The Most Triggering Video Ever on Forward Facing Sonar aka LiveScope

I have nothing against FFS technology except as it pertains to the Elite Series. I’m posting this video in the hopes that we can open up constructive conversation about this technology and how it has changed bass fishing forever.

[@rumcoke9123]

Im 55 and went on my first FFS fishing trip last week. YES, I caught fish. But I told all the other guys on the boat that this is not fishing. The magic of the unknown bite is what makes fishing beautiful and exciting. If I dont catch anything on a given day...I dont care.

[@CritterTheBassGetter]

Very well laid out my friend, i fish to get away from technology and be at peace with nature, the mystery of whats beneath the surface, using all of your knowledge and senses to get into the mind of the fish, and that adrenaline dump you get when you feel that bite, is truly what bass fishing is all about, i feel like professional bass fishing has drifted so far away from our roots and the heart of what bass fishing truly is

[@TheCo-Angle]

Probably one of the most level headed videos I’ve seen on this topic. Couldn’t agree more. One issue I see is the financials of the electronic companies could keep it around compared to a-rig. Then we got a whole other can of worms in regards to money having influence. I don’t see it ever going away for mainly for that reason, though a tournament series with it banned could benefit both fisherman & the organizations

[@MattStarkFishing]

Thanks and yes! I couldn’t agree more

[@mawakini9585]

I'm a kayak guy, and I feel like the same thing happened with kayak motors a few years back. Nobody allowed them except for disabled anglers until sponsor $$$ got handed out to organizers. Then one by one all the orgs started allowing them. Now it just keeps getting worse with the FFS even at amateur level.

[@Jasonwensman]

How refreshing to hear you! You have described fishing to a tee. Ive always dreamed of "draining a lake" and seeing where they were. Or interviewing a 10lb bass. But thats why its great! The mystery of fishing!

[@PeterWFishing]

I would love to see it banned at the Elite level. I have not enjoyed seeing the change that’s happened in the past couple years. I think if they made a decision to limit the number of transducers, we’d still see every tournament won using it. To ban it would set a standard for tradition, ethics, and environmentalism for the sport.

[@bruceesterline3170]

As a kid I always enjoyed watching my line feeling the bait on the bottom looking for points, flat bottoms. Or anything sticking up from the water. Skills in fishing is becoming a lost art

[@SeeLifeBro]

There guys dominating with FFS are super skilled. If it was easy everyone would be catching them.

[@samueljones241]

A good solid take. I think that most tournament guys agree generally with you . I remember watching old bass master top 150 tournaments and the old tour coverage and it was so much more entertaining. Dudes caught smaller fish but they fished hard for them and pushed their equipment and knowledge to the limits. Watching guys scrape a small limit together on the mobile delta is a lot more enjoyable than watching a dude hold his rod, looking at a screen for a fish to cast at. I’m not a FFS hater but I don’t think the guy’s advocating for its widespread tournament usage can say it’s just like fishing without, or that it takes the same level of skill.

[@MattStarkFishing]

I agree. Several of these rookies were not successful until ffs came out.

[@bassfishinglakenorman5662]

I agree 100% with your commentary on FFS. I agree there should be civilized discussion between the "professional fishermen" and the powers that be as to how far they are going to let this technology advance into professional fishing. I stay out of the online discussions on this topic because the longer they go on, they start getting nasty. Someone commented on one of my videos asking when was I going to start using FFS. I politely responded that I was "old school" and I would rather rely on experience and gained knowledge to bass fish. I told him everyone has their opinion on FFS, and I truly respect that; but I think the technology has gone to far. I just don't think someone fishing in 60' of water for 30' suspended fish would ever find those fish without FFS. Someone commented once "yes you can find them with FFS; but you still have to throw the correct lure and present it properly to get them to bite." And my response was "that is true; but what real true fisherman would have ever found those fish?" Let's give the fish a fighting chance to not be molested everywhere on the lake.

[@MattStarkFishing]

Great take on it and I respect your convictions.

[@canadianmeatpie8245]

Ive always loved the advancement we have had in sonar technology from when i was young in the 90s, but the 1st time i saw FFS used on KZbin, something never felt right about it, it felt like a bridge too far. I dont want to know the second the bite is coming, i dont want know exactly where the fish are, the beautiful suprise you get when a fish strikes is the best part of fishing, and FFS is cheapining that to a virtual experience, its actually pretty sad. Im for banning it in tournament angling across the board, from amatuer to elite series, or restricting its use somehow.

[@royimwie9900]

So I had to click on your video because I was interested in what the title meant. Once you said I think we all got into bass fishing for the unknown and the excitement on that bite, you got yourself a subscriber. You have said it all! That’s what everyone who fishes does it for! At least that’s how it used to be. Great video, looking forward, no pun intended, to more!

[@GregDelR33]

Love the video Matt. Completely agree. It's the mystery and piecing the puzzle together that made me fall in love with fishing to begin with. I love using my own instincts and intuition on the water. We don't need to nor do we want to know everything. It's the unknowns that make fishing fishing and not simply catching. I believe a good compromise might be limiting FFS to practice only so that the anglers can use it to study fish behavior and how the fish are responding to different baits and presentations. They can then mark those areas and use that intel gathered in practice to make decisions and adjustments while also exercising their own fish finding and fish catching skills during the event. Big difference between this approach and simply following fish around and essentially harassing them by casting directly at them during the tournament.

[@MattStarkFishing]

Thanks and I agree 100%

[@rfplaw1]

Agreed. Well put.

[@Dirkdiggler520]

Competitive fishing is not about mystery. All pro sports try to take as much mystery out of it.

