A small team from Kazakhstan has launched what might be one of the most delightfully absurd yet strangely appealing hardware startups of 2026: GoFish — a service that allows anyone to go fishing… without ever leaving home.
The concept is simple and borderline genius in its ridiculousness: a robotic “smart fishing rod” stands on the shore of a real lake, fully motorized and connected to the internet. You control it remotely from your phone or computer.
The entire fishing experience is in your hands:
- Arrow buttons to rotate the rod left/right;
- A cast button to throw the line;
- Reel-in control to retrieve;
- - A dedicated “hook set” button for that satisfying tug when something bites.
If (and it’s still a big if) you actually catch a fish, a human assistant stationed at the lake removes it from the hook. What happens to the fish afterward isn’t clearly stated — some speculate catch-and-release, others darkly joke about a secret side business selling fresh fish kebabs. Most likely, they’re released.
Current Status & Plans
Right now GoFish operates at a single location: a lake near the village of **Enbekshi**, about 30–40 km from Almaty, Kazakhstan. Users can already book sessions, choose basic tackle (different rods, hooks, bait), and start fishing from anywhere in the world.
The founders promise rapid expansion. In interviews they’ve name-dropped dream locations:
- Norwegian fjords;
- Lake Como, Italy;
- Pacific coast of Mexico;
- Possibly mountain streams in New Zealand and tropical beaches in Thailand.
No timeline has been given, but the ambition is clear: turn remote-controlled fishing into a global, location-based entertainment category.
The Business Model
Access is paid per session (exact pricing not public yet). There are hints of tiered packages: basic “casual angler” slots, premium time slots with better equipment, maybe even “VIP” hours with higher chance of bites (better spots, fresher bait, etc.).
The team also teases corporate team-building events, influencer content partnerships, and “fishing as a service” for people who want to experience nature without mosquitoes, cold, or actually touching a slimy fish.
Why This Feels Refreshingly Non-AI
In an era drowning in AI wrappers, chatbots, and “revolutionary” prompt-engineering startups, GoFish stands out for being brutally physical and delightfully stupid in the best possible way.
There is no LLM here. No generative anything. Just a real rod, real water, real fish, and a very long USB cable to the internet.
For once, founders can explain to their parents — or skeptical investors — exactly what the product does in one sentence:
“We let people fish from their couch using a robot rod on a real lake.”
No deck full of buzzwords required.
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Bonus Prediction: the Inevitable Sequel
The author of the original post already made the obvious (and inevitable) joke:
> “Bet there will be a remote sex startup next. Take the idea, it’s free. I don’t even want to be in the beta group.”
Given how fast hardware + remote control + adult entertainment industries move, someone is probably already prototyping “GoTouch” or “FeelFree” in a Shenzhen garage.
Until then, GoFish remains one of the purest, most bizarrely wholesome hardware plays of the year — proof that sometimes the best startup ideas are the ones that make you laugh, then immediately want to try them.
