My take on forward facing sonar and older tournament anglers

[@JRoy-1969]

It’s totally gut wrenching for veteran anglers. The years spent learning from other anglers, reading and good old hard knocks , has been basically taken away by a new technology. The new angler without this technology would quickly understand the real deal if they couldn’t use it. That’s my opinion , but I believe it to be true.

[@AndrewGreenyakhead83]

Man, this comment made me think back on an old In-fisherman book I read when I was getting into this about 15 years ago. The knowledge those guys gained from years on the water can't be replaced by anything. A big part of the joy of this sport for me has been the process of learning, getting beat down, then getting back up and getting better.

[@andybales7318]

A 19 year old catching over 100 lbs. at Lake Fork told me everything I need to know about FFS....quite obvious, actual fishing skills/techniques are no longer required to compete

[@ronsaunders4491]

Fork don't need it

[@jodyvess8509]

That 19yr old Even Being There Is Ridiculous, If He Had Really Earned It, That Would Be Different, But He Didn't, MOMMY Bought Him Every Pro, Guide And Waypoint That She Could For Him To Even Be Able To Compete With Other Kid's, He's A FREAKING Joke, It Looks Like MOMMY Has Even Bought B.A.S.S!!!!!

[@chrisgilbert4146]

Listen to Randy B. and Hank....do you have any idea what FFS does to a small lake bluegill population. If this tech stays, rules and regulations need to change to accommodate.

[@AndrewGreenyakhead83]

I don't know for sure, but I bet it would make it eaiser to clean them out. Not sure how state limits are on bluegill now but all species probably need to be looked at.

[@johnk6206]

MS just lowered the crappie limits on Grenada and a few other lakes, specifically because of ffs.

[@Webesmackinbass]

​@johnk6206 same for missouri. Crappie limit was cut in half. From 30 to 15.

[@jeremybrinlee1965]

FANS DON'T WANT TO WATCH RICH GUYS LOOKING AT A SCREEN.

[@AndrewGreenyakhead83]

With the elites heading to Florida we may get some more entertaing content soon!

[@scottnorvell2955]

You’re right Jeremy!

[@winstonrocco1981]

Totally stopped following pro tournaments. It ain’t fishing it’s straight up cheating

[@tomlarcher1]

@@winstonrocco1981 How is it any different than watching a jigging spoon on 2d over schools in 30ft? Or damiki rig over fish on points in the winter in 20ft watching the 2d?

[@winstonrocco1981]

@ It’s not live

[@mr.skeptical3071]

Ban livescope

[@rdancranston]

It resonates with the younger fisherman because if FFS didn't exist they wouldn't either(in the fishing world). Scoping fish doesn't make you a better fisherman...it makes you a better scoper...that's it...

[@MichaelJones-rn2pq]

Yeah, well, you are probably one of those old fashioned guys who doesn't think anglers should use dynamite, either.😝

[@rdancranston]

Only on super tuff bad days ...😆

[@ErnieAdamson]

Never looked at it that way.. nicely done

[@chaddrumm6809]

Scoping in any tournament setting is a freaking joke! It’s so obvious! The live interaction with your bait and the fish obviously crosses the line! Becoming a good spotlighter trumps everything known about bass fishing! The anglers shouldn’t be having this discussion. The damn organizations need to do the obvious “ right thing”! I don’t give a damn what the scopers think! It’s freaking pathetic for the sport!

[@AndrewGreenyakhead83]

I think any tech that allows you to track and target individual fish should not be allowed. I feel like that is where the line should be drawn.

[@winstonrocco1981]

Totally agree it ain’t fishing

[@garylee23]

Ban it

[@dlmsarge8329]

Next can be fishing drones, where the pros can sit in the clubhouse wearing VR goggles and control consoles. They won't even have to climb in a boat. Better yet, autonomous drones can be programed with AI and no operator at all will be needed. A minimum wage worker can launch 100 or 200 autonomous drones in the morning and collect them in the afternoon. The bass can be siphoned up, photographed, weighed and released by a different automated AI barge. Almost no humans have to be involved in a tournament at all. This will take advantage of all current technologies and improve the sport vastly!!