[@GregDelR33]

We should also allow range finders on the PGA Tour then. And forget about guessing the pitch in baseball. We’ll allow the other team to steal signs and they can put it up on a huge jumbo screen in center field so the batter knows precisely what’s coming. God forbid the hitter actually has to use their own ability to read the ball out of the pitcher’s hand, pick up on the spin, or use his own human judgment.

[@GregDelR33]

We should also allow range finders on the PGA Tour then. And forget about guessing the pitch in baseball. We’ll allow the other team to steal signs and they can put it up on a huge jumbo screen in center field so the batter knows precisely what’s coming. God forbid the hitter actually has to use their own ability to read the ball out of the pitcher’s hand, pick up on the spin, or use his own human judgment.

[@eddiepayne8533]

WHAT you didn't go all Randy on this topic? How dare you!! All kidding aside, well done sir, I could not agree more. After watching the Toledo event I was disappointed. I have been fishing that lake off and on since the early 80's if not before. I looked at it as an opportunity to learn more about the lake and how it was doing. I got nothing, unless I want to scrap everything I own and learned in my 67 years and go full blown FFS. Now I do own one, and I see it as a tool, especially when I get time to go bust some crappie! Someone else commented on limiting FFS on certain lakes. I had a similar thought, what if, a big IF, when the schedule was announced they randomly drew three lakes out of a hat and those were either no FFS or limited use. That would put everyone on a level playing field far in advance of any pre-practice and preparation. Thanks Matt, you gained a new subscriber with this one sir. Let's go catch some old school!!

[@MattStarkFishing]

Thanks. I’m not an entitled trust fund baby like Randy or Miliken, so I can approach subjects with a less entitled perspective. 😂 Yeah, it’s truly sad, what’s happened to pro fishing from the standpoint of a spectator. I don’t have anything against forward facing sonar. Aside from that. I also find the hypocrisy of Bassmaster banning the a-rig and not banning ffs to be ridiculous.

[@eddiepayne8533]

@@MattStarkFishing well there ain't no trust fund here my friend. I'm still doing what I enjoy on a part time basis and will as long as I can, just going to fit more fishing in. I agree with you on a-ring vs FFS. I have heard a couple of pro fishermen talk about that they are really marketing reps for the products they use. At the end of the day what will FFS do to sales of traditional bass fishing lures? I have to imagine sales will decrease as the push for a jig head and a minnow is all people desire. It'll be interesting. Good luck to ya.

[@MattStarkFishing]

@@eddiepayne8533 same here buddy. I work too hard to ever dream of being a pro fisherman, and I certainly don’t have the talent, but maybe if I could afford ffs with a 20” screen, I could make the elites. 😂

[@martyaustin6545]

The FFS is the worst thing that has ever happened to Bass fishing, I don’t watch it anymore and canceled my subscription to Bassmaster, good show buddy

[@derrickgatz699]

I did the same thing. I used to watch them all. Now I'm out on them all

[@bassandgrass567]

It’s sad to see the cult of accepting that crap in the “pro” tourney part of the sport. I’m all for people using it in their free time but how tf are you going to tell me the “best anglers in the world” all need that? They don’t and it’s all for money. Sad that people are endlessly defending BASS and their money hungry ways. What a surprise a kid 18 years old wins the elite series over dudes that have fished longer than he’s been alive and are still only in their mid 30s-40s. They have killed the sport!!!!

[@tpparker5262]

¹à​@@bassandgrass567

[@Dirkdiggler520]

Awwww poor baby Karen can’t handle technology while using his smartphone to cry

[@Dirkdiggler520]

@@bassandgrass567it’s part of the sport. You just can’t think for yourself because Randy told how to think. You’re definitely vaxxed

[@Alapaha89]

Screen Master Classic

[@MattStarkFishing]

😂

[@delegance1086]

Lmao

[@mikelukafishing]

Unfortunately, I think the lobby power between the electronic companies is far too strong on this one to see a ban. If anything transducer limitations. As a north regional tournament angler who found the height of my success before this new wave came over, I'm disheartened. I don't mind using FFS, but I also do feel like it is now the only option to win up here. It feels like how I had previously is no longer possible.

[@MattStarkFishing]

It’s really sad that tournament fishing isn’t fishing anymore. Basically, it’s a floating Wii contest

[@bassandgrass567]

@@MattStarkFishinga big fat money contest is what it’s REALLY becoming fast

[@Jest_Fishing]

I would like to see the wildlife departments in the states ban it. I also think it would be beneficial for so called conservationists like Johnny Morris to come out against it. I know he sells them but right now we are seeing him take the dollars at the expense of our fisheries. Seems to be his deal. Business over protecting the sport his business was built on.

[@MattStarkFishing]

He isn’t a conservationist, he is a capitalist. He owns private jets and owns as many hotels as he does BPS locations. He doesn’t care if the planet burns if he can sell tickets to the fire. 😂

[@haroldsfishingadventures754]

The sport of bass fishing was invented to make $, plain and simple. Why its not going anywhere, and no doubt something more advanced is already cooking

[@winstonrocco1981]

Ray Scott would never have allowed it period. Being in the outdoors is what it’s about hard to enjoy it when watching a screen all day.

[@davehuggins5777]

You are 100% correct when you describe getting into it for the excitement of the bite. They should put ffs in a video gaming category and not call it fishing. Then the "fishing tournaments" could be real fishing without the ffs video game element.

