A closer look at the FISH SEEKER Kontiki - a compact electric fishing torpedo for beach long-lining

A Fishing Kontiki is a device to carry baited hooks from the beach to deeper water. This can be used as an alternative to drone-fishing in areas where drone fishing is not permitted for example. It's also a lightweight, compact alternative to the larger and more cumbersome beach torpedos.
We don't do Kontiki fishing ourselves but we met someone who recently purchased this Mini-Kontiki and we were interested to see how it works. Arthur agreed to give us a demonstration of this device which we very much appreciated.
These devices are also often referred to as fishing beach torpedos and the bigger counterparts, such as the sea horse, can carry up to 25 hooks.
The advantage of the Fish Seeker is that it is very compact, lightweight, cheap and easy to carry around. It is also a little more fish friendly to fish with 5 hooks rather than 25 hooks. In many countries long lines are banned for obvious environmental reasons.
By the way - we are not associated or supported by any of the companies that produce fishing torpedos and we would not encourage you to buy one based on this video.
A big disadvantage with Kontiki fishing is that you have no direct contact with the fish and there is a good chance of fish suffering on the hooks for quite some time before being reeled back to shore. This can also attract unwanted bycatch such as sharks.
Personally we find drone-fishing to be more fun and we don't like to fish with more than two hooks at a time, even if it is legal in NZ. This device comes in handy when you just want to catch a feed for the family.
We only made this video to show some different styles of fishing and think it's always interesting to see what is available and how it works.
Read our Fish Seeker Article here:
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#fishingreminder #fishing #longlineFishing #kontikiFishing #surfcasting #fishingTorpedo #fishingKontiki #surfFishing #fishSeeker

[@cottawalla]

My father and eldest brother used to go surf fishing back in the 1950s/60s. My brother was into archery so my father made sinkers that would fit over the arrow tip and my brother would shoot the sinker and line out beyond the breakers.

[@Fishingreminder]

interesting story, thanks for sharing

[@lubnaferdous9963]

That’s interesting. I always thought using a strong toy gun for it.

[@morrisbobo5029]

This is a fantastic in depth review. I saw the fish seeker on TV shopping in Australia. This clip was great and much more detailed than the TV promotion.

[@Fishingreminder]

Hey Morris, thanks for the nice feedback. Glad the vid was helpful 🙂

[@chambzors1]

That sugar lolly idea is awesome props to you Kiwi and your damn enginuity. from Aussie

[@outinthebushnz]

In depth review mate. That’s a seriously compact unit. So cool

[@Fishingreminder]

Cheers bro. Yeah was quite interesting to have a closer look at this kontiki.

[@hurigage4469]

thanks for that I am looking at getting me one so it was good to see how easy it is to use.i like the electric reel.Thanks Arthur

[@Fishingreminder]

Thanks for the feedback. Let us know how you get on with it.

[@eprohoda]

Awesome content! !

[@Fishingreminder]

Thanks 👍

[@monkeyceo3230]

Wow look at all those fish

[@matthewdavis5196]

I bought one can't wait to use it

[@Fishingreminder]

Let us know how it goes

[@JaydenLawson]

How'd it go Matthew? I'm keen to hear about people's experience with it!

[@stanelymaria582]

Thank you for this video a lot! It let me save a BIG MONEY and no more FF.

[@Fishingreminder]

You're welcome!!

[@janinehodgson2318]

Thanks for putting together that review. My 87 year old Dad (a lifetime of fishing) mentioned wanting one, so I am doing a little research. As much as he would love to put a rod out or kayak, its simply no longer possible. Even getting on and off a boat can be problematic. Reading through the comments from people who have one, it seems they are poorly constructed. A real shame but not surprised.

[@Fishingreminder]

Thanks for the comment, Janine. Glad the video was helpful. Perhaps you can convince your dad to learn how to fly a drone. This would be even more accessible as a drone is very lightweight and requires less setup. Have a look at a condor fishing drone for example. They can be operated without a mobile phone and are really easy to use.