[@scottnorvell2955]

Scoping will ruin fishing for everyone including non tournament fisherman. It will decimate fishing.

[@wciii3591]

Immediate self gratification.

[@mpybals8002]

The younger anglers have grown up with insane graphics on video games. I had Atari pong when I was 11. Bass fishing tournaments should not be able to use forward facing sonar. If that’s the case why not just use live bait a live frog will destroy anybody using sonar. I use artificial lures for bass the same way I shoot ducks and pheasants in the air it’s more ethical.

[@AndrewGreenyakhead83]

I like your take on this. It's a sport, it isn't supposed to be easy.

[@rdancranston]

I was told aqua view was banned because its real time viewing of the fish...sooo what's the difference between that and FFS...only a better screen...

[@tommyhulsey1727]

Ban it...period

[@Tmann4437]

It doesn't belong period. Young or old, it's not fishing. It's a video game. Ban it, it's coming.

[@bradcarroll3719]

Wonderful video thank you for making it. You spoke my exact feelings. I fish with friends that have it on their boats, and even had a boat that came with it (used boat). It didn’t take me any time to learn it, but by the time I had learned it, I learned to hate it and never use it. I sold the whole system.

[@ralphspoerl1400]

Tell me one thing: how does a young angler afford 3 or 4 FFs units. That is the question?

[@dennisgaribaldi9220]

How does he afford a 100k bassboat and 100k truck

[@AndrewGreenyakhead83]

At 19 years old he has only been out of highschool a few years. Somebody bought it for them is all I can think.

[@lainthdavidmartinez3974]

Sounds like you're salty cause you can't afford it 😂

[@jodyvess8509]

​@AndrewGreenyakhead83 Of Their Parents or Grandparents Bought Everything For Them, This was a good video, But I Agree It Should Not Be Allowed, PERIOD!!!

[@mattolivo]

Do you spotlight deer? Of course you don't because it's unethical. I'm young and I know spotlighting a bass is wrong

[@donniefoster7713]

It’s not fishing you have a device that show you where the fish are in real time it tells you to put your bait here that’s not fishing it’s spot lighting for fish

[@i-m4-real753]

LS should be banned in tourneys for sure!.. And why you say?..Because it's NOT 'real' tournament Bass fishing and it's no different than any other cheating methods, period! Oh, and the people who just have to use LS do NOT have to learn or know all that much about the nature of Bass fishing, say special techniques like Flippn' and Skippn' , Bass habitat that's off the norm, Bass movement patterns, water condition's etc etc rather than if you started out Bass fishing 'without' LS you'll know in your heart that you're a confident Bass angler ...I also see how the younger gen Bass fishermen can /could / and are getting 'addicted' to LS because that's the ONLY way they can find, then foul hook, mostly little dink Bass.. LS users all PaNiC when someone even mentions or whispers the words, "Let's ban LS in all Bass tourneys". Oh no, what would they all do then?.. Well, I'll tell you exactly what the Live Scope people will do...FAIL! And Fail Miserably!

[@bigbuckdown1631]

Great take, its similar to cell phones. If you took away cell phones the younger generation that grew up not knowing a land line or pager would struggle, while the people that transitioned with the technology would succeed.

[@RandyBennett-t8g]

I have live scope but I don't think you should use it in tourn nor do I think you should fish for bed fish

[@robertjakubicki2265]

What's interesting if the technology malfunctions they don't know to catch fish. FFS is the same to fishing as steroids are to bodybuilding or professional sports.