[@MattStarkFishing]

It’s Wii fishing. 😂

[@kylebrandstattfishing7270]

I absolutely hate watching LiveScope tournaments. And after watching Toledo Bend and Santee Cooper, I believe that’s all we’ll be seeing if something isn’t done. I suggest maybe making the first half of the Elite series tournaments with no scoping and the second half scoping. Since the second half is traditionally smallmouth or spotted bass lakes.

[@MattStarkFishing]

They need to do something. I’m done for the year. I’d rather watch golf. At least those guys win with talent and hard work.

[@kylebrandstattfishing7270]

@@MattStarkFishing I’m gonna watch the Fork tournament, but if all they show on day two is FFS, I’m out for the season too.

[@ErnieAdamson]

Please just make classes… real fishing and spotlighting classes!!! Such a easy fix

[@TysonEdwardsFishing]

I'm with you I watched some of day 3 on toledo bend and they had a 4 way split screen and I bet I didn't see a cast in 5 minutes of time. Definitely made it not interesting to see guys not even casting. Every cast used to count searching for a fish.

[@bassandgrass567]

@@MattStarkFishinglol right!!!! I hate the sport of golf but that’s more interesting than BASS! They really killed themselves with this but I guess they want 10-17 year olds watching and buying the shit

[@willeypoboy5607]

There is no ahlore in 2024. The world that we liv-n. The older we become , the more we /I want to revert to simpler things. I guess I'm a cave man. At 56 I now enjoy hunting whitetail and sika with a recurve . Most of my precious fishing time is spent in a kayak targeting bass /pickerel and snakehead. I'm no tournament fisherman so I'm looking in from outside. Every one is thumbs deep in a screen these days. Myself included. I long for simple times....

[@donkimmel9375]

Great job Matt, FFS Should Be Banned.... I 100% agree with you that the skill level is learned by years of practice and time on the water. FFS is skipping that learning curve of the 1000's of factors that come into play in all fishing. Question are these College Bass Clubs members getting NIL Deals from the College to afford a boat, truck, electronics, equipment etc.???

[@steve4321able]

I'm done with it. It's just about over for the true sport now. I'll just go fishing and have fun. I won't give a minute of my time or money into these rediculous tournaments.

[@1952GI]

Good take on the subject.

[@johnwhite993]

These guys today would’ve never made it back in the 80’s with just flashers or what ever they were called. I remember the thing they dropped in the water to get an idea of water clarity and tempatures. With ffs might as well have a scuba diver down there directing to the fish.

[@sonar5676]

It's no the 80's...

[@dip30ful]

Kids of the 80 wouldn't have made it through the depression. Funny enough the kids today were raised by the kids of the 80s.

[@ronfussell8244]

When you're no where around any visible bass habitat and you're dragging in 30lbs. In one spot,if you flipped the switch off he would be looking around wondering why am I out here,he could throw his little minnow the rest of the day and not catch anything, like you said there is nothing like reading the cover then slam a 6,I have seen the the evolution in the sport having fished my first tournament in 1974,we didn't fish for money that's for sure.

[@Aegishand]

Sonar is not fishing its harvesting

[@ovallegonzalo1771]

Great video. I got into the sport of bass fishing about 5+ years ago. Plain an simple I got into it because of thrill of the bite. The techniques it takes to catch a bass. Anyone can put a live worm, piece of chicken liver, shrimp and catch something. But bass fishing takes technique and love that. I watched videos of whom I consider OG's of bass fishing Bill Dance, Roland Martin,KVD,etc. which have inspired me to bass fish. So I agree with you Matt. All these electronics I believe are ridiculous in the bass world. Someone should start an organization which doesn't allow any electronics in bass tournaments just good old skill.

[@jimmywil03]

Maybe make FFS legal only during practice. It would give anglers yet another tool to help locate fish but during the tournament, they would have to put the pieces of the puzzle together without the help of FFS.

[@MattStarkFishing]

I like that idea the best

[@ronfussell8244]

That's fine,but they still wouldn't be able to fish 30' deep off shore,it bring them into regular structure, it would stop those 100 bags.

[@MattStarkFishing]

@@ronfussell8244what? Where have you been? 100lbs bags were caught long before ffs and many out of 30+ feet.

[@ronfussell8244]

@MattStarkFishing where?In open water? and not on beds,no I don't think so.

[@jimmywil03]

2007 Bassmaster Clearlake CA. Steve Kennedy caught 122lbs

[@09metrojethro]

Great video! Let them use it in practice but not during the tournament for pros. Just my opinion on it. I don't remember what tournament I was watching on TV but one tournament that I was watching they couldn't use any electronics in the tournament and they was struggling to find fish. It was nice to meet you in person Saturday morning. I hope you did good in your tournament.

[@MattStarkFishing]

Thanks. It was good to meet you too. I finished with 12.7lbs. I was out of the check range, but I had a great day. I hope you did as well

[@09metrojethro]

@@MattStarkFishing I enjoyed fishing I only landed one bass lost two they were hooked outside the mouth. I plan to go back to that same area I fished and try again in March just to see if I can do better. The two other guys I put in with took home first and third place in our tournament. I know I was in a good area.

[@outdoorhabits]

💯 that excitement of that mystery bite will never be replace! Love that feeling!!!

