What Happened On Lake Guntersville Yesterday Should Disturb EVERY Bass Angler In America…

[@benniebailey7279]

Randy, there are some things that I disagree with you on but on this, I feel like you are 100% correct. Bass fishing should be more about your instincts and fishing skills than your ability to cast a lure in front of a fish that you’ve located on a tv screen.

[@damienbethea7443]

Jesus Christ

[@scottreece2421]

​@damienbethea7443 its 12 month bed fishing in the fact you see the fish and throw to that fish. Prove me wrong.

[@AZAngling]

​@scottreece2421 big difference. They aren't spawning. One could argue that makes your bedfishing argument actually sway in favor of using livescope to fish for fish that aren't on beds.

[@jimharrison5376]

Is bed fishing illegal?​@@scottreece2421

[@jimharrison5376]

Should we go back to using humminbird flashers, pistol grip rods, throwing mister twister jelly worms... Sell all these 22ft boats with 500hp motors and get bomber bass boats with 70 horse Johnson's. Let's just pretend it's 1950 and forget all the technology that's contributed to these 30lb sacks because I hate to tell y'all... It isn't just electronics!!!!!! It's everything I just listed that has played a role!!!! Those fish have always been there.. You couldn't catch them... You take away the cheater box and you'll go right back to not catching those and put the pressure right back on the bank. Your speak of habitat... What about all the shallow water habitat that gets sprayed and killed religiously on every lake in America? Nobody gives a shit about the bass that effects obviously!!! Why do you try to be the savior when it comes to deep water fish? They more important? Answer my questions! Tell me why the deep water habitat is more important than a hyacinth mat holding 5lbers in the spring? You can forget the LiveScope going away... It ain't happening!

[@chuckchambers9565]

Tourneys are destroying recreational angling.

[@jasonstewart5681]

This is the real issue!

[@kevincrawford6936]

I agree 💯 Way too many tournaments are ruining "recreational fishing" aka: Real Fishing

[@dkrzonca]

Thank you!!!! Exactly right

[@samuelwarden6285]

I agree 100% . I get so sick of trying to go fishing on the weekends after working all week, only to not even have a parking spot at the local boat ramps because there's so many tournaments every weekend. A lot of them don't have common courtesy for other fishermen either, which really makes me mad.

[@WolfPackOutdoors211]

All of y'all are miserable thus you have to find the negative in everything. Most of you don't even fish nor have you ever fished a tournament. Fuckin randy blaukat is a tournament angler. Just because he loses them all doesn't mean he's not a tournament fisherman 😂

[@datN.O.Colombiano]

I'm a poor bass fisherman. I don't have a boat. I hoof it every time I go fishing. I have learned a lot by fishing this way and it's much more satisfying to catch and release some of big fish I've caught just by learning the different bodies of water near me and what works there at what time. Even if I could afford it, I wouldn't use it. I have too much respect for the fish and for the sport of bass fishing.

[@doylegardner2228]

OMG THANK YOU! My wife who doesn't know Jack about bass fishing said "it's cheating" it takes absolutely no knowledge, strategy, nothing but being able to afford it, they are buying the fish. When using regular electronics, reading the depth, bottom, temp, and maybe a baitfish pod or a fish symbol, pitting my knowledge against anglers with the same, is so much more rewarding. Like you, that gets my respect for the anglers that beat me that day, and myself. In my opinion it's the same as putting big bass in a fish trap then go get them in the tournament!

[@tomlarcher1]

@@doylegardner2228 they are in a trap. They can't leave the lake. Just catch them.

[@timjohnson9763]

You obviously don't have a scope unit. It's not as easy as you may think. You can find fish you didn't know were there, and you will start to look for fish in new places, but it's not magic. I fish for tons of fish that don't bite when scoping.

[@mattdoggett5483]

If you're near me and wanna try it, I'll be happy to let you man my trolling motor and give it a go when the holidays are over. I'm always looking for someone to fish with anyway.

[@scottreece2421]

@doylegardner2228 mine said the very same thing. She did add, "dont that take the fun out of it".

[@daveschreck6784]

I miss the Bassmaster classics where the anglers had the same Ranger boat with the same sonar and motors.. It took Skill and determination to raise that Trophy! Listen to Randy!! Randy is a Legendary Hammer guys! Our sport is eroding before or eyes so "Stand up" for what's right! I know it gives me a gut shot thinking about what or sport is turning into..

[@jonathanwilson1878]

Exactly

[@amyfreeze9772]

@daveschreck6784 really? Wow they need to go back to that!

[@glynnreid1217]

Legendary maybe in his mind. He was a good angler in his day. Legendary, lol. No.

