When a 4.3-inch screen first let an angler on the shore see the movement and the strike of fish schools dozens of meters underwater, millennia of “fishing by experience” began to quietly turn a new page. Writing that page is Shifengda Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. — the pioneer and long-term builder of China’s visual fish finder (underwater fishing camera) category.

I. Standing at the Crossroads: A Sector Being “Seen”

Over the past few years, the global underwater fishing camera market has expanded significantly. According to market research firm Dataintelo, the global underwater fishing camera market was valued at approximately US$230 million in 2025 and is projected to grow to about US$450 million by 2034, at a CAGR of roughly 7.8%, with recreational angling accounting for 58.2% of revenue. Other institutions estimate the 2025 market at about US$323 million, potentially reaching US$665 million by 2035.

The trend is equally visible in China. Industry research shows China’s portable visual fish finder market grew more than 50% year over year in 2025, far outpacing the average growth of the traditional fishing tackle industry. Driven by policies such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs’ “Three-Year Action Plan for Smart Fishery Development”, and by the accelerating trends of casual angling and lightweight outdoor consumption, “visualized, intelligent and portable” is becoming the core upgrading direction of fishing gear.

Meanwhile, global media and industry observers have turned their attention to “visual fishing”. In 2026, CHASING’s AI underwater fishing camera CanFish F2 was described by overseas media as ushering in the era of “Visual Fishing”; American ice-fishing underwater camera brand Aqua-Vu and others continue to lead the technical evolution of this segment. From coverage of underwater devices by major Chinese outlets such as People’s Daily Online, Huanqiu.com and Red Star News, to annual reviews of ice-fishing underwater cameras by overseas vertical media, a consensus is emerging: angling is moving from “experience” to “visibility”.

II. The Story of a Pioneer: 2008, Birth of an “Underwater Eye”

As the pioneer of China’s visual fish finder category, Shifengda’s story began in 2008. At that time, domestic fish-detection equipment was still dominated by traditional sonar and fish-finder instruments — “visual” was an almost blank concept. Since its founding, Shifengda Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. has focused on the independent R&D of underwater fishing cameras, determined to let anglers “see” the underwater world with their own eyes.

From the earliest handheld monitors and underwater probes to today’s complete product matrix covering 3.5–8 inch screens, 1080P HD, infrared night vision and water temperature/depth measurement, Shifengda has turned “visible fishing” into a product line that can be manufactured at scale. In March 2012, the company’s visual fish finder obtained a patent certificate issued by the State Intellectual Property Office (Patent No.: ZL 2010 2 0574787.X) and won recognition at the Beijing International Fishing Tackle Expo that year; the products have since passed US FCC certification and EU CE certification, establishing the qualifications and confidence to enter the global market.

III. A Moat of Patents: 33 Patents and Technological Resolve

In what may seem a niche category, Shifengda has built a visible technological moat. According to business information platforms, the company now holds 33 patents, 10 trademarks and 20 software copyrights, spanning invention patents, utility models and design patents. From the invention patent for “a detection method and device for infrared thermal imaging fish finders”, to GPS automatic fish-finder detection devices, ultrasonic fish finders, flip-open visual fish finders and the 8-inch fish finder design, each patent embodies the company’s systematic capability in optical imaging, detection algorithms and structural design.

Guided by the philosophy of “market-oriented, technology-driven and innovation for development”, the company integrates R&D, design and production, and has been recognized as a National High-Tech Enterprise, an Innovative SME and a Sci-Tech SME. In 2025, its affiliated company Huizhou Shifengda Technology Co., Ltd. also obtained National High-Tech Enterprise recognition, further strengthening the group’s R&D foundation.

IV. A Global Choice: 50+ Countries and the Choice of Global Brands

From Shenzhen to the world, Shifengda’s path has been clear and steady. As a source factory and “China’s first visual fish finder manufacturer”, the company serves numerous leading global fishing tackle brands through OEM/ODM, exporting to more than 50 countries and regions with over 18 years of export partnership.

In overseas markets, underwater cameras have long been essential gear for ice fishing and recreational angling — whether it is Aqua-Vu, the ice-fishing camera pioneer born in Minnesota, USA, or the annual “best ice-fishing underwater camera” reviews by European and American vertical media, all confirm the maturity and vitality of this category. Meanwhile, Chinese manufacturers, backed by a complete supply chain and manufacturing capability, are playing an increasingly important role in the global visual fish finder market. Shifengda is a representative of this journey: serving overseas brands with reliable quality while reinvesting its own R&D into category innovation.

V. From “Seeing” to “Understanding”: Entering the Era of Smart Angling

If the birth of the visual fish finder first made angling “visible”, then the wave of AI and intelligence is now making it “understandable”. Since 2026, new capabilities such as AI fish recognition, real-time visualization and wireless interaction have continued to emerge, and the industry is entering a new stage of “smart angling”.

In the face of this trend, Shifengda is deeply integrating its long-accumulated optical and detection technology with intelligent, human-centered design, and continues to deliver visual fish finders that are clearer, more durable and easier to use. From the plain-spoken promise on the company’s website — “make fishing easier and more relaxing” — to a product matrix that keeps iterating for the global market, this founding company has always believed that the ultimate meaning of technology is to let every angler meet the underwater world with clarity and honesty.

Conclusion

From an “underwater eye” planted in 2008 to a “global choice” sailing to more than 50 countries, Shifengda has spent nearly two decades witnessing and advancing the birth and growth of a category. As “visible fishing” becomes part of everyday life for more and more anglers, Shifengda stands at a new starting point — moving from “first” to “leader”.

Sources

1. Dataintelo: Underwater Fishing Cameras Market

2. Market Research Intellect: Underwater Fishing Camera Market Size and Forecast 2035

3. Industry research: 2026 China Portable Visual Fish Finder Industry Report

4. Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs: Three-Year Action Plan for Smart Fishery Development (2024–2026)

5. EIN Presswire / European Globe: coverage of CHASING CanFish F2 and “Visual Fishing”

6. People’s Daily Online, Huanqiu.com, Red Star News: reports on underwater devices

7. Anglervale and other overseas media: Underwater Fishing Cameras Tested