[@buck16]

I'm an old man from the days of no electric motors, the only depth finder was a rope with some kind of weight, and backlash control was your thumb. I remember the old guys saying electric motors were going to ruin fishing. Then I heard the old guys say depth finders/sonar were going to ruin fishing. I heard the same thing about the newfangled bow with training wheels (compound bow) was going to ruin archery seasons and kill too many animals. I'm 70 years old and history has taught me that technology and its continued advancement is here to stay. You can choose to accept it and take advantage of it, or you can whine about it and not use it or stay quiet and not use it. You can also go off grid and go back to the rowboat rowing around with no electric motor, no sonar, back lash bait caster that you control with your thumb and live the good old days. I'm not very adept with all the high-tech stuff these days but nothing is going to go backwards so I do have a Terrova I-Pilot Link, Helix 9s g3n and G4n, mega Live, and target lock. It's interesting that the one advancement that has helped me catch the most fish is spot lock. I've heard guides say that the amazing mapping has hurt their business more than anything else as it's put more anglers on their secret spots. I don't understand this outrage about FFS when there was none about mapping, GPS, side imaging and down imaging, spot lock, follow the contour, one boat network, Aqua view and all the other high-tech advancements. The outrage seems to be hypocritical and too little too late..

[@wesleyconn177]

Well said.

[@CritterTheBassGetter]

Sad to hear it old timer, im in my early 30s and i certainly wish we could rewind to simpler times, but thats just me

[@buck16]

@@CritterTheBassGetter Too funny you made me laugh.

[@dprob1985]

​@@CritterTheBassGetter i agree. Just because we have the tech doesnt mean it has to be used. Theyre just turning fishing into a video game. Fishing was about getting outdoors and away from tech. Now its like everything else...looking at a screen.

[@Collectorbrandz]

I honestly believe Ray Scott would qualify this as cheating. I know I do. Live scope is the fishing version of “game genie”. There’s no longer a challenge. The sport is now reduced to parking over a school of bass and taking your pick on the lot and leaving. No skill needed

[@martindukes9468]

You want to compromise they can use it on practice days only but days are tournament not use it

[@Collectorbrandz]

@@martindukes9468 I agree with you. For practice it’s a perfect instrument.but In an actual tournament it takes the edge off the competition as a whole. Everyone’s guaranteed bass now. Big or small still catching something. “WAY TO HANDICAP THE ACTUAL CHALLENGE OF FISHING” 🥲

[@haroldsfishingadventures754]

But...but..but... you still gotta make em bite blah blah

[@AlaconTV]

It's nice to hear a level-headed take on it. My thoughts are that technology is only going to get better. You made the Twitch analogy which is nice because I think that's where a majority of the sport will head as they find new ways to interact with their audience and support their tournament fishing. A different take is that if the tech is that good get rid of pre fishing, sadly that would hurt the non-FFS anglers even more.

[@MattStarkFishing]

At this point it’s a rich man’s game, so if they can buy it, and it makes Fishing easier, they’re going to do it. In 10 years, we’re not going even go out on a boat. The boat will be a drone. Lures will be preloaded into tubes which fire them out upon the drone pilot’s instructions. You’ll be able to fish from the comfort of your living room. Sounds great doesn’t it. 😂

[@brin66itm59]

You didn’t mention the 5+ Graphs they got on their boats also. I saw where they weren’t just using a simple Livescopes, but the Ocean Livescopes. That gives them more range. Probably limit it to one Livescope, not the Ocean one.

[@MattStarkFishing]

Based on the multitude of bass fishing accidents that have occurred recently, I believe that the Coast Guard needs to intervene. I personally think that graphs create a visual obstruction, preventing the driver from seeing over his bow. More than anything else it’s a safety issue.

[@CJYork]

I believe the Garmin LVS62 ocean transducer has a range of...500 feet. My goodness. 😳

[@jimmurphy834]

Here's the breakdown: 5 graphs 2 FFS deep sea transducers mounted on the back of boat facing forward for a 500' view in front of the boat 1 FFS to 80' to 100' to dial in the 500' view 1 360° high def unit covering as much as a 150" radius 1 down imaging/ side imaging graph that doubles as topography mapping Cost: 30k to 50k This is the state of the sport....sad to see the sport exploited for profit like this. It's all about the Benjamins. The "Pros" won't speak out against it. Why would they bite the hand that feeds them? What's next? FFS scramble boxes when sales decline on FFS? When is enough enough?

[@nejadcosic398]

First time running across your video. You’re spot on on this topic. Ffs shouldn’t be allowed anywhere. Period! It’s like using a drone with a camera to hunt elk. The sport aspect of it is gone. I find more pleasure in the hunt than the actual harvesting of any animal. Fish included!

[@andrew3491]

The comment by you that "the people who truly love the outdoors" are going to be lost from the sport is misguided. I enjoy watching the live-scoping footage, and I truly love the outdoors. Ultimately, the free market will decide whether FFS will be allowed in the elite series. If you truly love the outdoors and don't like FFS, just stop watching. Eventually, the market will correct, or it won't.... Cheers!

[@MattStarkFishing]

Thanks for the comment. I love ffs too, but just find that it doesn’t allow our elite anglers to show all of their skills. It also allows less talented anglers who may only be skilled in ffs to look like better anglers than they actually are. Our “elites” shouldn’t be just one trick ponies, right?

[@jcfish6702]

The "High Tech." age has taken many things out of our society. A few examples would be the Graphics industry, Math, tuning race cars, and most instinct driven decisions. Memorizing key strokes, data patterns, along with programming have cost our society the Zen of work. I'm sure these kids are extremely good at electronics but is that real talent? I would like to see them fish with no electronics maybe make that the classic platform?

[@MattStarkFishing]

I really like that idea, and completely agree on your assessment of how technology has changed our world. Thanks for the comment.

[@dennisprah223]

Forward facing sonar should be illegal for EVRYONE !

