Drone pioneer adds baitboat and app to the mix

Tech company Rippton has added to its line-up with a second drone for long-distance shore fishing and is also targeting the European market with a sophisticated and sleek-looking baitboat. Here’s what makes them stand out in the crowd.

Following the success of its MOBULA drone, Ningbo Pelican Drone Company – Rippton – is set to release two new products onto the market.

The first is the CATCH X, an all-new baitboat targeted at the European market, and the second is the Shark X, described as a brand new bait release drone which Rippton believes will be popular with anglers in the UK, the USA and Australia. A sample model of the baitboat is set to be made available to distributors for testing in August and is expected to go into mass production in September. The Shark X will be on sale in November.

The CATCH X has been developed with an app to deliver heavier payloads over longer distances.

The launch of the CATCH X is a result of discussions with Rippton’s distributors in Europe. Lynne Li, the company’s Senior Business Executive, told Angling International: “The feedback was that there was a demand for a baitboat that included four hoppers and a heavier payload that was capable of travelling further to cope with longer distance casting. Compared to similar models on the market, CATCH X can deliver 3kg of bait up to 1,000m and has a battery life of up to three hours. It can also be operated using the Rippton mobile app, which sets and saves the desired route and destination.” Added to this, said Li, was the fact that CATCH X is extremely competitively priced.

The SHARK X is a smaller, more economical version of the MOBULA, but still includes all the important features, alongside a sleek, futuristic design.
Li said that the MOBULA enjoyed ‘great’ sales in New Zealand before the advent of COVID-19. “Anglers there are familiar with the use of drones to get their baits out to where they want them. They are targeting fish like shark and tuna so need models that can offer a large payload.” Rippton is growing an army of followers through its app, the growth of which is described as ‘inspiring’. “We have followers from across the world who share their catches and favourite fishing spots with each other,” adds Li.

“We also have a customer service team that collects valuable information on our hardware and software and this information is used to help us to better understand the needs of our customers.” Li adds that Rippton is also looking to cooperate with other companies that wish to take advantage of its hi-tech services. “We would be delighted to carry out OEM or ODM work and can do that at very favourable rates.”

CatchX features