[@ChrisHenderson-by8lj]

These guys are beating the older pros with new found fish. I'm 63, and have been vertical fishing with Lowrance and SideImaging under the boat. When BASS announced limitations to screens and transducers, this yr, Davey Hites first comments on that live show was they, should have banned Side Imaging when it came out. It sure helped Alton Jones sit on ditch and win the Classic first time being used. Footage don't lie, what view did you get from KVD, the GOAT, while fishing offshore? Looking straight down at his Side Imaging in the front of the boat. For those that don't understand, you could see you bait then just fine. What finally changed, transducer angle. Nobody wined about KVD coverage all these years he fished offshore shell beds, deep rocks for smallies. Go look at yrs of footage 2008 and up. He mastered Side Imaging while the same dock, shoreline, shallow water grass, and lily pads bank beaters competed for the same shallow fish year after year.

[@jeffjames9568]

I think livescope is fine probably we just need yearly limits on fish as and keep the daily and possession limits

[@MichaelJones-rn2pq]

To me, it would be similar to using a drone to deer hunt.

[@JKDDarthSniper]

ffs allows me to ignore the decades of fishing knowledge I accumulated, and takes much of the guesswork out of my day. It's gotten to where I only use if I have spent half my day getting skunked. Even then, I feel like I cheated. Also, it kinda hurt spending that money, but I had to try it out. After using it I think it should be banned. However, I have said for 20 years that they should give the fishermen a good size tacklebox and let them fill it up. Then allow 4 rods. Then we will truly see who the best fishermen are.

[@thenextstep5622]

FFS should be banned during tournaments. FFS should be banned on any boat that is harvesting fish. Catch and release or tournament practice only.

[@davidthompson3291]

An excellent view point on the problems technology is bringing to tournament fishing. Advances in fishing technology are surpassing the traditional fishing skills (locating bass based on seasonal movement and pattern development without having a direct visual on the bass). This is creating a new generation of bass anglers who are largely dependent on that technology. My personal opinion as an older kayak angler in his early 60's (34 years of kayak fishing) is that I do not want that technology on board my water craft. That is not what I am looking for when I am out enjoying nature chasing those green and brown fish.

[@yankeelipperfishing]

The reason younger anglers are better is the same reason 60 year old boxers are not champions. The younger anglers have much better hand eye and pedal control. This fact is the reason. It must get limited in some way to see who the best "fisherman" really is.

[@IRON49ER1]

20 second mark and the salesman in you came out with showing the hobie cup lo

[@FredFroderman]

I think you said it best when you said the younger crowd feels no guilt. They care about winning. They do not hold the fish in a very high esteem. I have never fished a tournament and never will. The mortality rate of fish caught in tournaments is extremely high, especially in summer tournaments (90 %). It seems very sad to catch the biggest fish in a lake, get a check and then release them to die.

[@ChrisHenderson-by8lj]

I'm tired of peeps thinking it's the box doing the work. TREY had his own fishing show at 10 yrs old on the WSN, 1 example of someone who paid his dues and is reaping the blessing of current technology. JTs dad fished professionally, and let's not forget 4 yrs of High School and 4 yrs of college experience before qualifying for most youth entering. The problem, fishing isn't close to other sports that draft new talent every year. How many pro sports have 40 to 50 yr olds primarily. Old pros never had to earn their spots till now. And why should our youth be told to ignore new technology. How does power poles help an angler display boat handling skills? Bed fishing promotes conservation?

[@michaelkoolmeister2310]

Spot on

[@woodwired1]

FFS sucks. End of story.

[@CumminsMichael]

Using FFS is the equivalent of throwing live bait in a bass tournament, is fundamentally contrary to the spirit of competition and is the equivalent of a crib sheet tucked up your sleeve during a HS chemistry exam. JMHO

[@jackierutherford5179]

this has nothing to do with how one feels about it. and the age thing alone really doesn't play as big a role as many think either.I'm 68 years old and I've been bass fishing for 48 years and I fish in top of the line boats, presently in a Phoenix with all the latest Garmin and hummingbird electronics and I've learned to find and catch fish that I can see swimming and watch my bait go through the water column and I can tell when I'm looking at crappie or gar or bass etc...I'TS A VIDEO GAME!!! It's no longer fishing. Ban it from tournaments for sure and maybe from game fishing all together if after enough study on the affects on the fisheries prove it detrimental.