[@whitefishfins]

Agreed. To me, it is very similar to allowing (legalizing) the jack-lighting deer at night.

[@jameslovelace8958]

I hate FFS! Yet 2024 will be the first year that I have it. To compete on my trail I must have it and learn to use it. After 3 months I hate it even more.

[@proassassin8473]

Big Bass Bash this year was won with Forward Facing Sonar. Sad

[@Tom_Tahmas]

Wont ever fish another one either. Hopefully the turnouts to those start dropping and maybe sealy with ban it. Nothing will change until people start putting their foot down and not contributing

[@markjohnson9009]

Don't have FFS but think its pretty cool. I probably will never get one for myself. I like the mystery too.

[@jorickjoetoep]

So the winner of US fishing contest is not the best fisher but just the richest most spoilt kid. 😢

[@rdancranston]

Not the best fisherman... The best scoper...

[@ScottieReed-s8f]

Correct 💯%

[@Irishmule169]

Exactly NPFL said it best Technology Arms Race is what professional fishing has become. Only the rich can afford this kind of nonsense

[@joshtheflatearthjedi222]

Yep

[@jasonprothero5697]

Great vid. I believe that the lakes this season will be show case the talent level. We just saw a pre-spawn cold water bite where FFS was the big key. Now Lake Fork the fish will be on the edge and even moving into the spawn. witch I believe will balance the field. Then Bass is in Florida, Hairs chain and St Johns. That is a flipping and deep weed bite in a post spawn. The veterans will be the favourite going into Florida and FFS will not be a factor. I personally feel. my 2 sense.

[@bigfishonline33]

I agree 100% I have nothing against those who choose to use it. But I don't want to watch it for hours. And I feel that professional fisherman should be able to catch fish without FFS, RFS, SFS. I have lost all interest in watching it.

[@maxcole3930]

I agree. The cats been out of the bag as far as FFS. Add to that all the $ from electronic companies it will never be banned. The amount of electronics on an individuals boats have gotten out of hand!!! They need to at least put some type of limits & I would love to see them not allow in half the tournaments just to see which guys can't hang without it! Theres gotta be a group of them that solly rely on it for all their success. Which if that's the case, those guys shouldn't be called professional angler's .

[@Benwtradarchery]

This is the best thing to happen to bassfishing, it will finally be bringing in new fans and future revenue. The people who don't like it, will be the minority. Another thing, why should you force your views on me for fun fishing. If you want to have the mystic of not knowing, great you should do that. But you should not force me to fish the way that you want me to. Personally I would like to see half of the BASS tourneys be with ffs, and half without ffs. Bottom line, they all have it and it IS a level playing field at BASS.

[@MattStarkFishing]

This only pertains to the pro level events. I don’t say anything about its use for fun Fishing. I personally find the technology fascinating and definitely want it on my boat. If you actually watch the video and listen to what I say, I mentioned several times that I am not against it. I am just suggesting that, for the sake of diversity, they limit its use on the pro level so that every tournament is not a sight fishing event. Clearly you didn’t actually listen to my suggestion which is exactly the same as yours.

[@Benwtradarchery]

@@MattStarkFishing yes I had the 1 paragraph in there about fun fishing. I said that because in your video you talked about not knowing what by the tree when you flip it. That's kind of insinuating that, if I was wrong I apologize. But the rest of my comment was about BASS tournaments and how it grows the sport by bring in new viewers, which you have to have for the future of any sport. That has been the problem with BASS forever. Same guys, like myself, watching the same guys forever. Which the younger viewers can't relate to. Everyother sport has a next generation that takes over every 7 to 10 years, so they are constantly getting new viewers. That's wh they thrive and fishing tourneys don't. KVD, has fished forever and dominated. The next Gen just can't relate to him. My last paragraph talk about half the tourneys with FFS, and half without FFS. That was my compromise to the issue. So I did watch all the video.

[@MattStarkFishing]

Hey Ben, check out my follow up video. We are on the same page bud.

[@Benwtradarchery]

@@MattStarkFishing will do

[@tdosoldier]

BASS should at least go with half of the tournaments without it and half with out. Thanks for the candid and sincere approach examining the issue. PS if the A Rig was discontinued, then forward facing scopes should be as well. My two cents.

[@golfishuntim]

Great video! I tend to agree that it does take the mystery out of fishing. Also, it’s almost impossible to compete without FFS these days. Experience, knowledge, and skill is being replaced by being really good at playing a video game.

[@roberthance1187]

I say let the pros use it all they want for practice. If you're using it to improve techniques, that's awesome for any fisherman and will carry over to when you're not using FFS.. But nobody uses livescope in a tournament to improve their skills, they use it to locate the winning fish. This turns it into more of a super expensive easter egg hunt than it is a fishing tournament. There's a place in the world for FFS, and any other technology or bait that hits the market, but not in tournaments. I use livescope, I love it, I will continue to use it... But man, I would feel like I won a Call of Duty match if I won a fishing tournament using it.

[@MattStarkFishing]

"super expensive Easter Egg Hunt" LOL That is an awesome analogy. I love it.

[@allenwilhelm7799]

Imagine a device that can cast, work the bait, set the hook, and retrieve. I'm imagining something like a small trebuchet with various gears and servos that mounts on the side of the boat with FFS. Now Imagine interfacing the two and, with AI, you have an auto-angler that can identify a fish, present the bait to it, and retrieve it. The role of the tournament angler would be to go around unhooking and weighing the fish.

[@MattStarkFishing]

Bass boat drones. Pretty soon we will be able to fish from the comfort of our living room

[@jimmurphy834]

Yep, at this rate in the near future they will just send their boat out and meet up with it at the boat ramp then go weigh in to " see how they did".