[@Fishingreminder]

We recently had a closer look at this drone, here is the video link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eGe9mX2tjMx6pas

[@janinehodgson2318]

Thanks. Dad did try one, but found it complicated. I will check you review out.

[@mastergunj7514]

My 86 year old fishing partner bought this one just 2 weeks ago, and he loves it. It's like watching a 5 year old kid with a new toy lol. I hope you get one for dad :)

[@dok3822]

ㅎㅎ 그런게 있었네요 . 재밋게 잘 봤습니다. 특히 기대하고 보다기 꽝친건 압권.

[@Fishingreminder]

감사합니다~!^^

[@JaydenLawson]

Great review - thanks! Did Arthur catch any while you were there? Or did he say how successful it usually is?

[@Fishingreminder]

Not while we were there. The weather turned really shitty the next day. I believe Arthur has been catching quite a few since then :)

[@srf2112]

Between the reel and the sub you're in for more than I spend on my vehicles. What's the limit?

[@mastergunj7514]

That looks fantastic ! What happens if a jet ski or a boat crosses your line seeing it is so far out? Would it cut the line therefore losing the kontiki. You would have to go somewhere where there are no boats or people in the water I guess, and you would have to be wary about shark nets

[@Fishingreminder]

Yeah I wouldn't use it if there's heavy boat traffic. Ideally off sandy surf beaches. I think the line would be deep enough in the water not to interfere with a boat but I wouldn't risk it. Also need to check for shark nets, hidden reefs or rocks before usage. I also wouldn't take it out more than 500 meters. It's still somewhat line of sight and manageable.

[@RR-vf2bd]

Cool invention! Thanks for information. But I think drone fishing is better since it drops bait and you can actually see spot .

[@Fishingreminder]

Yes, I agree :)

[@Fishingreminder]

Have you caught anything with the Fish Seeker? Let us know.

[@kakapokampas996]

What location is that - looks a great fishing beach.

[@Fishingreminder]

Yeah a nice beach, eh. Bay of Plenty, near Whakatane.

[@fishwomanyvr]

and as a bonus you can add some c4 or c5 and you can take out a cargo ship.

[@Fishingreminder]

😂😂

[@tomdixonzl2hgr15]

Love it!! , could sell a few to the Ukraine defense forces.

[@samuelellisonlavutul1857]

I hope its sold in Papua New Guinea already. I am impressed and interested. I want to own one. Where can I get one?

[@Fishingreminder]

I'm not sure if you can buy one in Papa New Guinea. You might have to get it shipped from overseas.

[@dchh2872]

cool 0 I always assumed that they were sent out on two lines one for the hooks and one for the kontiki so that could come back in while the hooks are out, a lot of coin to lose if the line breaks

[@Fishingreminder]

Yeah that's true. People usually use very heavy braid with them to reduce chances of loosing it. But still always a slim possibility that the line snags or breaks.

[@toomasmirka2049]

How its will find target place, set up the gps coordinates with app?

[@Fishingreminder]

It doesn't have GPS. You set a timer and then the motor will stop. You can work out the distance by how many meters it travels per minute. From memory it was about 100 meters per minute. So you could set the timer to 5 minutes for a 500 meter cast.

[@toomasmirka2049]

@@Fishingreminder thanks, but how drive it to right or left to avoid wrong place?

[@Fishingreminder]

@@toomasmirka2049 you can't steer it while it's going out. You point it in the direction you want it to go and it will just go straight forward. Maybe it's got a gps built in to hold it's course with the two motors. Not sure. But if so the gps is not used for dropping the bait at a certain location as far as I'm aware.

[@georgefairweathermoonlight4]

nice little kit, i think a lot more sustainable on the fishery, the fishery is being thrashed by 25 hook torpedos catching the big spawning fish that never used to be reached by the average person, how long before we see a massive crash?

[@Fishingreminder]

Yes, I really don't know why longline fishing is still legal. Most countries have a two hook per line limit which is far more sustainable and much friendlier to the environment.