[@saltysailor141]

Live scope is for the kid who wanted to X-ray their Christmas presents….the night before. Insert Ben the bully milliken here… ⬆️ 🎣

[@AndrewGreenyakhead83]

😆Well said!

[@scottmooneyham5521]

Good points. But what is different now versus when this technology first came out is that it is now being used to stalk individual bass. IMHO, that is what isn’t right. It’s one thing to see a group of fish, see their movements and make presentations based on that. It is quite another to, in real time, see and follow individual fish and attempt to harass them into biting a lure that u can also see. It’s 12 months of bed sight fishing.

[@andybales7318]

It's 12 months of "bed fishing" fish that aren't pressured, which makes it even easier....Fish no longer have a period of time to rest/recover from the spawning season...they are harassed every day, every week, every month...THIS, will no doubt cause a serious decline in fish & the overall condition of fishing...we probably have 5-8 years, depending on the lake to enjoy the great sport...after that, pretty much will be non-existent...Fish are a limited resource & apparently there are people that can't quite grasp that

[@0013619511]

Money will control this and the State .

[@TomKirkman1]

FFS and LS are commercial technologies that are now being used in sporfishing. They're not sporting in any way, shape or form.

[@Ronie792]

I can tell you this NPFL gets rolling your gonna see a drastic decrease in viewership in bass and bass pro tour so you can fish that sonar by your self

[@andrewb2111]

A "pro" shouldn't need electronics. Thats what separates the pros from guys like me. Do you see pro golfers using handicaps and mulligans?

[@michaelmott8972]

You cant use drones hunting

[@fragelicious]

The younger guys haven't developed the skill and knowledge to win without it. The older guys just don't like it because it's not fun. Fans hate it because it's painful as hell to watch and waste time on. I'm not bothering with it anymore. Every year it gets worse.

[@tomrathbun1113]

It's NOT ETHICAL. Spotliighting changes the sport to video gaming. On smaller lakes it ruins crappie fishing and the accidental snagging kills a lot of bass.

[@GS-xt8fu]

Not a fan on tournaments at all.

[@bryantburns3664]

Fishing is not a competition

[@bryantburns3664]

I fish alone. I don't have scocial media. I truly enjoy fishing. I don't follow or care about tournaments. Don't know anything about them.

[@bigbuckdown1631]

And due to the cost of the technology Tournaments big and small are missing out on bigger payouts and more anglers because some anglers like myself wont donate my money to entry fees. If an angler cant afford the tech why should they even try Tournaments knowing they are at a HUGE disadvantage. If you wabt more Anglers in Tourneys then you HAVE to ban FFS.

[@jimfromm3981]

This is not about technique. It's not about age or how long you have been fishing. It's about money. It's the same conundrum as Carrier Pigeons, Buffalo, Grayling, Brook Trout, Quail, Prairie Chickens, and so many others, that were so abundant we never thought we could impact what we thought was an inexhaustible supply and easy table fare. Depending on the circumstances, poverty, remoteness, and ignorance, those arguments may have had some merit. Fishing for prize money does not justify ruining the quality of a fishery and as the number of users grow, endangering a quality species. I have no interest in corporate profit when it starts to negatively impact the things I love. Let me correct that. I do have an interest. I think tech companies when they realized what they had created, much like OxyContin, should have pulled the product. They did not. That tells me everything I need to know. They do not need apologists.

