I'll NEVER Watch LIVE Fishing AGAIN?!!? MLF & BASS - Update

In this thought-provoking video, we delve into the growing frustration among anglers who are finding live fishing tournaments less captivating due to the heavy reliance on electronics and Livescope by pro tournament anglers. Join us as we explore the shift in dynamics and the impact on viewer engagement as anglers feel disconnected from the traditional excitement of live fishing. Are you also turning off Major League Fishing and the Bassmaster LIVE?!?! Most of you responded YES! But what I'm curious about is - do you still want to learn to fish with Live Scope and Active Target?
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[@williamgould2470]

I'm 73 and have spent my entire life since I was 5 learning how to fish, learning new techniques, Seasonal movement, Cover and structure and so forth. I've done it the hard way but it has been the most rewarding way. I enjoy some of the podcasts and some of my half hour shows. The problem is most of the stuff I watch has turned into just major advertisements for products and not anything about learning how to fish. The pro tours now especially with FFS, Teach me nothing. If technology today means catching more fish and not learning, Then it would get very boring to me. Fortunately for me the lakes I fish on are smaller and will not be raped of fish because of FFS. There are even more people today that don't understand things like catch and release and will overharvest a lake.

[@jimmydixon2632]

Well spoken. To agree with you.

[@mikestout9349]

William, like you, I started fishing at four years old and I am now 75 years old. We had to learn the what why and how way to catch fish. I just bought a new boat last week. It won’t have any electronics on it. Unlike some of the guys out there I don’t have an extra thirty thousand dollars to put into electronics. If I did have it, I would have bought a bigger boat.

[@rodcashman4793]

Mikey I would love to learn the FFS. But it's hard for I never did any video game & such. It's hard to make sense out of the screen. I always mess things up .

[@910Volcomsnow]

Watching youtube channels such as this channel, Greg Blanchard, Debo’sfishing, NDyakangler and TacticalBassin has taught me more bout bass fishing than watching any Pro fishing tournament. For me personally, there’s no learning or entertainment value in watching someone staring quietly at a screen.

[@mikeybalzz]

Fair enough those are the kind of responses that I was interested in I didn't know if there was a group of guys out there who didn't like watching the forward facing but at the same time wanted to learn about it

[@tonyparker7521]

The real question is do you really need it if your not competitive fishing . ?

[@inaslump]

Clearly you're not watching, cause there is a TON of info coming out of the live mix...Not many have the patience to watch live for 8 hours..They want to go watch a quick 20 minute video instead...Patience is a lost art,it's become me me, now now...

[@texascreekcowboy1587]

agreed

[@JJLeMay]

I couldn't have said it better myself. I have no interest in watching the lives or FFS. I'll turn on my Xbox if I want to play a video game.

[@timg185]

I’m 52 . Been tournament fishing since I was 24. Watch every Bassmaster show since I was 10 years old. I’ve followed a couple BASS live this year. But I’m not as interested as I use be. Not saying I will never watch. But I’m definitely not watching as much as I use to. I have active target. But I haven’t really learned it well. I’m not sure I really want to and I’m not sure I really want to compete in tournaments because of it. I started fishing tournaments because it was fun. FFS has made everything I thought was fun about fishing obsolete !

[@tracynewman5246]

No Interest period but you’ve already have said it if your all for it then your choice cool maybe in the future Q- beams will be legal for deer hunting we could learn alot about big buck movement travel patterns with different weather conditions live they say the night vision is getting better every year and maybe the price will come down gonna send that letter to TP&W and see when we can put that night vision scope on lay way when they legalize it lol 👍✌️

[@oldschoolfishing4194]

I am 78 years old and still have a boat in my garage and try to fish every week. I am a bank beater and do well in the fall through sping but am considering getting livescope for chasing off shore schools in the summer. I want to learn more and think your videos are great.

[@mikeybalzz]

Thanks bud that's exactly what I was wondering about. I think there's a lot of guys out there with that same opinion.

[@christopherfallon6086]

I have learned so much from watching you. Thanks Mike

[@BrianB_fishing]

I want to learn more!!! Use the tools available.

[@FishingVet8004]

Honestly I’ve learned so much more from watching videos like yours or guys in my area than from tournament livestreams. That’s even more so since the majority of the live footage is of every pro’s back staring down at his screen.

[@RandyStark-yi6qx]

Yes, I want to watch Mikey and learn. Live tournaments bore me to death. I try to pick up a tidbit of knowledge when I can. Keep up the good work with basic instruction and different approaches.

[@mikeybalzz]

Appreciate that man!