[@georgefairweathermoonlight4]

@@Fishingreminder wow,really

[@walkintomydream7208]

I also think long line fishing isn’t really good for the ocean ecosystem. Fish stuck on the line for hours and suffering. After torturing the fish they only collect what they want and the rest fish were on the hooks all to be thrown away for nothing 😕

[@gaharuagarwood3808]

How much it cost?

[@johnmead8437]

@@walkintomydream7208 Should only leave them out for about 30 minutes. After fresh fish, and if left too long they become shark bait. Other reasons for limiting time in water also happen. And with 5 hooks most fish species limits are not exceeded.

[@adamcox2828]

Do you know how far it tends to go out a minute?

[@Fishingreminder]

it's about 100 meters per minute I believe

[@adamcox2828]

@@Fishingreminder and do you know if it would have enouph power to pull from a long line reel apposed to a fishing rod reel? Can't find a rod reel that will take 1000m of line.

[@Fishingreminder]

@@adamcox2828 yeah I'm sure you could use a beach longline reel. You might want to get an electric winch as well.

[@adamcox2828]

@@Fishingreminder cool thank you, am looking forward to my fish seeker arriving 🤠👍

[@MrJinaksa]

How do I buy this one? Can you answer so about this?

[@Fishingreminder]

Apparently they are only sold via TV advertisements in Australia and New Zealand. You might be able to find one or a similar one on Aliexpress - not sure.

[@devoncsmith2696]

Great video of the ins and outs of the kontiki. I'm sure like myself, most people would want to know is whether this device was successful at getting fish like advertised on TV?

[@Fishingreminder]

Thanks Devon, yeah I'm sure it will catch fish. Just not that day when we tried it, haha. By using a kontiki or preferably a drone, you'd definitely have better chances of getting your baits to where the fish are. My main worries about the fish seeker would be build quality and durabilty.

[@djebaryahia1271]

Hi please i m from france and i must buy this fish seeker can u give the website where can i buy it? Thanks

[@Fishingreminder]

Hi Djebar, I believe they are only being sold via TV advertising in Australia and New Zealand. I'm not sure if you can get one in France. You could perhaps try Aliexpress and check if they have something comparable.

[@djebaryahia1271]

@@Fishingreminder thanks a million aliexpress do not have it

[@Fishingreminder]

@@djebaryahia1271maybe you could try ebay Australia and see if a second hand one comes up and if you could get it shipped to France

[@djebaryahia1271]

@@Fishingreminder yrd i will tray thanks

[@SoleAdventuresNZ]

Iv been looking for fish seeker videos. Iv recently purchased 1 but havent used it yet. Il give it a go today if sea looking good. Awesome vid .

[@walkintomydream7208]

Let us know how it goes! If you catch anything 😌

[@SoleAdventuresNZ]

@@walkintomydream7208 will do 👍

[@walkintomydream7208]

@@SoleAdventuresNZ 🤩 great 👍

[@Fishingreminder]

Thanks man. Good luck today. Did you also get an electric reel with it?

[@SoleAdventuresNZ]

@@Fishingreminder no didnt recieve a electric reel with it. I used a boat rod and reel but was only able to squeeze 300 m of 80 pound braid on it. So gave it a short run of 250 meters out, wasnt much fun reeling it back by hand hahaa

[@avocado9763]

I can buy a lot of fish for $900.00. Interesting idea if you get the cost down. The reel looks very expensive.

[@SacsDad]

Can’t buy the happiness though.

[@pixiepqueen]

There are bag limits and size limits for target species like snapper etc. could be hard to obey rules if you’re using this thing to catch fish. Releasing undersized fish might not be possible or excess catch once the poor fish have been hooked for some time

[@Fishingreminder]

Yes I agree. The same applies to other fishing methods. Take boat fishing for example. Often people have more than 3 rods out, fishing with more than 5 hooks at a time. Often in deep water. Fish pulled up from deep water often have low survival chances when their air bladder expands too quickly. People often use wrong hooks and gut hook fish. I have seen many fisherman handle fish with little to no respect before release. On public wharfs you sometimes have a hundred hooks in the water. So a five hook kontiki doesn't seem too bad if you put it into context.