[@tracynewman5246]

Most of the younger was not taught integrity manners respect the love of the sport what a privilege nature really is it’s all about ME and WIN and they don’t think twice about it when you can lose a fish at the boat and catch that same fish using live scope two minutes later something is very wrong with that competively they think it’s cool” that’s there edge… then you here well you have to really learn how to use it yea I’m sure it’s tough Let them use it for practice only and let’s go fish and just see how great these guys really are lm sure no one will be that surprised but until something changes it’s only going to get worse Let keep men in woman sports MLB use aluminum bats Golf pros ride carts and use range finders NFL use sticky gloves Let the quarterback get pounded and not call a foul there needs to be some boundaries to protect the sport and the people that made this sport what it has become and not just about dollars and SENSE

[@danielsmith5351]

When did bass fishing become a video gamers sport instead of a sport for skilled fisherman. Would anyone want to watch pro football with a bunch of jocks sitting around playing video games of football instead of showcasing their skills on an actual field against each other? This bullshit sucks!

[@eddiejones974]

FFS is a Joke

[@ronsaunders4491]

Its a Pansy box

[@Ronie792]

It’s called being lazy that exactly what is they can draw that check and they have to do nothing but watch a screen of course that aren’t gonna have a problem with it

[@stevegunn9971]

Do the anti-FSS people hold their own tournaments? If non-FSS tournaments drew in more viewers, then FSS tournaments would eventually become extinct, right? It seems then that the FSS industry would start drying up.

[@casiokids91]

I think it’s an awesome tool! Just shouldn’t be allowed for tournaments. Simple

[@2quack]

Ban it for tournament fishing

[@jimmurphy834]

Real time data on the location of a bass and allowing it to be used in competition will destroy the sport.. but hey, at least the electronics companies will rake in billions and that's all they care about. There is no moral compass in this day and age. The love of money is the root of all evil.

[@chaddrumm6809]

Anglers with years of experience hate it because it’s a shortcut to success. And IMO, unprofessional!

[@theoutdoorslifetv3200]

What is enjoyable about it? What happened to the peace of fishing? The fishing gear industry has turned bass fishing into an elitist sport. You don't have to fish tournaments to enjoy fishing. That's not what it's about.

[@Webesmackinbass]

We all thought phones were going to make humans way more intelligent......look where we are now. Take tech out of fishing. Its wrong

[@michealhenry5556]

FFS is bullshit. Rookies who don't know how to fish but have plenty of money take over the sport. BAN IT.

[@telegaster1946]

Younger guys may be dominating because FFS is so much like playing a video game. Old guys just aren't gamers. Not everyone can afford it, so we're not all on the same playing field... so IMHO, it's ruining our sport. Should definitely not be allowed in Tournaments. Should only be sold to people who really don't know how to fish. LOFL

[@windsngr]

Brings to mind this Douglas Adams quote - "1. Anything that is in the world when you’re born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works. 2. Anything that's invented between when you’re fifteen and thirty-five is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it. 3. Anything invented after you're thirty-five is against the natural order of things."

[@danielsuydam5965]

You can take the dog out of the fight but you can't take the fight out of the dog. The newer anglers are excelling because it is their skill set. It's the base off of what they have built their skills around. The veterans aren't adapting because they don't want to. They also think that there is a chance to beat it. It's almost a challenge within itself. The tournament within the tournament.

[@airadaimagery692]

Take the technology away from the newer anglers, and they have no skill set. Lol... Technology will only continue to improve, when do you draw the line? If you continue to make modifications to how a game is played, modifications need to be made to the game.

[@russellstewart5414]

⁠all I see is the potential for abuse. Can it damage the fisheries? It’s going to take years for that answer. A certain number of fish learn from being pressured. And the more pressure more fish will adapt feeding patterns. Someone with the right experience and equipment could possibly be just a hired gun, or a ringer , would not even have to be that familiar with the lake and not necessarily need to put in the practice sessions to determine a particular pattern.

[@brucehoffman7063]

Wheeler isn’t a young guy and learned how to use it very well! LOL I guess you have to blame him for the leagues getting rid of it! What you guys need to do is go on strike and not let the leagues tell you what to do. They gave you no say at all! Looks like they own you! And if you Caint use it, the leagues need to pay you back for your investment! That bull! 👍🥸🙏