transmitter was only turned on when collecting lines, I cant see it being a problem.
 

KrisBlueNZ

Sadly passed away in 2015
Nov 28, 2011
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How about using a GPS receiver as you place the lines, and making notes of the exact locations of all of them. Then you don't need anything special on the lines themselves. A GPS receiver can resolve X and Y positions to a metre or less, I think, now that SA has been turned off.
 

CDRIVE

Hauling 10' pipe on a Trek Shift3
May 8, 2012
4,960
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4,960
I must say that I enjoyed Mongrel Shark's video but I think Kris' GPS solution is the most practical. Back in the day I used to find my way back to hot lobster holes off the coast using a LORAN and a Chart Recorder. They had nowhere near the resolution of a GPS.

Now, getting back to Mongrel Shark's video. You must be a bachelor or will be one soon! :rolleyes:

Chris
 

Mongrel Shark

Jun 6, 2012
260
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Jun 6, 2012
Messages
260
Yep. GPS plotter is the more obvious solution.
It might be good for other stuff too :) like maybe even save a life. as well as marking all your favorite spots.

Also prevents someone else making a Tesla coil and finding all your line. You could keep all the locations secret, known only to you and your gps handset.

Tesla coils are still fun though. Depends if you would rather spend a few bucks on a reasonable gps, or a similar amount of hours on winding coils by hand.

I'm probably the only one that would pick the coil winding. As I said at the start, I really like tesla coils and wireless electricity :)
 

KrisBlueNZ

Sadly passed away in 2015
Nov 28, 2011
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I'm probably the only one that would pick the coil winding. As I said at the start, I really like tesla coils and wireless electricity :)
Things that glow in the dark might also attract more fish ;-)
 
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