[@emp731]

Law of nature always applies=Take what you need.

[@Snapperslayer]

And what happened if a shark bites the line ?

[@Fishingreminder]

Well, I had the same question. The way the line is setup on this kontiki means you won't loose the kontiki, only the traces if a shark bites through the line.

[@jonsmith6982]

Honestly even with 100lb braid i would be nervous about losing it ,my friend owns a commercial trawler & he has found several of them like 50 miles out sea floating around & pulled them up in his nets before & they didn't even have people names written on them or ph numbers so i would at least recommend anyone who has one or getting one to do that at least you may be lucky & get it back if something does go wrong & obviously it does at times its like boating you need back up fail safes really .

[@Fishingreminder]

yeah, good point. I think it's actually a requirement to have at least a phone number on the device.

[@Fishingreminder]

Watch this video to see a more traditional Kontiki in action: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rH3WdIeVYrp7hdU

[@404-Err0r]

Good concept, but what If you snag (or multiple hooks get snag on rocks) on the way back in? Wouldn’t that be a 500 dollar investment potentially being lost? Personally, I think this sorta takes the fun out of fishing, but if catching fish is the only thing that’s important, then it might be good.. I personally rather enjoy the process of fishing/learning and up skilling to become a better fisherman, but that’s just me.

[@Fishingreminder]

Yeah there is always a chance that a kontiki can be lost do to line snags. That's why I personally prefer drone fishing.

[@jasonhutt9117]

Change of light just set it to 200 to 300 meters

[@Fishingreminder]

cheers, yeah we were a little too late that morning.

[@Liam-se2ok]

Braid floats on top of the water and doesn’t sink so if a boat went over it would most probably cut it off.

[@markgalbraith4655]

not at that price..id rather paddle my baits out..and drop burley where the hooks are..would be handy 4 sending out shark baits i guess.and stick a go pro on 4 fun lol.

[@Fishingreminder]

Yeah, I prefer paddling or rather peddling myself. But it's often not a great option on surf beaches.

[@davidbendall8049]

Who in new zealand deals with sea harvest torpedos

[@Fishingreminder]

They only seem to be sold via TV advertising

[@pknowles1820]

Actually, if people are responsible they'll only capture what they need for the day. The biggest problem I see is when money is involved

[@thomasclark5413]

So if the line snaps its over? 🤣

[@Fishingreminder]

Haha yeah, or you have to go for a long swim to get it back.

[@michaelougarezos8963]

looks like a pain in the ass after putting the hooks back in the container

[@TheForgottenMagpie]

I'd never get one. They are a rich mans toy. Also made to easily lose so that replacements must be brought often. The best fishing is done the old fashioned way using skill and not over expensive toys.

[@janinehodgson2318]

I was looking at this on behalf of my 87 year old Dad. He has fished all his life, but age is getting in the way now. Shame it seems to be cheaply built. Definitely not a rich man just an old sea dog.....

[@ll-nm8he]

How much is fish seeker?

[@Fishingreminder]

I'm not sure how much it is new - the one in this video was second hand.

[@ll-nm8he]

If price off a new is over 500$ best call this thing a dick seeker lolol

[@fc7424]

It's online for $1500, expensive. Then your going to need a substantial fishing rod and real to retrieve it especially if it has fish on it also. So all up it will set you back a lot of $$

[@Fishingreminder]

@@fc7424 that is a lot. I don't think it's worth it for that price. Better to get it second hand or wait for a special. I would rather get a drone. It's more versatile.

[@kyliepuklowski3767]

It's $1150 atm incl 30% off sale, but yep another grand needed for a good reel & rod to bring it in 😅

[@paulawagstaff686]

900.00 bucks you got to be kidding me

[@deng9740]

No fish! Nice method 👍👍👍🙈🙈🙈🤣🤣🤣

[@covidvirus2810]

No catch is sad..