[@geoffstatum7363]

@@daveschreck6784 back in those days the guy that won typically had the best local help to do it.

[@Bobbysheresomewhere]

​​@@geoffstatum7363 They were also using the best available electronics of their day as well. I've got Randy by about 15 years and vividly remember him telling us how great his electronics were to his success, as he hoisted 8-10 lb lunkers.

[@joewyatt215]

Thank you so much for spearheading this enormously important issue, Randy. I am a 33 year old attorney from East Tennessee, and I have fished tournaments since I was 11….What we are seeing is nothing short of heartbreaking. I hear quite often that “you just need to get proficient with FFS to compete,” and I just can’t do it. Purchasing Livescope itself isn’t the issue; learning how to fish with it isn’t the issue. The issue is exactly what you have been saying. And when people tell me, “hey, you’re a lawyer, you make enough, just buy it” I want to direct them to you. We’re quickly losing the sport that I and many others fell in love with. I refuse to contribute, and it’s going to take others to do the same. Despite being able to put it on my boat and “learn how to keep up with technology,” it’ll never replace the feeling of just pitching and flipping or any of the old ways. Thus, it’s not going on the front of my boat, and I’m not going to fish tournaments, for the first time in over 20 years, until I see some likeminded directors who will have the nerve to ban it in whatever series they are running. Again, thank you, Randy. See you on the right side of history!

[@DarrylHanks-j1j]

Well said!

[@jodyvess8509]

Great!

[@adamsnelson4689]

I second that motion

[@michaellooney5353]

You are 100% correct.

[@daleburke3679]

In Tennessee starting in January livescop is going to be band in Tournament

[@JA-gx4hb]

I never really got competitive fishing. I do it to relax and enjoy nature. I like the solitude. If I catch a few fish once and awhile that's OK. Putting fish in livewells and bags can't be a good thing.

[@Tide12NC]

We saw this happen in HS. My son and partner was leading the HS team. The next year 3 teams bought live scope and all of the sudden became pros. They went from weighing in 1 or 2 fish to catching 5 fish a tournament and big weights. It really discussed me, and still to these day I have not purchased a live scope. I enjoy figuring the fish out. But now I’m worried fishing is about to go way down due to this cheat machine.

[@samtaylor5631]

Sounds like your son had a good year and got caught up to by some other kids. Don’t blame scope😂😂😂

[@BrodieSharpMotorSports118]

Disgust, not discussed

[@roymorgan5498]

I'm going quite Bass trounments after next year. We can't compete with those spotlighting anglers. Keep up the great work Randy! 👍

[@ColeWilliams-z6c]

Or you could go to the store and buy a spotlight😂

[@VickTart]

Agree

[@ZZ430T56]

You keep talkin Tournaments. As a non tournament fisherman I say get rid of tournaments. There are multi millions of us and only thousands of you.

[@Gill-gn3si]

The best way to stop the fishing pressure is to ban all tournaments problems solved

[@JohnStaley-i3h]

@@Gill-gn3si that is asking way too much. Do the immediate release and the cheating will make it no fun. No one will want to pay for a tournament to get cheated. Small tournaments are the biggest problem. Drag them around all day and then show biggest off after ....hugh mortality

[@tnbsfsher1]

Do you realize you would causes some businesses to have to shut down. Eliminating tournaments would hurt local economies nationwide.

[@timtroyer2457]

@@tnbsfsher1and who cares about that other than tournament fisherman?

[@sprolyborn2554]

​@@timtroyer2457everyone that lives around a popular lake? Econ 101. Jfc.

[@Jerry-sy8rd]

Keeping a lake healthy and well managed will do a lot more for “local economies” than allowing FFS in the tournaments on that lake!

[@michaelgreene-d9c]

I started bass fishing tournaments in 1976. Aluminum boat and a tiller motor. Fast forward to 1981, first bass boat, 16 foot with a flasher on the dash. Hog heaven. I advanced to side imaging and gps. Last tournament in 2018. 48 years. I had a great time. My son is moving on where I left off. I couldn't compete with the forward facing sonar. I got into fantasy fishing. I did very well picking winners based on their abilities, records and strengths. I quite 2 years ago when the the new Elite Series pros, young guys, blew all the old pros out of the water. Sad. No ability any more to catch bass like we use to. YOU are right Randy! I agree 100% with you. I think Spot Lock is the greatest thing since sliced bread! Love it. No forward facing sonar in my boat and I still catch fish. Good luck. Great show.