[@kennylowe9404]

For me, I grew up power fishing wood/grass cover. I’ve fished for hours at a time without looking at my graph. There is something about the suspense of pulling a Buzzbait down a laydwn and being on your tiptoes waiting on the blow up that does it for me. I have had live scope but no longer do because it seems in my waters it was hard to get clarity good enough to see your baits in the muddy water and our rivers and creeks are one big continuous brush pile with logs and tops scattered everywhere. I have no problem with anyone using it at all. There have been fish caught now that have never been fished for before. Fantastic technology! It just doesn’t fit my style of fishing and obviously many of the pros style either! I think if you banned it from 1/2 the tournaments and allowed it for half you would see a complete leader board change between the tournaments with and without🤷🏻‍♂️🎣 Love Your content MB! Keep it coming and show us some more bigs! One question… if you could only fish one lake/river in Florida what would it be??

[@EarlSChristy]

Good point. Much like the railroads allowed Anglo buffalo hunters to learn all there was to know about the movements of buffalo herds. So well that by the end of the 19th century no one will ever again be dealing with any mystery concerning buffalo herds as there were only approximately 300 buffalo left scattered about on the plains, down from estimated 30 -60,000 before the railroad hunters became enlightened.

[@PickwickPirate]

Love mine and I watch as much live as I can but only really enjoy when the screen is shared so I can see depths, reactions etc.

[@daltonjenkins4848]

Agreed only fun to watch if u can see the screen

[@Glock-1]

I don’t have a live unit nor do I ever plan on getting one for me the whole point of fishing is figuring out where they are and what makes them bite, but each to their own but I do feel that any records before FFS shouldn’t be in jeopardy because of FFS they should have a totally different record for FFS because the people that set those records without FFS did it with their skill knowledge and experience not with electronics

[@Fishing_with_Fincher]

FFS assists in figuring out where they are and how to get them to bite.

[@janlaxww]

Mikeybalzz I’ve learned so much just from watching your channel. Keep up the great content, you’re flipping and punching vids are educational and on point!! I can’t even finish a full episode of some of these pro’s doing KZbin anymore.

[@TonyBonci]

Mikey love the channel. I’m 63 and have completely up graded my boat with everything from my trolling motor to electronics. At first I almost regretted spending all that money but it’s been a year now and I’m getting the hang of it. Watching a lot of KZbin videos such as yours and time on the water learning has helped me understand the technology and made me a better fisherman. But one thing for sure is just because you can see them doesn’t mean they’ll bit. How ever you choose to fish just remember it’s fishing not catching so go out and enjoy your day on the water. 👍

[@BrianSousa1]

Yeah, and even when you can’t see them doesn’t mean they’ll bite. It’s absolutely ridiculous how lazy people have gotten. You can have all the money in the world to buy that stupid stuff for your boat but it definitely won’t give you fishing skills and instincts. That’s why these companies have come out with all this crap, so people that actually suck at fishing can catch fish.

[@FishinwithGRAMPS]

LOL , the cameras are always behind them regardless of what techniques they are using. Same with most of the tubers we watch.

[@EricLeetFishing]

This is very true

[@db9818]

Right, I don’t get the gripe

[@BassGeek]

I’m 50 been bass fishing for 40yrs. I learned all I could about migrations, seasonal patterns, and what bass do at all theme times “the hard way”. But if what I learned wasn’t actually the truth of what bass do did I really learn anything? Because from what I’ve seen on my FFS about 65% of it was wrong…

[@biblebeltfishing]

Very true sir

[@mikeybalzz]

That's a very good way to put it because if we're being honest you're 100% spot on. It doesn't mean everything we learned from the magazines and the old timers wasn't true but the moon sure wasn't made of cheese if you know what I mean right LOL.

[@stewboyslabs1578]

This is 100% spot on and I think one of the reasons so many of the veterans of the sport despise it or don’t want to adapt with it.

[@michaellamenza7617]

It's too good if you know how to use it and it's only going to get better (worse). It's too big of a game changer for me. It's turning fishing into something else. I dont like it at all, and unfortunately, it's not going anywhere, and it's only going to improve. But I think top level tournaments should compete without it. I personally hope some big tournament organization bans it or limits it to half of the tournaments or something, at least. Why not allow trolling or live bait, etc.? Because those are the rules and the traditional way it's been done in tournaments. This whole fishing and finding fish live on a screen, watching them react, etc is too big of a game changer. It crosses a line for me.

[@BassGeek]

@@michaellamenza7617 It's really not. Fish adapt I'm sure Mikey can attest that ledge fishing isn't what it used to be after Side scan came out. Fish and fishermen adapt. WEEEEE Love our simple patterns that we can repeat every year. Fishing is finding and learning.

[@Jozenz21]

Im 67 been bass fishing most of my life. Yes I have FFS and find it enlightening. But it doesn't catch the fish. Actually I go fishing for the solitude and peacefulness. Your content is unique and refreshing. Dont stop what you are doing, you are an original.

[@retflo2583]

I didn't grow up with a screen in my face as the norm, just starting to learn to fish for bass. If I ever get the equipment, I want to learn how to use it.

[@rickl2633]

Thank you for your videos. At the end of the day, you are fishing, so life is good. Stay blessed and continue to give back to the fishing community.