[@JoshPerez]

Do you think the anglers themselves are afraid to let go of the tool? What would happen to any of the heavy hitters if the day that FFS was banned in tourney, they finished 50th?

[@adamsnelson4689]

It use to be about competition & competiveness ... now tournament fishing is about cashing a measly small check & being a KZbin star

[@JoshPerez]

@@adamsnelson4689 oh definitely. Social media aside don’t you think that the top guys hate the idea of losing FFS? The prospect of being bumped down the leaderboard by a more traditional day of fishing?

[@MattStarkFishing]

@@JoshPerez i don't think the most talented guys care one way or another. They just want to fish, BUT the untalented guys will definitely care.

[@fishboydyl]

Needs to be banned 100% it’s not even a question

[@rodevans7214]

I'm not for live scope and didn't join bass years ago just to see it turn into to video game fishing, and with the hopes of still making it to the big stage one day from grass roots fishing, I've all but given up, and will not continue to watch these tournaments as it's not entertaining to me , as I really enjoyed the courage and discipline the pros had to make it enjoyable and to possibly learn how to use a bait or technique, but this is only my opinion

[@StingofTruth]

I don't think ffs should be allowed in any tournament. Period. I'm not a tournament fisherman and have no dog in the fight. Primarily I'm a catfisherman. If i watch "professional" fishing i want to see the man with the most talent, the most ability, and the best ability to pick a location to fish win. With ffs it becomes the one who has the best ability to read a screen. Using ffs for fun, or to learn about fishing or how to fish is not just a horse of a different color but is a different topic altogether. My sister isn't a fisherman but last year she saw me watching a tournament (and i really don't pay attention to them anymore, don't watch them) and she asked me what the guy on the screen was doing. I looked up and said he's using forward facing sonar to see the exact location, and size of the fish and to see where his lure was at. She had a puzzled look on her face and asked "if he's good enough to be a professional fisherman then why does he need that?". I had no answer other than "i agree". Then she asked if they took away the screens these guys are watching and made them actually work at catching fish with their own fishing ability what would happen, and i replied that the best fishermen would probably start winning tournaments.

[@Fishingin290]

Very good explanation.. I love the outdoors, I hate FFS and think it brings everything bad into fishing. Have to limit technology in fishing like all other sports do.

[@johnfoley1411]

The series I fish allows it only for practice, which really isn’t that much of an advantage for the ones who have it. We have a 9 day off limits before a tournament so what you scope in practice isn’t what’s there 9 days later.

[@guadalupe_rodriguez]

Like you said, "it's here to stay." I believe that too. And if graphic tech companies are the stakeholders in BASS or MLF, well, there lies one problem. More anglers in compilation means more entry fees. More fees means more money for the league. So, would you bite the hand the that feeds you? Certainly, not! Has the sport gone in a direction different from the past and we want it back for what reason? Is it pride? Is it jealously? Is it conservation? Is the environment or the ecology of fish or wildlife is being greatly impacted? If the latter is true, then, steps should be taken to lessen the impacts.

[@Tomc8030]

The thing I’m finding out is bass aren’t as predictable has I grew up learning! Theirs fish that never come in to shallow water

[@abreug2]

I almost took your advice not to watch but then i watched snd realized we have similar opinions! 😂😂😂😂

[@bowlingmotorsportsbowling5990]

Very good video on this topic

[@JanoyCresva]

IN 10 years the different fish will be different colors on the graph. 10 years after that, it will look like super nintendo bass master game.

[@solobo5823]

I just retired and bought my first Bass boat. Im no expert thats for sure but this seems unsportsman like. Where is the hunt? Why would y'all want to waste what you have honed through the years? Whats next snagging them! I dont think it should be allowed in any professional tournaments. Seems it takes the challenge out of the sport. My opinion.

[@Dolbee49277]

I don’t care what these guys do. I personally like seeing guys pull in bags over 75lbs pretty consistently. Without it the winner would have had less than 50lbs on Toledo this last week. I’m still using it on my lakes for smallies, walleyes, and pike so go ahead and use it.

[@MattStarkFishing]

So if every tournament was one using the same pattern every single tournament, would you continue watching it or would you bored?

[@Fishing_withRick]

Good vid👍. Believe they started a tournament series in Missouri-more a local level thing-where FFS isn’t allowed. My dream is to lure in all the spot lighters to those tourneys and see how well they do. 🤭 Another dream is for me to become a billionaire, and begin booking guide trips for everyone and anyone-maybe tie up one guide an entire year-with booked trips and good tips the only condition being, no FFS in use by the guide.

[@CyrusDarkfur]

FFS should be treated like Indycars Push To Pass system, have a limited use time for FFS. This could be easily accomplished by mandating in the rules that competitors may only have 1 FFS transducer and that the FFS unit must be directly connected to its own battery, which could be regulated so that FFS would simply run out of power after a certain length of run time.

[@MattStarkFishing]

Thats an awesome analogy and solution. Im not sure how it could be successful enforced but I like it. I’m an F1 guy so I get this completely. In F1 it’s called DRS zones.

[@timleng4404]

No FFS on the tourney day period! Just like rangefinder to PGA tour.

[@sergiocerdabeltran5338]

Great take on the subject!