[@user-ee4lb3zf8c]

it's wild that pro fishing has been reduced to a bunch of guys getting gamer neck looking down at a screen all day for the sake of money and youtube content while carrying attitudes like they're just built different bc there's 50 grand of bass finding gear on the boat

[@waynerandles6126]

In Loving Memory of Bass Fishing and the Legends of the Sport my sincere condolences 😔

[@bubbafarmer4867]

Thanks again for being a champion for the cause Randy.

[@randyblaukatintuitive]

👍💪

[@dirkferrill7585]

Randy I don’t necessarily agree with everything you say, but your relentless fight truly shows your respect for the bass and the fisheries they live in. Gotta respect that

[@timtroyer2457]

Yes I agree

[@TimEdwards-sx2pq]

Yep I agree and thank you for the backbone Randy

[@DerekBEEMAN]

What gets me about alot of guys, especially in bass fishing. Is they'll burn you at the steak if you have a 5+ pounder mounted but have no problem mounting a quality buck. They'll even pay to shoot a pen raised buck that most likely would've never been that big in the wild.

[@jaaron2834]

Just like Trump does, it's the same format...

[@MrRGiller]

​@@jaaron2834This has nothing to do with Trump!

[@bgriffin511]

@@jaaron2834 That is President Trump.

[@timtroyer2457]

Last I checked you have to kill a buck to have it mounted. You can on the other hand get a replica made of that 5+pounder and let it live another day

[@sprolyborn2554]

​@@timtroyer2457(it probably didn't survive being caught) but hey, at least it makes you feel good to leave the lake thinking it did!

[@jaydenton5512]

I agree with you a 100%.Kinda like cell cameras for deer hunting too.

[@joeyphillips1181]

Or like spotlighting deer

[@lightning2849]

I’m with you Randy !

[@ronaldcriss9734]

Agree 100%. I use a golf analogy. The industry could produce clubs and balls that would allow 400 yard drives, 60 foot putts from an average player, but it wouldn’t be the same game. Most of the skills and hard work that produce a great player would be gone.

[@Nonamejustcommonsense]

@@ronaldcriss9734 shall we compare the drivers used by Jack Nicklaus with the driver used by Tiger?

[@dontnonowuno9953]

But then you reach a limit where you take away the skill and experience you stop..like golf.

[@Nonamejustcommonsense]

Do you hear Jack Nicklaus complaining and whining because technology advancements are used today compared to him in his prime?

[@SpookyRedz]

Bass fishing is not and should not be allowed to use this cheater box , it’s not fishing anymore

[@glynnreid1217]

If someone uses FFS, how does that affect your fishing?

[@Tide12NC]

4 yrs ago my son started fishing with his cousin who was an 8th grader. They lead the team at their HS and qualified for the Alabama state championship. The other teams at our school were catching like 1 to 2 fish a tournament. Then my son’s senior year came and I Capt. some alone with my brother. We finished well at Smith in the top 15 and money. One team actually did better than us. I was proud for them. The next two tournaments 3 teams finished ahead of us in the top 20. I caught word that all 3 had gone and got live scope and active target. Long story short my son did well and qualified for the state tournament again as did the other 3 teams. Those 3 teams put it to us. They now were finishing in the top 5 in tournaments. My son had offers from UNA and some small colleges in Florida as well as a couple up North. He ended up at Wallace where the coach left following their National Championship and the program shut down. The last two years the kids who have the live scope were now top 5 finishers every week. I saw these teams go from hardly no fish to winning only because of live scope. That’s not fishing, and it’s not good for the lakes.

[@barryburton7785]

Randy, you’re absolutely correct. This will deplete our bass levels if we allow ffs to continue.

[@danielmyatt3494]

I thought you said the fish would adapt

[@danielmyatt3494]

Isn’t it good that there are that many fish in the lake

[@ZZ430T56]

Tournaments are killing the bass, not FFS

[@barrywallace4415]

and crappie

[@timtroyer2457]

Not at all

[@Huge4Fish]

“Scoping” is not fishing…it just isn’t. You land fish but you aren’t “fishing”. It is “scoping” or droning for bass. I couldn’t care less if people use it, but don’t kid yourself. There should be scoping only and non/scoping events.

[@timtroyer2457]

And we have that now

[@joeyphillips1181]

Shouldn't be scoping events period because it screws the fisheries up

[@Nonamejustcommonsense]

@@Huge4Fish what about sight fishing bass on beds?

[@billylove5793]

@@Nonamejustcommonsensesight fishing is something that has always been around, and it is extremely limited by water condition and time of year. Even so, there has been criticism of it for decades in relation to the spawn and sustainability issues

[@Nonamejustcommonsense]

@@billylove5793 the professional fishing tours start in the south in spring and gradually move north. They are chasing the spawn across the country. Randy has been very successful at pulling fish off beds.