[@scottturner3762]

Love the honest question and content! I enjoy FFS and would enjoy clarification on using perspective and FFS combined as more guys are putting 2 LVS units on. Thanks as always

[@Ratsgym12358]

We just added active target to our boat because our first tournament this year we were at our spot another boat was 50 foot away and was killing it with their FFS. I would love to see a video on the whole process of finding offshore spots with sidescan or down scan then using FFS to find the fish . Love your content.

[@Bassandbrewsfishingpodcast]

Always pushing the line brother. Love it. Remember we kind of talked about this last year?

[@Tedthib]

I love it! I love everything about FFS. I've gotten good at plenty of traditional fishing methods/ techniques but I believe I actually know what I'm doing now.

[@Theburningseason]

THABKS FOR BEING A REAL MAN, ffs is ruining the sport anyone who think that throwing jerkbaits at blobs is hard to do they need to sell their boat

[@naturecutsinc1108]

I have 2 ff units on my boat and have learned so much from them. I do think it should be limited to1 unit for tournaments. One thing I did find is that I don’t work my baits as effectively when I’m watching a screen as I do when I’m just regular fishing. When I’m not using gf sonar I imagine what my bait is trying to imitate and concentrate hard on the action I put into. When watching my bait on the screen I watch the fish and see how he is reacting and move my bait accordingly. The biggest advantage for gf sonar for me is eliminating dead water when I might have a few hours during a week or even month to fish. I can locate fish quicker and find out the mood of the fish to help me be more productive quicker. However, on weeks that I get to fish a bunch, I tend not to use it as much and do more traditional techniques, such as frogging, top water, fishing, weeds, etc.

[@casenwallacefishing4450]

Met you at Guntersville a week ago. Love your unbiased videos and love to watch them to see a different take on the major southern lakes around us.

[@joeys7519]

I have more fun watching live than ever before, I watch to learn. Also it feels like techniques are evolving every year. Bass fishing didn't change much in the last 20 years (prior to ffs) but it feels like we are discovering new techniques and new ways to catch them on ffs which is super exciting.

[@TheMickelsen]

I’d like to learn more about ffs. But it’s not just seeing fit on the screen. It’s where are you looking to find them. Then how to set up the boat and maintain seeing them. How to make the cast. Lots of nuance that doesn’t get covered in tournaments.

[@isaacleachman1358]

I don’t have an FFS let alone a bass boat, just turned 24 and have watched your channel and tactical bassin for 4 yrs now, I caught my first bass on a wacky rig after watching a KZbin video showing different tips like using heat-shrink tubing on the wacky rigs Then I caught my PB smallmouth last year after watching your “fat ned rig” video, I can honestly say every single piece of the bass fishing sport I have learned from you guys, now I’m opening a Tackle shop in my city, go figure.

[@BeyondHeadwaters]

Watching less and less live fishing... fully agree with you. We appreciate all you do and for sharing so much and helping our sport grow "the right way". Stay cool, fish well

[@stewboyslabs1578]

Mikey first off love the channel you provide a ton of great and informational content. I would love to see more content on FFS specifically so I can learn more tips and tricks on it but also I think it would be a great way to get rid of the stigma for all these people that think it’s not “fishing” or it’s “cheating”. So many people literally think you just drop your FFS in the water and start catching fish. FFS actually takes a lot of time to learn and you still have to know how to fish.

[@bradritch2012]

I fish with a small bass club here in NC. I have a Tracker boat that I love. I have all new electronics but. It’s not in my budget to get live scope right now, maybe Iater. All the other guys have some type of live sonar and that’s great. My thoughts are if you can afford it, great, but if not that’s ok too. It does give the other guy an advantage, but when I’m on the water, it’s my knowledge of fishing and how the fish react to my presentation that I rely on. Bottom line is if I catch fish or not, I’m in it for the fun and relaxation of just being out there. Thanks for you videos (big fan) and go have some fun.

[@jthunts]

I love learning anything I can about fishing. I don't mind watching Lives, for 40 years we have watched guys backs on TV. I think alot of folks who don't like FFS fear change or technology. It's definitely changed fishing but you still gotta catch them. You see all these other videos calling guys "scopers" and they have the same technology on their boat. I think your content is good, sometimes titles are for click bait, but I love hearing specifics on how to rig, work, and catch em!

[@michaelwalsh2095]

I'm 62, I have FFS and am learning. I find it lets me see fish behavior Ive never seen or knew of. I fish in Florida so other than a few lakes it's all shallow. Im not staring at a screen all day but it shows me structure I didnt know existed and sometimes I actually catch fish.

[@rickburke5185]

I'm an old dog. I enjoy not knowing what is going on below me. It's an educated guess, and sometimes you get lucky. But I don't hate on people that use it. It kind of make me wonder if their experience is devalued some since a lot of the mystery is gone. But it's hard to put the genie back in the bottle.