[@Fishingreminder]

not for the fish :)

[@davidskipsey300]

it's not very fair to see 5 fish compered to some poor bastard waiting hrs and sometimes upto a couple of weeks only to get tiddlers

[@mrdilligaf1968]

What al load of rubbish ! 5 hooks ? Illegal in south Australia and it's also illegal to target snapper here for the last few years. Boats do not cost the stupid price they claim and they certainly aren't dangerous. Cannot believe the marketing BS on this. Fish do not always bite. I've been over holes holding metre plus size barra and other fish and yet won't bite be baits or lures. Never heard such a load BS used in the marketing of something

[@Fishingreminder]

I haven't seen the marketing for this product as I don't watch TV 🙂 But sounds somewhat stupid from what you said.

[@mrdilligaf1968]

@@Fishingreminder the claims they're making is ridiculous. Any fisho can see through it. I hope people don't get sucked into buy this device. In the advertisement on TV , the 5 snapper allegedly caught didn't even move. My guess is they were bought at a fish market and just tied on by a diver in the shallows. I have little doubt about that ! 5 hooks or longline fishing isn't exactly legal either. Sure , save some money from buying fish and then spend a heap in fines when you get caught with fish under the legal limit and over the maximum possession limit. Save your money and buy a kayak instead

[@johnmead8437]

@@mrdilligaf1968 You can overfish and fish illegally from a kayak too. These devices are perfectly legal in some areas, and excess fish can be returned to the water as easily as from a boat. They can be a deadly legal method for sure for those who know how, but catch limits are the method for regulating that. Kayaks are more dangerous for many.

[@tommygunn8355]

Not for $900!

[@MrKiwiguynz1]

I have a fish seeker to be honest I think there a waste of time and money.. They take up to much time just loading the baits and the app is useless as well.

[@Fishingreminder]

Cheers for the comment. Good to hear some first-hand experience 👍 What's the problem with the app?

[@MrKiwiguynz1]

@@Fishingreminder i find it difficult to connect and it's only short range of operation.

[@MrKiwiguynz1]

It's really dose tick me off to use the worst part is I purchase a $1000 tanacom real and an extra $200 for just over 1000meters of 100lb brade to find it cuts out after about 800 meters not the 1000m as claimed on the TVShop adverting.

[@MrKiwiguynz1]

And this is the 3rd one they replaced after issues with the other two... and now this one is leaking water in the motor and battery compartment.

[@Fishingreminder]

@@MrKiwiguynz1 Awgh, that's no good. Yeah that confirms my suspicions of build quality. At least you could get a replacement. Have you considered a drone instead? Then you could still put your Tanacom to good use.

[@vincentdevos8982]

Where's the fish !! Waste of money !

[@2005jungsuman]

So fishing multiple fish in one go, I see the ocean is going to empty soon with technology…

[@jono4000]

We've only explored about 7% of the ocean. I highly doubt the oceans gonna run dry

[@SacsDad]

Pretty sure the recreational fisher is not going to empty the ocean…

[@kaylarodrigues9017]

Have you seen what commercial fishers are up to? Open your eyes

[@johnmead8437]

@@jono4000 In that 7% we've managed to get rid of about 95% of the fish.

[@johnmead8437]

@@SacsDad They give the inshore fishery a thrashing wherever they can. The damage they do to fish stocks is underestimated by many. They do to inshore fisheries what Asian/Russian factory boats do to International waters, & many inshore species have been decimated once they become known, fisheries that were harvested on a relatively stable quota system for years. Better technology and equipment combined with social media.TV advertising has really affected once prolific areas. .

[@thomasfarmer1730]

You won’t be active,the kids won’t learn anything and ya can’t always rely on technology....nah👎

[@360VRStudios]

no fish no good.

[@davidskipsey300]

these should be banned in here in oz

[@edquier40]

Thor Heyerdahl