[@stevehogan8829]

I would be so happy if the current situation with Bass Fishing were completely stopped, The current state of the tournaments is killing sport fishing for all of us. You've drawn your line at a single type of technology but that will not change anything, Stop fishing for money so the rest of us can get back to sport fishing, The number of boats, the number and slaughter of fish is insane, STOP IT,

[@andymelton5158]

Come on Randy!!! I don't think anglers that use Live Scope are going to turn into zombies. LOL!!!

[@logandean7820]

Merry Christmas Randy!! 🎄☃️

[@Nonamejustcommonsense]

@@logandean7820 he doesn’t believe in Jesus or the Bible so you are wishing nothing to him.

[@joeowenscustombaits]

I agree with you 100%. As an Arizona native, I watched Lake Pleasant, which in the 1990's was one of the best big bass lakes on the planet, loose 90% of their big spawning females by guys fishing with live water dogs. Some guys caught giant bass this way and released them, but hundreds were catching double digit fish and killing them. Within a decade the lake was in a severe decline and will never recover. Livescope should be banned in all tournaments period.

[@JohnStaley-i3h]

@@joeowenscustombaits question for you. Were those bass planted or native? I am old enough to see a decrease in numbers and size then gobies( or something )came on the scene and numbers and size exploded. Nowadays numbers and size is reversing....water temp rising not tournaments

[@RonEvans-d9n]

@joeowenscustombaits Covid years fishing industry grew tremendously and was for the meat. Catch and realest was not practiced. Marine industry was at all time high. New technologies are just a thing. We're not going to get rid of it. It's here to stay . I have it for 2 years still can't catch them concitantly but it's a huge challenge. I love to pitch and flip but I'm off shore more and like trying to catch that little dot

[@jrwstl02]

I remember. Particularly I remember a Lake Pleasant night tournament that I fished in which a 48# bag won it. There were several bags over 40#. We had 36# that night and weren’t even in the money. A lot of those big fish were caught in 30’ of water, and the next morning there were giant bass floating on the surface near the release site. Many years ago, long before spotlighting.

[@joeowenscustombaits]

@JohnStaley-i3h Good morning John. Those bass were Florida strain, so I'm assuming they were transplants.

[@TimPollard-j5b]

I fish Gville other than the floating eel grass at times I love it and always catch 5lb+ bass. I suppose if the weight was only 10lbs, 12, or 15, that would be ffs problem. Oh on the deer hunting comment you can put cameras out and watch your phone and know exactly the time deer show up at the corn pile, thats not hunting. There is a bigger problems as we live in an Godless immorally upside down world, it just dont seem right complaining about a good fishing day.

[@brickgamer2011]

One could argue that this is a symptom of the godless society you mentioned.

[@glynnreid1217]

@@brickgamer2011 Randy believing in God is an oxymoron.

[@ddane654]

Randy, great video! You are 100% correct. I am a bowler too and have seen this. I bowl about once or twice a year. Over the weekend I went bowling with an old buddy of mine and shot 211, 201, 267, and 218. I am a good bowler, but really, four 200's when I barely bowl. It is fun, but takes away the skill necessary to really shoot those scores. Keep it up!

[@jimjanda2265]

You are so right. Great episode.

[@jimjustus2004]

Thanks Randy , you are a gentleman and a scholar , teach it till your tongue bleeds !

[@Lsmoe]

At age 63 . I was fishing with my friend who had live scope. He looked down at that screen the entire time. Meanwhile ! Thank God he didn't run into anything. But! he missed all this beautiful scenery. I saw deer, hogs, And just the quiet beauty for being out in wilderness. He MISSED ALL of IT! I have caught many fish without any electronics. And as an OG to me I'm really fishing. But that my opinion which doesn't mean much to anyone here.🤣🤣🤣

[@boba-mg5md]

Randy thanks for bringing this issue out , my god when is this going to stop.

[@JohnnySerra-dr2vc]

Please keep going. I agree with your opinion and I love bass fishing. I've been fishing for over 50 years and I have had magical days on the water that were just incredible. I will NEVER use live scope, I do not need it or want it. Nothing beats the satisfaction of being "in tune" at the lake.

[@O-C-WT]

Looks like 35lbs beats it… If you’re not bringing back the winning weight, you’re not “in tune” with the lake.

[@kworld429]

You get it!

[@kworld429]

@@O-C-WT You don'y get it.