[@RichardMckenzie-h2j]

Question is will it hurt bass fishing in long run ? They have access to fish that they never had before probably will kill a lot of them in end.

[@kenmccarthyfishing]

I’ve had Active Target since day one and I want to learn more and I hate tournament fishing and I will watch you forever Mikey and Bog ❤

[@notsogood6249]

I have LiveScope 34 on my boat. I may or may not watch all your video's on it. I will have to see what you can bring to the table for me to continue to watching them.

[@TLBassworks]

I want to pick up as many nuggets that I can. FFS is an art I believe and you have to get the information and see what works for you so more variety leads to a persons better knowledge, so watching you channel is showing us, watching live is different as they aren’t teaching per say. It’s in the delivery and if you are watching live to get a lesson it’s might be a stretch versus a channel that is a tutorial. Keep up the vids all is appreciated

[@raytubach8988]

That’s exactly it - it’s a teaching tool. When you can locate and watch the reaction of fish in real time that teaches bass behavior in a way that can’t be done any other way. However, I don’t care to watch other people do it…

[@st.claireric4587]

IMO, If you Love Bass Fishing as I do I love it All Flippin,Topwater,and yes Forward Facing Sonar its all a part of the Game Learn all techniques or get left behind period.

[@SPCshorty64]

I would have to disagree. Most of us will never get to that level of the Elites and so forth, but those of us who watch the tourneys would like to see some experiences rather than the one experience they're good at. Take the FFS away and I promise you a vast majority of the so-called Pro's would not be where they are at. I've been watching the tournaments for over 50 years and have never seen so many young anglers on the top tier. Show me they can do something else besides looking down, then I'll be quiet. I fish tourneys myself, but the guys I fish with don't and can't afford the FFS. We also don't have the same winners as well. " get left behind" I don't think so.

[@andybales7318]

FFS isn't a technique...it's straight up "legal" cheating & the results prove it

[@daltonlawson7081]

There is this eerie thought that gets in the back of your head during a tournament… I want to fish “traditionally” today, this buzzbait is going to be so fun. However, if I don’t use my FFS, am I handicapping myself? It’s no different that the “meta” in a video game. That’s what kills me the most. Watching BASS and MLF confirms that this isn’t just a thought, but a reality.

[@chrisrobinson9332]

I will absolutely not watch pro fishing anymore because of ffs. Where has the element of surprise went. No one really fishes anymore. And even KZbin videos if I click on one to watch and they are using ffs I instantly click off of it. I really wish they would ban it all together. It is ruining bass fishing period. I own a bass boat and have no ffs on it and trust me I learn something new each trip I go out. And that to me is how you become a better fisherman by learning. Not by looking at a screen all-day

[@Fishing_with_Fincher]

Would you enjoy it more if they fished for an 8 hour day and only got 5 bites all day? I prefer watching them do what we all like to do….catch more fish.

[@malibumw11]

Watching lives is boring at times. I tend to record the show so I can fast forward when I’m loosing interest. But with that being said I do like watching vids that show the fisherman and the FFS screen and how the bait is worked. I’m like you in the fact that I am hungry to learn! I’m 62, slowing down with work so I can get out fishing more. I have learned a lot from watching your vids, Thank you! There’s not many people here that care to share there fishing techniques which makes things a little harder. I do have forward facing sonar but I’m not very proficient with it yet. So keep doing what you’re doing can’t wait for more vids.

[@davidheine2782]

Do I want to learn more, yes. I do not own ffs yet but when it gets better definition I will get it. Watching it on the tournament level - on tv, no, I would rather pull a backlash out. Keep up your current content dude, good stuff 🤘

[@jeremyjones1186]

I stopped watching pro bass fishing this year. It has gotten to dull. I’d rather watch grass grow now. You can learn so much more just watching your channel bro! Thanks for all the good information.

[@GamblerLures]

Fair take and good thinking to crowd source some opinions!

[@pauleckert2175]

I still watch live as you said to learn. I am always eager to learn. Keep doing you but yes show more on it.

[@WadeHarris-v3f]

First time commenter. I appreciate your content, sincerity and sense of fun. I've watched very little tourney fishing. What I have are primarily yakkers, from whom I actually learn (from their successes or failures). And Keith Poche, because I love getting deep into the junk and underaccesed spots with my yak. Everything in moderation. I don't have FFS on my Bass Cat or Hobies nor plans to get it soon, but not saying I never will. I enjoy the game and the mystery, but admit the few days I skunk it'd be nice to have a fallback. I do see the value in using it to add to my knowledge of fish behavior plus not throw to empty water when I have limited time. (That's why my old school dad recently got it-- my mom's shoulder will only let her fish a couple hours at a time so he wants to insure she can catch.) MLB doesn't use aluminum bats. Most racing organizations don't allow traction control. Just because technology is there doesn't mean it's good for the sport. I say let the pros use it for practice but not on tourney days. That allows those adept at that tool to leverage it, but on payday you still have to use real fishing skills and thus years of experience still count for something. So... keep up your good content and add in some FFS for those who can benefit from it. I'd be curious to see some of it for future reference and perhaps helping my analog dad.

