Inventor Ed Davis has taken his passion for scuba diving and fishing to a new level with the creation of the Scuba Stik, the first fishing pole made specifically for the underwater fisherman. By fusing together the two sports, Davis has created a revolutionary product for pole and line fishing… underwater! If you are an experienced angler and diver, you know the only means for fishing is either above the surface, with pole and line, or underwater, with pole spear or spear gun. The Scuba Stik has opened up an entirely new avenue for the sport fishing and diver enthusiast. His invention will give divers of all ages the power to change diving from passive observation and identification of fish to active, exciting interaction with them on their turf.  The Scuba Stik, the first truly underwater fishing pole, will add the excitement and challenge of the hunt to pole and line fishing…all while underwater.

 

    The creation of the Scuba Stik is an interesting story.  As an avid fisherman, master diver and PADI certified open water scuba instructor, Ed Davis noticed newly certified divers’ feeble attempts at fishing underwater. With ice fishing poles or open face rod and reels in hand, they would attempt to “fish”…and when successful at the endeavor, more often than not, would find themselves becoming entangled in line, as the fish would swim circles around the would-be fisherman-diver.  Seeing this dangerous endeavor firsthand, the gears in Ed’s mind began to turn, and after several weekends of tinkering in his shop, a working model of the Scuba Stik was catching fish!  Since then, Ed has modified and redesigned the underwater fishing pole countless times, leading up to his current patent pending design.

 

    One of the main objectives Davis had for creating the Scuba Stik was for the safety and enjoyment of the underwater fisherman.  So instead of eyelets along the exterior of the rod to carry the line to the rod tip on traditional rods, the Scuba Stik has an interline system (line inside the rod) that lessens the likelihood of entanglement.  Another benefit the Scuba Stik has over ordinary fishing poles is the construction of the reel.  According to Ed Davis, “Traditional reels are not manufactured with the intent of being used in harsh conditions such as water, especially salt water, nor are the components of most rods and reels manufactured from water proof and rust resistant materials.”  The Scuba Stik, on the other hand, is entirely made of plastic, fiberglass, and stainless steel, and can be immersed in water over and over again, with no harm to the rod or reel. 

 

    “To use ordinary fishing poles that are not designed for underwater fishing is dangerous and impractical,” Davis explains, “furthermore, you are not able to even cast line with them underwater. As opposed to fishing above the water, the Scuba Stik does not require casting long distances because with a few stealthy fin kicks, you are able to present your bait only a few feet from the fish. And with the unique hydrocast system on the Scuba Stik, it allows the fisherman to cast and retrieve bait with ease.”

 

    Certainly there have been other challenges that Davis had to overcome in designing an effective underwater fishing pole. “Above the water a fisherman sets the hook by jerking the entire rod back when he feels a fish bite, but because of water resistance, I had to come up with an entirely new way of setting the hook.”  This is accomplished by retracting the Scuba Stik handle quickly,(a feature of the “exclusive Hydrocast” design),  and pulling on the line and setting the hook into a striking fish. “And while fishing above water, fish are allowed to run with a lightly set drag, pulling the line from the reel.  Playing a fish with the Scuba Stik usually requires only a few feet of line, as you can follow your catch until it tires while keeping fish and line at a safe distance.”

 

    Davis also realized early on that when a fish is hooked underwater it can swim in any direction; therefore he had to construct a rod tip that makes it possible to retrieve fish from any direction without binding the line.  To keep the hook set underwater, the diver/fisherman simply retrieves the fish and locks it down against the rod tip with the handle locking feature, then can safely remove the fish from the line.

 

     Wile gaining experience at this task, Davis found that the removal of fish from the line is simpler if done underwater by using hooks on leaders. Once there is a fish at the end of the pole, all that is needed is to lock the fish to the tip of the pole and detach the leader from the line, then put the leader, hook, and fish in your Scuba Stik creel, goodie bag, or better yet, unhook and let it go. “And because the fish aren’t yanked from their watery environment, there is little if any stress on the fish. Consequently, there is less stress on the diver/fisherman.

 

    Although the Scuba Stik is used underwater, it is still a pole and line method of fishing and people who use it must abide by local fishing rules and regulations.  “That’s what makes the Scuba Stik so exciting,” exclaimed Davis, “the fisherman still has to compel a fish to bite on the bait or lure in order to catch fish.” This is where the patience and skills of the angler AND the diver will be tested time and time again!

 

 

    The Scuba Stik has many benefits for the underwater fisherman.  For example, underwater, you can hunt for the fish that you are fishing for.  So if it’s bass that you enjoy fishing for, you can locate and fish for bass instead of spending time catching fish you had no intention of catching. Same holds true for under size fish.

 

     Underwater fishing is not without its challenges as well. One challenge of the new sport is that unlike fishing above the water, an underwater fisherman’s amount of time dedicated to fishing is limited by air supply and the depth of fishing. And when your time is up, it is UP, regardless of how good the fish are biting. Another challenge is storing and retrieving pre-baited hooks underwater if artificial lures aren’t used. And yet another is how to quickly bag your catch before it is able to make its escape!

 

 

    The Scuba Stik may not only be a great opportunity for divers and snorkelers to enhance their underwater experience; it may also be a great opportunity for dive retailers and resorts as well.  The Scuba Stik and its accessories provide a completely new and exciting category of dive equipment and experience.  The excitement created by this new product has the potential to increase the sales of those who wish to retail or rent the Scuba Stik line of products.

 

    All the work that has gone into Davis’s passion has turned the Scuba Stik into a safe, sophisticated, and reliable piece of sporting equipment.  With Davis’s creation, divers and snorkelers alike have a new and exciting sport available to them.

 

    “I am hoping that the Scuba Stik fishing experience will be a means to keep new divers in the water and seasoned divers excited about diving, year after year.”  “Who knows?  Maybe if this really catches on, there will be need for a new class of world records created especially for underwater pole and line fishermen.  Now, that would be incredible!” muses Davis.