[@bass4996]

It's like hunting inside a fence,no sport

[@timjohnson9763]

You're reaching a little here. I don't disagree with you the scope has its negative drawbacks, but come on with the comparisons. 30 years ago Guntersville was a totally different lake. 20-30 years ago Wheeler would take close to a dirty thirty to win a weekend tourney. Wheeler is a shell of that now and it has nothing to do with scoping. The lakes change drastically in long periods of time. It's obviously not effecting the bass at a fast pace, Guntersville keeps pumping out bigs year in and year out.

[@rodmakermagazine7117]

It is a shame that so many fishermen have no sporting principles. These guys would shoot a caged bear.

[@wildturkey8752]

People already use high fences and bait piles. Not talking about food plots, I’m saying bait piles. Is there a difference? I’m my mind I say yes. JMO

[@DarrylHanks-j1j]

Cameras and corn have ruined the true feeling of hunting, skills are not developed. instincts are non existing in today world. The root of these problems is vanity, vanity is fake and shallow and it makes us less not more.

[@rodmakermagazine7117]

@@DarrylHanks-j1j 100% correct. Instant gratification. Greed. And yes, vanity - "look at the fish I caught.... I am GREAT!"

[@Mike-xi4zt]

It is more to fun to catch something than to catch nothing.

[@rodmakermagazine7117]

@@Mike-xi4zt When you're just starting out, you want to catch a big fish. A few years go by and you want to catch the most fish. Then you reach a point where you realize it was never about the fish to begin with. If you just want to catch something, there are pay for play trout and catfish ponds you may enjoy.

[@jackiebell-w2u]

Thanks Randy for bringing this to light, I m like you and I’ve wandered the very same thing . There IS a VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM with this type of fishing and it don’t take a genius to figure this out. If people really love fishing they better ACT NOW before the fisheries in all the lake in the USA has a dead blow that it’s taken years and years to grow into . This as we know wonderful fishing will be destroyed and it HAS to be very highly REGULATED by Fish and Wildlife in each state and they don’t have time to wait !!!! If we love to fish and able to take our children fishing and to spend time with them and tell them stories when we were young we better do something NOW instead of petting a rattlesnake. Thanks Randy you’ve got it RIGHT .

[@mikegoodman8136]

Way to go , you are what we as sports men need thanks

[@kevinmabry8422]

In the Timber industry we call it highgrading. Basically what happens over time is these larger, higher quality bass will be killed off and / or captured and eaten. Never to spawn again. By removing the best of the genetic stock, only the weak remain, and the genetic quality goes down.

[@randomschmo5778]

Respectfully, I feel sure that the increased tournament weights coming in are due to the dramatic changes in the state DNR’s lake management over the past couple of decades, and not mainly due to forward-facing sonar. The AL state DNR stocks Lake Guntersville, Lewis Smith Lake, Logan Martin, Warrior River and many other lakes/rivers with YUGE amounts of forage fish (threadfin shad, blueback herring, rainbow trout) for the bass to gorge on. I grew up in Alabama, and have fished many lakes here since the late 1970’s, and have seen firsthand the average bass size and numbers, increasing pretty dramatically here in the past two decades. And not to mention the slot limits they instituted over the same time period.

[@RollinRollinReelin]

I totally agree that this technology is like cheating. It requires no skill and no element of chance. The animal has no fair chance to get away from the anglers.

[@gregdutton8219]

You have obviously never used ffs. Anybody who has knows how ignorant your comment is.

[@chevyking9513]

Still gotta get them to bite dipshit

[@tnbsfsher1]

Have you tried using forward facing? It definitely still takes a skill level and the ability to adjust to what you see and then how to present your bait to make a bass eat it. Just because you see them doesn’t make them bite.

[@glynnreid1217]

RRR, Ignorance at it's best. The animal has no fair chance to get away, lol. I hope you never vote nor have children.

[@ZZ430T56]

FFS takes more skill to master than throwing a square bill down some rip rap.

[@JohnPeeler-z3z]

Well said Randy. Keep up the good fight.

[@pitospin2150]

Best take on bass fishing I’ve heard in a minute

[@jacobwatkins4595]

RANDY I WILL NEVER GET OVER IT!!!! IT MAKES ME ANGRY. That even if they take it away. The Damage is already so bad. It would take Generations to repair the harm it has already done. Makes me wanna cry what this has come too,in just a few years. Im a tournament angler in texas. And havent fished a tourney in two years. Will Never,ever use that ffs crap. I remain a real bass fisherman. And when im around other aglers prasing it. I walk away in Discust. Really has emotional damage me. And i love Bass.... what its doing to them. Is the worst thing. People that use ffs make me Sick!!! FTA...