[@haystack02]

Listen brother as someone who doesn't have it i watch anything i can that will or might improve my understanding of the bass behavior and lead me to catch one more fish in a days time and ive learned to throw a jig head minnow from the bank as well as the boat with out forward facing sonar...simly from watching KZbin and live...and ive been crushing fish this year on it .. while my buddies are struggling on tough days ..i pull out the hover...so i find value in the occasional ffs video...as well as normal vids...and#noprobs has definitely been a blessing keep up the content brother...and thanks mikey

[@Fatenarr]

I would definitely be interested in learning about forward facing! I don’t like watching other people do it but doesn’t mean I don’t want to learn how to do it myself

[@rougetrader8]

I watch the pros and learn every time. I am always intrested in inovation. Yes teach us what you have learned about FFS. Great questions as you have always been in touch and in tune with your viewers. I love all kinds of bass fishing and use FFS and old school styles, but to each there own.......

[@ferdinandhuber8774]

really like most your videos, along with many other youtubers that are both pro/not pro anglers. Personally I don't enjoy watching someone just fishing with forward facing with no explanation or any tips to help someone out with it. I don't have forward facing but might get it someday I can't dispute that it is useful for catching fish. It isn't fun to watch someone's back while they stare at a screen catching fish. I do enjoy the helpful forward facing sonar videos that typically show the sonar screen, while the fisherman is explaining what is going on, what they are doing, and why. I find those ones useful and helpful really learn from the fish behavior what works in that moment. Also helps show how to use forward facing sonar for the someday maybe that I might get it. The straight fishing staring at the screen with no feed back from the angler, or showing what is going on is about like watching golf pointless and boring.

[@jimwarden9617]

I’m interested in what ever you are into. Go for it.😊

[@garycomer6028]

I use to keep up with pro fishing when they were actually fishermen,but now if im in the mood to watch anything bass fishing its something on KZbin. I don't even keep up with bass or mlf at all anymore.

[@jimcoleman4558]

I'm 60 years old and have been a technology junky my whole life. I love ffs makes fishing so much fun for me. I did well before on my own and continue to do well. I enjoy seeing insights into how others use ffs. The advent of all the online stuff helps everyone come up to speed on new and existing technology. About 20+ years ago a started using the drop shot after reading about it in bassmasters mag. I did amazing no one I knew was doing it and I cashed a bunch of checks. I would have sped up my learning curve if I had the ability to watch videos about, others would have learned early also but so be it. Keep them coming Mike love your stuff!

[@chetspruill5934]

Yes I'm very interested in learning more about AT.

[@CaptYale68]

I’ve had my FFS for a few years now and only used it a few times on the lake I lived on in Central FL. Didn’t care for it much but it did show fish movements around submerged structure. FL fishing is a whole different way of fishing. Bait is key. Structure is a key word in fishing, as I grew up to learn, now at 72 years old I still prefer the art of casting to visible Structure above a below water, following seasonal patterns, weather conditions and bottom contours and make up. It would be interesting to know where the anglers using ffs start searching and why.

[@mtayloroutdoors]

As a busy father and business owner, I find Livescope helps me know what fish are doing on my very limited amount of time on the water to fish. I would rather fish without it and when conditions are right I do. But I find the observing of fish behavior fascinating as well. The pros make it look way easier than it is to just “see a fish and cast to it and catch it” that people seem to think happens for everyone. I’m not a tournament angler but enjoy watching live still. When I first got FFS I went down the rabbit hole of not looking up from the screen for hours and it wasn’t enjoyable. Now I use it to see structure and general bait/fish locations but then go back to fishing traditional baits and methods. The only tech I would be sad to get rid of is my Ultrex. Spot lock has made fishing so much more enjoyable!

[@TheFishinMortician]

I have a semi related question about FFS.... Why are the screens mounted to the deck of the boats and not on telescopic rods so they dont have to stare at the ground all the time? (Also watching people stare at livescope all day is boring, ive never been big on watching people play video games)

[@fishinfanatic1]

I have the complete Humminbird solution. I can see fish but have never caught any that are on the screen. There are so many variables in play at one time; the boat, current, transducer cone size, depth etc. that I would love for you to help me get better at setting up to cast to a target and have success.

[@jmccOutdoors]

I’ve never watched live at any point in time. I just want to see the highlights 😂

[@raymatherne1587]

I don't have it on my boat yet only because I can't afford it. I eventually will get it. I want to learn how to use it. With that said I don't really care to watch people using it on live. I just find it boring. I do understand why they use it though. They have to keep up with everyone else. But it wouldn't break my heart if they regulated it in some way, or got rid of it completely in tournament fishing. With that said I don't tournament fish so I don't have any skin in the game.