[@nybbhUSA]

Just a question, how many people here are against FFS sight fish for bedding bass? In my own opinion is far worse to the fishery than FFS. If you don’t like FFS because of the entertainment value of watching it I get that but watching someone bed fish is equally boring. If you enjoy the surprise and excitement of the bite just don’t use it! if you tournament fish you have to get on board or accept the fact that if your not using it your going to have trouble competing. There’s too much money in this technology for it to go away completely. This won’t be the end of it either,technology is only going to get better. I will admit that I have ffs and it’s fun to use but boring as hell to watch someone fish that way. I’m 62 and started fishing with a flasher, moved to a paper graph, then lcd,and so on. So I’ve watched a lot of things change, so all I’m saying is I don’t believe this is going to stop here.Good luck to all and God bless.

[@MattStarkFishing]

My argument only pertains to the media side of Fishing. I would love to use front facing sonar. I think the technology is amazing, and I think it has a place in Fishing, but when it comes to watching someone else watching a screen on TV, you lose me. Is that what you want to watch in every tournament? I equate it to limiting sex to one position and one partner your entire life. At some point, it will get stale and you’ll desire something else. Unfortunately that is what our TV coverage of pro bass fishing is like in the era of ffs.

[@Theburningseason]

I'm in NY kyle patrick is also and trust me he couldn't catch a fish prior to ffs I've personally stomped in every tourney I've fished against him but now ffs he is a pro lol

[@civilized5734]

Restricting each angler to one ffs that has to be attached to the trolling motor shaft would be a good start. Also limit the number of screens to two at front and console at a max of 16”.

[@MattStarkFishing]

this won't effect much. They will still stroll around with the ffs

[@civilized5734]

@@MattStarkFishing at least it slows them down some and makes it more difficult in the wind

[@johnswanner810]

I just want to see good quality bass fishing.

[@DavidStreet-xp5fp]

It should be called Bassmaster Elite Gamers

[@Muskiehunter4841]

They lost me as a viewer. I’m not going to watch other men play video games.

[@TysonEdwardsFishing]

I think when you get to the elite level you should have to use the skill and intuition you learned over the years to fish them. Maybe make it so the final two days are based on actual fishing skill and let the best of the best rise to the top. We would see quickly if the scopers could hack it if they don't finish well once it's taken away.

[@mattjohnson7835]

I would be okay if the FFS is used prior to the actual tournament. Purpose would be to help learn the lake. On tournament days, FFS cannot be on the boat. To me, this is a huge compromise.

[@curburenthusiasm6457]

i like that idea. about not using it at the elite level

[@johnbenton5349]

What if we had a weight limit. After you get 10 lbs you must turn ffs off for the remainder of the day

[@tallcip65]

Tournament fishing should have 2D sonar only. You shouldn’t need more info than water temperature, depth and bottom contour. Maybe side scan but that’s it.

[@Irishmule169]

At least have restrictions on how many transducers and head units that are allowed on the anglers boat

[@joeys7519]

This event was badass ffs is here to stay and I love it. I never watch live but ever since ffs I always tune in and love watching it. Everyone has ffs, only some are great at it, it’s a skill like anything else

[@MattStarkFishing]

Should it be the only skill pro anglers possess? Because it’s clear from last year’s results and this one that it is the only skill necessary to be a pro and the only pattern that can compete with it is sight fishing which is limited to the spawn?

[@Tom_Tahmas]

Its the crossbow of archery hunting. Dont wanna take the time to learn archery then just buy a crossbow and you'll be hunting tomorrow morning.

[@adamk7117]

Every sport does this, and it sucks. Bowhunting for instance. In the 70s it went from recurve bows to compounds, not the coolest move cuz it is a bit easier, but not the end of the world (you still had to get fairly close to the animal). Then came the crossbows. Thats where i draw the line. Immediately every knuckle dragger in the world shot a crossbow where allowed. Totally defeats the purpose of bowhunting. All of a sudden all these mouth breathing idiots say well i would bow hunt, but i have this shoulder probem…. Etc etc Its all about the manufacturers and money. If they can come up with something that sells (makes whatever you are doing easier) they will sell it and ruin the sport fn the process.

[@Tom_Tahmas]

💯 this is what ive been saying for awhile now. Since they've allowed crossbows its kinda ruined my excitement for bow hunting. When you hunt public land it gets pretty old having people hunting right on top of you or completely ruining your hunt. Same goes for bass fishing. I wont fish tournaments anymore bc refuse to use technology that lets me see the fish react to my lure. I understand things change but all this stuff completely defeats what really got me excited about hunting and fishing.

[@naw-danoobie6236]

pro competition , let's see them fish with the basics , and see how good they really are.

[@RobertUtley-tt2wc]

Im a straight up conservative there is no skill involved in arcade electronics it has destroyed our 200 acre lake

[@denniscumiskey6979]

Limiting the number of transducers is like limiting how much you can pee in a swiming pool

[@timdoll6718]

Maybe in the future a new tournament series will be organized that does not allowed this technology.

[@haroldsfishingadventures754]

They should make dynamite legal in tournaments, would be way more entertaining than watching shaggy headed "pros" stare at a screen for hours

[@Mon3y_PK]

You dont even need to look at it to determine it should be banned... Your reference to video games... This is more like having what is called 'wall hacks' , they are considered 'Cheats' in first person shooters.. You get to see where everyone is through walls so there is no element of surprise. It takes away the strategy and knowledge advantage. It's a pretty lib thing to do honestly.

[@MattStarkFishing]

Great point!!

[@m1wb52]

Most people do not have the hand and eye coordination to really get the most out ffs. Also the computer skills. Plus the the time to do any real damage. I been fishing for 60 years and it's taken me 2 years to make a difference using it.