[@andrewanaruma2358]

It's funny my go to KZbin videos are usually some Old bassmaster classics or big mouth.I love old fishing videos!

[@raymondjust5113]

Very well said Randy keep speaking the truth and if it ruffles a few feathers than so be it and if they don't like what your speaking which is true then they need to do a little more research or get off the porch

[@smurfygoodtimes8148]

And I just mounted an 85 inch screen on the front of my boat today 🙄

[@scootertrash911]

You now have a sailing ship. Har Har be a pirate.

[@venkust]

Those weights your talking about are normal on Clear Lake, CA. when it's on. It's a shallow fishery and most fish are caught without FFS.

[@BradMckinney-x3g]

Yes. I totally agree. I fish some small tournaments for fun. But I agree with everything you say. My home lake has been destroyed by 30 different tournaments every weekend and livescope.

[@TJFritz]

Once again another Great video 👍Angling tackle gear is becoming so expensive these Days the Average working man &Woman cant even afford the tackle let alone taking family members that are at the age to get there license Soon all blue collar workers will have to go back to worms in there gardens & using minnow traps its way out of had with these Big companies sales on tackle

[@brianpace7866]

I think preserving the natural fishing and hunting experience is important. Using your fishing and hunting skills over the use of advanced technology. 🦌🦃🎣

[@gregdutton8219]

Reading the anti ffs comments is more entertaining than watching Randys videos.

[@SKARFishin]

That’s what I’m here for too. This dude is boring as all get out

[@unclemoe5733]

Anyone disagreeing with this is blind. How much more clearer could he have been! Perfectly stated, Randy!

[@Juicdude37]

Pretty sure a lot of guys with giant bags caught em in grass not just scoping pelagic fish in the abyss … but hey if people catch more weight / fish than randy has then they can only be using the cheater box 😂 weights are the highest they’ve ever been but that’s bad ?? I don’t really understand the argument…

[@timtroyer2457]

Preach brother

[@glynnreid1217]

The loser will always be complaining about something.

[@hschne17]

Most all were grass

[@Bp-dy9vl]

Grateful for you Randy

[@Keith-fish4mom]

Thank you Randy. With much thought and perspective, I agree. It appears this concern has greater implications larger than someone’s , capabilities or desire to adapt to new fishing technology in order to compete. FFS, adapted and scaled, has the potential beginning of a long term environmental human hazard to fishing. The presence and exposure of technological advances relative to the vulnerability and tolerance of the fisheries can cause elevated and possible detrimental risk.

[@WisGuy4]

Randy, what do you think is worse for maintaining healthy populations of bass, tournaments in which forward facing sonar is allowed, or fishing the spawn? I think fishing the spawn is worse because it significantly decreases the number of bass that are reproducing successfully and reduces the number of newborn fry that are able to grow to adulthood. My state used to have a gamefish season that prohibited targeting game fish until a point in the spring when they may have finished spawning. However, as is the case with politics in most states, personal selfishness is all the rage and political pressure caused our DNR now to allow gamefish angling during the spawning season, if it is catch and release. Formerly it was common for government agencies and legislatures to enact regulations and laws based on what was best for the state, the citizens as a whole, our wildlife, and our environment. Nowadays, we are governed by a legislature that is too cowardly to do the right thing and instead passes the legislation that is “Best for Bubba” to attract the vote of the folk whose vanities exceed their common sense.

[@FishingNature87]

Both

[@webso5]

Taking the skill and WORK out of it- I agree with you 100% for tournaments and even prefishing. Not just Bass but walleye or any tournament fishing. Especially when these fish don’t survive the tournament.

[@scottmarsh2728]

Those are not freak weights for Guntersville this time of year. These are normal tourney winning weights for the lake this time of year.

[@cwskoshikun]

No they are not

[@JohnTumminello]

Not true...a 30lb bag is truly an accomplishment and not common on Guntersville. 20lb to 25lb is not using FFS. These weights are a direct result FFS. A 30 lb bag is possible but 5 bags over 30lbs is not common. I have fished this tournament for the last 11 years and felt I could compete and possibly win. I'm through with the tournament fishing because FFS is not using your instincts to catch fish.

[@kworld429]

You FOS!

[@Nonamejustcommonsense]

@@scottmarsh2728 So the fish are feeding better than they used to. Sounds like the fishery is healthier than ever.