[@nic_harden09]

I like watching them use it on live and love using it myself.

[@johnmedvid567]

Don't think I will ever be able to afford tat new technology at this time but I would like to see the fish on the forward facing sonar then go over that area with 2D or side imaging. Maybe do a split screen showing both. I would like for you go back with your forward facing and see if you spooked the fish off or if they are still there. Personally don't enjoy the pros anymore and get more info from you that I can use.

[@Mags120fish1]

Hell yes I want to learn more about FFS. Best technology since sliced bread. I am working hard to learn as much as I can about using this new technology. Absolutely love it.

[@markschettler4993]

I use your videos to try and understand how to use my Active Target 1. I haven't even got it set up where it is giving me good info. I have decided to add an additional 16 Volt Lithium battery to clean up the signal. I want to understand this technology and use it to improve my fishing. I did enjoy the Elite tournament on Lake Murray where from my vantage it was not just a bunch of young kids with their noses stuck on the screen. Please continue the content and help us weekend fishermen that aren't out every day honing our craft.

[@johnburgess6572]

I do NOT want to watch a video of a guy watching a screen ! I don't have it, don't want it. Will I change ??? I'm 73...prolly not lol. What about all the electronics boats had before FFS ? Were they not really good ??? I was fishing for bass 65 years ago and just loved it. First lure was a Shyster ( Rooster Tail }. I was fishing at night in State Parks with plastic worms when the adults wouldn't , but when I started catching them then they did it. It was all exciting , no bass boats , no anything but we were finding our ways to catch fish. It was so fun and exciting. If FFS is a kids first experience how will learn to actually fish and is it fun ?? I'm confused but only want the best and most fun for those who are learning to fish !!!

[@andyd834]

Lol I'd rather watch Mike long fish

[@edwardcowan7012]

I’m 65 fished for bass my whole life and went fly fishing for trout yesterday. I started fly fishing last year so you can teach an old dog new tricks and I still like learning new fishing skills. FFS is not fishing.

[@andyd834]

@@edwardcowan7012 skip fly fishing lol get into bfs.

[@edwardcowan7012]

@@andyd834 I do that too

[@juanmendez1248]

That’s way better than watching dudes with eyes glued to the screen video game fish

[@LucasBassFishing]

I love FFS and enjoy watching it. Pump the content out!

[@hlh1210]

At 57, and being old school, I find it hard to watch, but I watch everything I can about advanced electronics. Like you, I'm a techno-weenie and want to learn more about solving the puzzle. I'm running mega live and 360, and it tells me a lot about bait and bass activity in an area quickly without wasting a bunch of time fishing a dead area. It was great meeting you at the Gunterville gambler tourney last October. Hope to see you on the K chain this weekend with the MLFers here.

[@johnrayner5599]

I am always wanting to learn, love it or hate it its here so you might as well adapt.

[@jefferypeterson2119]

I grew up old school. The whole challenge to me was the research, putting variables together, trial and error. Going to a lake looking around, casting to see what works. What they will react and bite to. Now it just seems to be pull in a spot. Look at the live scope for 30 sec and leave.. it has made fishing much easier and has made catching more possible however it has taken away the while challenging aspect away.. I'm for it because it's interesting and give a new look to fishing yet dont believe guys who say they are PROs should use it. Just my opinion

[@Garminrules]

Just keep doing what you do.

[@Fishingwithfaithoutdoors23]

For me, I’m a bank/ kayak angler. I do some boat fishing when I can. I rather watch someone like you than any “ pro” because the real pros are you folks, that do it for fun and not a paycheck because your going to share real techniques and facts without having to support a sponsor or a company. And some of you do but you or they tell the truth about how they fish, and I’m all about watching someone that can fish without having to watch a scene all the time. I want to see straight up shallow, punching, brush , tree bass catching, rod bending, line screaming, large jaw action! The fewer the electronics that’s use, the better a video is in my opinion.

[@stevebender7614]

Love your show and I have learned a ton and I have been bass fishing my whole life and in fla 20 plus years so thank you ( I think my next buy will be a 360 would work best for me ) 2 hsd12 with ghost I have ffs I think for me would be too difficult to learn at my age 57 can only get out 1 day a weekend

[@jerrypredmore8793]

I think ya do good Mike. I learned and totally enjoyed watching you show and ell how to build jigs and skirt them nice. I just upgraded from a20 year old humming bird to a garmin 9 sv. That’s almost too fancy for me I pride myself to reading and practicing the seasons and the weather, the hatch and the cover and baits. I place the new modern stuff to pro wrestling and the like.

[@johnm2617]

Mikey you are a very Humble man ! And do a great job at teaching and showing us your tips ! Thanks Dude

[@ronwatts518]

I think both old knowledge and new technology is good. I don’t have live but interested in it. I enjoy watching your videos because you are straight up. Keep up the good work.