[@EricScherrer]

I think it should be based on fishery. And we will quickly find what fisheries people flock to for a nice day of fishing rather than going outside to just stare at a screen.

[@ZhmiKnopa]

Wait til y’all see the underwater drone cameras 😂

[@Loomis_Fishin]

I personally like the FFS and before everyone jumps on this let me explain. To me FFS has the ability to teach you where bass are and what they are doing in depths that we couldn’t see before but, it also gives a person that has very little skill/knowledge a chance to complete by only learning the basics and electronics it’s not right. I believe that if you call yourself a fisherman/angler then you should be able to go out and catch fish regardless of electronics and if you can’t catch bass without staring at a screen then you haven’t earned your place. If you’re one of the people that would pitch a fit and complain if it was to be band then you didn’t belong in that spot. In my opinion someone that fishes on a professional level should be able to know what the fish are doing according to the weather, water temperature, seasons, etc.

[@SeeLifeBro]

FFS is the greatest thing to happen to the sport ever. Whether you're looking at the back of a guy's head flipping or using FFS it makes zero difference. The only difference now is we're able to learn a ton about bass behavior which in turn is creating a whole different level of pro a that's catching higher weights than ever. FFS takes a tremendous amount of skill that has been discounted by all of the Randy's in the comments. If it were cheating than everyone would be catching them and thry aren't. Guy's need to get with the times and up their game if they want to win on the big stage.

[@MattStarkFishing]

That’s valid. It’s definitely not cheating, and I agree that it does require a bit of skill, but do we really need more screen time? And, at the pro level, don’t you think it would be nice if they broke the tournaments up so that not every single event (aside from sight fishing spawn events) was won using ffs? Personally, I’d like to see some diversity in the patterns and baits used at the elite level. For average and below average anglers like myself, it is the greatest tool ever.

[@SeeLifeBro]

@@MattStarkFishing I think there is natural diversity. Look at the recent Heavy Hitters. Jordan Lee wasn't scoping, he smacked them on a frog. It's no different from the screen time pros have been putting in since the invention of sonar and side scan. KVD used to idle for hours with sidescan when he was smoking everyone back in the day, the only difference now is there is a bunch of haters that can't keep up with the best in the world(takes more than a bit of skill) causing uninformed people to get butt hurt about the whole deal. I appreciate the civil discussion though man, God bless...

[@MattStarkFishing]

@@SeeLifeBro​​⁠heck yeah, I appreciate the civil banter as well. Unfortunately some people didn’t get past my trigger warning and thought my slant was the same as Randy’s without watching the whole video. The heavy hitter tournament where Jordan Lee was using a frog was great, but what were those rookies doing? Scoping. Jordan already has shown us his talents as an angler long before ffs. I do hear what you’re saying about side scan imaging but side skan imaging doesn’t really show us how the fish react to our lures and presentation, nor does it show us how the fish move in real time. It has effectively eliminated the guess work. So I do see a difference in the two sonar technologies. Side scan is more for recon where ffs is more a shoot to kill technique. And don’t get me wrong, I love the technology. I geek out on it, I’m just wanting to hold our pros to a higher standard. That’s all. Let them use it, but maybe also have certain events where they can’t so they can showcase how well rounded they are.

[@cecilfannin]

If you enjoy watching baby ultrasound you’ll love this. I’ll just keep thinking trying new techniques and being excited when I trigger a bite.

[@MattStarkFishing]

lol

[@VoyagingVoyager]

I get what your saying and agree that at a certain level there should be some rules that maybe only allow it a percentage of the tournament on on certain days. On the flip side, LS has been out for a while now, I have not seen a bunch of fisherman that prior to LS were no where near pro and were catapulted to the top because of it alone. If it was that much of a cheating tool or created that much of an unfair advantage, there would be multiple examples of this happening. Locally, folks with LS lose tournaments to those without it all the time. The argument could be made that side scan gives almost as much of an advantage because of how much water you can scan so quickly. Being able to scan a 200ft swath at 6mph is a huge advantage over folks with out it, LS can't even do that. With side scan we see an image, we know where bass live, we know what they like. You mention the surprise of the bite but even in your own video you can see we only fish locations where we expect it. I like LS, I'm guessing most of the folks hating on it the hardest probably can't afford it anyways....

[@rdancranston]

They all would you tell you they don't need FFS to be where their at in the bass fishing world. But none of them wouldn't be caught w/out it. And we wouldn't know hardly any of them...

[@lesyoung9294]

Personally i'd say you'd be very surprised just how talented these young guys that everybody assumes are strictly scopers. are.

[@MattStarkFishing]

Probably so, but let’s see the diversity of their talents by having a few stops on tour that restrict the use of ffs so they can prove it. That would be a compromise I think we all should/could get behind.

[@lesyoung9294]

@@MattStarkFishing I think they’ll be ok

[@MattStarkFishing]

@@lesyoung9294 ​​⁠we will see. We’ve already seen that some have completely faltered on days they had technical difficulties with their electronics, so although some will be ok, I suspect some will not.

[@lesyoung9294]

@@MattStarkFishing 👍

[@ryanjohnson9977]

I like your a rig analogy, if they took that ffs should never have been allowed for sure, and I agree most of the guys winning with ffs wouldn't beat the greats

I've been fishing tournaments for 45 years, it doesn't belong in tournaments!

[@adamsnelson4689]

You gained a subscriber

[@MattStarkFishing]

Thanks Adam.

[@TopwaterTony]

BAN IT .... yeah i miss watching the pro bass guys actually fish :(

[@wesmclaughlin9369]

Should be banned in every tournament, I'll never watch again until it's banned.