[@xforce708]

I’m 57 years old and live on a small lake with a fairly high population county. This lake was filled when I was around 17 years old. Our rivers and creeks had plenty of fish and largemouth fishing on this lake became immediately good. I fished several times a week and could catch a lot of fish and some big ones too. The lake then was limited to a 10 HP motor and would take around 20 minutes to run the whole length of the river bed, excluding the two creeks that fed as well. Fast forward forty years, I still live on this lake in my grandfather’s house beside my mom and dad where I grew up. They now allow 30 HP motors and people have boats like the Tracker 175 cheater boxes in many boats. Dad and I get so frustrated that we’ve not fished much the last three years because we can hardly even find a largemouth. Some days we don’t even get a bite. Well, not some days, a lot of days. And when we do catch fish it seems you must throw a Trick worm on Shakes Head or a Ned Rig and I swear it’s like 99% of the fish we catch is a spot that’s about 11” long. I’ll also add that they’ve now gotten to where they’re fishing about three tournaments a week. And I feel confident that all these things have destroyed the largemouth fishing here. The only hope I see in ever catching fish here again is that it’s been closed since September 28th due to Hurricane Helene and I sure wish something would be done to limit the traffic and tournaments on the lake. As an avid hunter and use to be fisherman I hate I’m even making this comment, but some people just don’t know where the line is.

[@daveloo4453]

Walleye fisherman here….. totally agree,something needs to be done to keep fishing, fishing…… please continue to fight the good fight to control the technology threat that threatens real sportsman’s passion for fishing.

[@jeremynowak9257]

Do you all drive manual shift trucks? Do you have a rotary dial phone?

[@kworld429]

I can do either one and f the cell phone.

[@dsmxtuner95]

Terrible comparison.....but I'll entertain you. What is the purpose of vehicles and phones? What is the purpose of sports? One is convenience. The other is competing to see who is the best. Imagine a football with a gyroscope/tracker in it so it's thrown perfectly to who you intend every time no matter who is throwing it. Yea thats not football anymore. The need to develop your own skills has been replaced by money.

[@dakotacalhoun6827]

I agree live scope is no good for the sport hell we might as well drop the rod and reels and all get cast nets

[@charlescrane623]

Sir Randall keep up the good fight you are appreciated may the bass Gods be with you

[@SpookyRedz]

We agree with you 💯 ; FFS will be the ruination of our fisheries , FFS should be made illegal in every state and the Department of Wildlife & Fisheries in every state need to make this LAW , where are the DWLF , where and when are you guys going to step in NOW , if y’all do wait it’s going to be too late , Make FFS illegal to have for any and every fisherman Make It Law Now , allow the biologist and you guys to do yalls work Only

[@ZZ430T56]

Do you not see that Tournaments are the #1 cause of Bass mortality and fisheries being ruined? It is a proven fact. Why are you not against tournaments being made illegal? Why is Randy not arguing for tournaments to be outlawed?

[@ZZ430T56]

Billions of $ in hardware out there. Someone better pay folks if they ban it. Never gonna happen. And there is still ZERO proof that it is hurting fisheries. All hear say.

[@WillCory]

Randy dont forget Lake Amistad and lake falcon, lake fork, Choke Canyon, Lake Austin, Lbj all produced and still pump out 30+ pounds bags in our Texas lakes for years before Livescope and they got beat up pretty bad where fishing sucked for a while. you dont think those particular year class fish move throughout the lake causing these booms of big fish being caught??? The fish still have to bite thats the difference between hunting with a riffle where the deer has no chance, not mention you're decked out in camo hiding.

[@kylefarris3822]

The weights have increased because of the information of techniques that people like you share

[@glynnreid1217]

If his info was so valuable, why has he cashed so few checks the last several years fishing minor league circuits? '

[@JoePlese]

Guides on Lake Fork are using this technology now to ensure their clients catch big fish . Cold fronts have the fish deep, but they can find them .

[@glynnreid1217]

Only a stupid guide would be without one.

[@JeffOfAllTradez]

Yep, cities need to start banning fishing tournaments from their lakes asap.

[@Lexithegreat]

The morals in our world have changed for the worst way. Some just don't care how it's done as long as it benefits them. It's going to get worse. Like you say I'm not impressed. They will have glasses that show the fish from your FFS before long won't have to look at the screen it's a joke.

[@davidgerdes1815]

Don’t involve mushrooms in this discussion

[@Lexithegreat]

Voice text

[@DavidThane-q5p]

And it will tell if it’s a bass or not and tell you how big it is…just wait and see

[@gregdutton8219]

@@Lexithegreat Augmented reality glasses. The technology already exists.

[@gregdutton8219]

@DavidThane-q5p With ffs I can already tell the difference in species and size of fish now.