[@carytoms9500]

Yes I really enjoy Live. I’ve had the 32 transducer since September. Recently I’ve had the best time with it schooling bass. Not having to wait until they surface I can fire my top water where the bass are. Be

[@adamhudson2511]

I’m 59 and have been fishing since I was 8. Everything that I’ve learned about it has been through reading, watching TV fishing shows and certain KZbin channels and through trial-and-error. Not to mention the sage advice from my grandfather and 2 uncles when I was young.To me, forward facing sonar takes away from the learning experience and I have absolutely nothing for them. I stopped following all the various tournament trails completely because of them. If I want to watch someone playing a video game, I can go over to my son’s house and watch my grandson waste his time. At the rate technology is invading fishing, it will soon be to the point that a “fisherman” will sit at home on his couch and, with the help of GPS, control a drone boat, which will go out on the lake and AI will interpret what is on the forward facing sonar screen. Then, a robot will cast a robotic lure into the water and the lure’s tiny motor will kick in and it will swim into the fish’s mouth and hook him. The robot will then reel the fish in and the”fisherman,” who is sitting on his couch at home eating Cheetos and staring at a screen, will jump up and begin yelling to anyone who’s within earshot about the bass he just caught. That’s the future of fishing if we continue to let technology take over. For my part, I want none of it!

[@northernbassalliance1442]

Whats the difference between watching a guys back on live throwing a dropshot,crank, spinner etc or watching his back throwing a damiki rig at a fish?

[@terrywilliams6]

Yes I would like to learn more...I am on the fence whether to get one or not...I don't like watching pros use it though....throw in some shallow water vids also

[@brandontaylor5324]

I have ffs and would love to learn more about it. Settings and specific details about it would be huge. I enjoy using it but I can’t tell the difference between a carp and a mermaid. When I want to watch live fishing I go hook up my boat. To each their own I just love catching bass. I’m willing to learn anything that offers an advantage to learn.

[@zackbunch4268]

I want to learn more about

[@MrAlley32]

I don’t have forward facing sonar now, but I will probably get it in a year or so. I think it is boring to watch in a tournament setting because as fans we want to see casts being made and fish catches. I think it would be fun to do part of the time, but I will still use the old school techniques as well.

[@cheetoz6902]

Would like to learn more about it

[@charlescartwright7322]

Mikey: This Year I added Garmin Livescope to my boat to learn fish reactions and parts of the lake that I never fished. Look at how many KZbin videos are about setting up you graph; very few videos about techniques! Technique to me is what FFS is all about; now understand why pros take 100s and 1000s of hours practicing. There is a real need for the FFS techniques in KZbin videos. Please help us with our techniques and the “why”. Thanks very much.

[@Nehringer1]

I wish the thechnology was available for all three FFS platforms to "simulcast" the way Humminbird is doing. I can't learn anything from looking at the angler's backside. I think that is the biggest gripe of the viewers. I'm totally over the gripes of the anglers who aren't able to assimilate. That's a personal problem. But when I can see Mega Live on the TV screen, and then see and hear what the angler is doing, the picture gets a lot clearer in my mind. That day we were Guntersville together, boats side by side, you told me where to point the transducer and I was able to see exactly what you were describing, and you put me on fish. That was incredibly helpful! Thanks Bro! I find myself second guessing everything I see on AT. I'm now able to make a lot more sense of it. I still use it primarily to pick apart cover that I am targeting in order to not lose so many lures in heavy cover! If I catch a fish, that's a bonus. But if I see my crankbait approaching a limb on a brushpile, I can anticipate the exact point at which the bait will make contact, and I can ease the bait through the cover, rather than setting the hooks into it. As far as dangling a minnow over their heads, I don't find that particularly engaging TV to watch. But it shows me how I've been separated from my entry fees for a couple seasons. That should be the motivator to embrace the technology and techniques! These guys are taking your money. Figure out how to get some of it back by being competitive. There are still fish willing to bite on the bank, under docks, in brushpiles, and on points. Relying on one tactic that only a few anglers are really good at isn't going to last forever. You still need to be versatile and fish your strengths. But at the same time, everyone needs to learn to use the technology to some degree, even if it is only to enhance the techniques you already feel confident with. At some point in the learning process, the new techniques will coalesce.

[@brantmcglothlin6951]

I spent a lot of money to have FFS put on my boat. I have used it and watched it, but I really don't have a good idea of what the hell I am doing. Finding fish for me is hard. Yes, if you could teach me anything i would absolutely love it. Thank you for your videos. I love to hear your opinion.

[@dlcook1971]

Keep on showing us how to use the most recent technics to use!! I dont care what the content is as long I'm learning something. The problem with live fishing is a lot of the anglers just dont talk to the audience.

[@richardmajewski3815]

I'm more interested in learning how to use this technology. I want to enjoy the process of learning how to see bass behavior and how to catch bass in areas I have been passing up.

[@DividedWeAllFall]

I was kind of against livescope for quite a while. I had bought one 3 years ago, and never had my jon boat set up to try it. So it was just kind of being wasted sitting in the box. I finally got my boat ready, and set up, and I can't use it for shit. I have taken it out 7 or 8 times, and have caught two bass with it. A bunch of crappie, but it's actually really difficult. I am at the point where I don't know if I want to try to learn it more, or just ignore that it's even there. The first day I brought it out, I used it for 7 hours and didn't catch anything, turned it off and burned the bank back to the ramp, and second cast along the bank I caught a 5 lb 10 oz. I never felt so stupid for staring at a screen all day. I don't mind watching it if I can learn something.

[@Daniel-pz4wm]

I'm still fishing for the fun of it!!! 🤓I don't have to have the latest and greatest New thing on my boat too enjoy Bass fishing. With FFS i fish what I'm willing to donate 🤫🤫🤫 and I AM HOPING TO GET LUCKY🤗🤗🤗. Cool video Mike 👍

[@mindobersaglia3374]

Yes ! I just got active target 2 would like to know front to back.start with what battery to use all the way to settings on the graph , to fish catches and what to look for !

[@DavidAlexander-e2l]

I am always on the look to learn more and make myself a better fisherman and I am 50 years old! I personally do watch the live cast during the Elite Series tournaments and will continue to do so for my own personal reasons. I have specific anglers that I follow because they are great teachers of the sport and truly have a love for it. No they don't always do a lot of "teaching" during the tournaments verbally, but if you are paying attention you can still learn new things. I have no issue with learning new things and ways to catch more fish. I started using big baits (swim baits, glide baits...) over a year ago at just under 49 years old. No, I did not start catching giant fish right away. It's like anything else that you need to put the time and dedication towards to be successful, but I did start catching fish in a different way that I never have before. Same goes for FFS. Do your homework and put in the time. It WILL pay off! If you choose not to use it that is your choice and good for you for sticking to your own beliefs. This isn't the first time such discussions and complaints have risen in this sport and it won't be the last. Our entire world is becoming more and more technologically advanced whether we like it or not. No amount of restrictions or regulations are going to change that. The technology will still continue to get better and if you restrict it too much then I personally believe that whatever organization has the strictest rules and regs will suffer the worst. Just my 2 cents. Mikey, truly love watching your channel so thank you for everything my friend!! Stay the course! Fish on!!

[@chadmcwhorter1974]

I have it it's unreal but don't think we should use it in tournaments imo.

[@rigorocks23]

I’d rather go out and fish myself than watch someone else have all the fun. I’ve never watched pro fishing and never will

[@chuckpritchard4566]

I have mega live and would love to learn more about it. With that being said I hate watching shows that all you see is them staring down at a screen. If you did a split screen so I could see what you are looking at on the sonar and you fishing and explaining what your looking at that would be pretty cool.

[@slimjimmy229]

As a tournament angler, I absolutely HATE FFS😂 I've always been a local stick because I've spent my life learning seasonal movements and how bass responds to different conditions. My forte is flipping shallow cover, but I am well versed in many other techniques. I learned how to use down and side imaging to target offshore bass more efficiently. Using GPS to waypoint and cast to schooling bass on structure and brush piles. I could hold my own during an offshore event. Then, after I get a decent limit, go head hunting for that kicker on a dock or in the weeds, whatever. The problem with FFS is that it is dominating. Pre-FFS, a shallow water guy could still compete, even if it's an offshore deal. Now, even when the conditions are set up perfectly to flip flooded bushes, cypress, and willows, the guy that will win the tournament will be offshore, targeting single bass. It is taking the diversity of techniques away from bass fishing on a competitive level. I hope that this FFS deal will soon become just another technique, but the reality is that I do not see this happening any time soon. Before people commit, yes, I have a livescope on my boat. Yes, I know how to use it. Yes, I can compete with it. It is about as boring to me as watching a minnow under a bobber, but I have learned to do it out of necessity. It simply just doesn't compare to flipping a jig in a bush and feeling that thump. The unfortunate truth is that it doesn't matter how good you are at any specific technique anymore. If you don't specialize in FFS, you aren't going to win unless you get lucky.

[@jimrobinson6807]

Mikey, I've learned a lot about fishing watching your videos since I began 2 years ago. I live on Buckeye Lake (Ohio) and fish both by boat and on bank. I have no interest in any FFS or any other electronic aid. If you create videos specific to electronics, make that known in the title if possible. Give Bog a hug for me.

[@mikeybalzz]

Thanks for the honest!

[@1304GT]

If FFS went away in live broadcasts, I would definitely watch longer. I too get very bored looking at a back all day long. Also, I could buy it tomorrow but the experience I have learned over the years is much more enjoyable.