[@astrophysicistguy]

So let's break down Randy's argument piece by piece because there are several things he talks about that don't really add up. #1: he says that the "freakish weights" put up by anglers should be a disturbing sign the the technology is out of control with the undying message that no one should be able to catch a 35 lb bag in one day. However , Randy has consistently said that back in the old days he and others and his dad would catch "5, 6 and 7 lbers regularly but now you can't do that because the fisheries have been in decline for decades". Well which is it? It certainly doesn't look like there is any decline given the wrights posted. #2, he then goes on to claim there there is some sustainability issue connected to anglers catching these large bag limits? The only danger comes if all these big fish die because they were caught during a BSE (bass slaughter event) where they were dumped in a livewell, mishandled and dragged around all day. This is why MLF has gone to the no livewell events and if we're not goin* to fix the problem by banning tournaments outright - the best solution by far, then livewell event# need to be banned at the minimum. #3. His bowling analogy really has no bearing on this discussion. The fact that technology has advanced 2nich has allowed ave scores to rise hasn't " ruined' bowling" , its as popular as ever, scores on average are just higher which actually makes the game more exciting. #4. He contends that the ability to catch fish out in areas where no one knew they were there before somehow is destroying* the fish population but he never explains exactly how this works? The interesting point about all of Randy's arguments is that I actually agree with him that this is disturbing. Except that it's for a VERY different reason. The actual underlying issue here is NOT that technology Is destroying the fishing, clearly the evidence has just demonstrated the fishery is thriving given the weights brought in. What is destroying this fishery is the same thing that has been destroying fisheries for the last 40 years , unregulated, out of control tournaments every week of the year. FFS has been a thing for about 2-3 years, tournaments for 40 years. If you go out on Guntersville over the next couple of days with your GoPro and video the areas around where bass were released I GUARANTEE you that you will film lots of dead floating 4-5-6 lb bass. It happens EVERY tournament on EVERY lake. To see just one recent example go to Mikey Balzz's channel where he did exactly this. There is not one single thing related to preserving our fisheries that anyone can name that tournaments provide. Not one. Banning them tomorrow would have zero consequences, zero. That is what we should all be focused on, not this anti tech, FFS rhetoric. More bass will die over the next week at Guntersville than will for the same number of recreational fisherman fishing over an entire year, even with some subset of those recreational anglers keeping bass to eat. Tournaments have been, are and will continue to be th3 biggest threat to the sport by an order of magnitude. Georgia has the right idea with their current discussions on banning tournaments. If they succeed there is some hope as other states will get the courage to do the same.

[@badmoonryzin7251]

@astrophy Nailed it. 👍

[@jnapkin15]

Agreed! Very well said. Can you elaborate on what's going on in Georgia?

[@tomlarcher1]

Explain how tournaments are at fault? Whoever the states agency that handles the fisheries set the Per day bass limits correct? These limits should sustain the fishery if each angler took their limit home each day and ate it. So if each tournament puts EVERY bass back but a couple die how is that worse than taking ALL the fish home and eating them? If the fishery is in decline isn't it up to the agency to do something about the limits? Not just ban tournaments!!

[@garydye5760]

Haha, I haven't learned to properly use my depth finderSo,maybe we should ban ALL sonar? These same things were said about down imaging and side imaging. Learn to use it or stop fishing tournaments.

[@timtroyer2457]

Very well said 100% agree but sorry to tell you the guys who side with Randy will never try to see it your way

[@GERMANGUS-n8r]

You look like you're in a really good mood... lmao

[@DennisDuffy-n8g]

Last weekend was a high school championship with over 250 boats and twenty lbs was like nothing it’s a fantastic fishery despite the pressure 🙄

[@str8coach880]

Randy. I agree with you 200%. Im a relatively new angler (started bass fishing in the past 5-6 years). Fell in love with sport. Now, I'm heartbroken to see how technology is ruining the sport. I don't fish tournaments, and I've watched countless videos including yours on the best way to catch Bass, and learn more about the science of fishing and various techniques. The beauty of using your instincts to catch fish is what fishing is and has always been about. It's the essence of sustainability. Now Im considering giving up the sport because of what it's becoming. It's cheating nature. How people can rely on the emergence if live scope technology to catch fish and have enjoyment in that is beyond me. And the fact that tournament officials allow it for so called professional anglers is absolutely pathetic...

[@glynnreid1217]

Just guys with the knowledge to use what is legal. Great. More power to people with knowledge. PS, Guess Guntersville ain't hurting for big fish, lol.

[@robinakins4861]

Really good comments that have me rethinking the use of a fish finder. Of course I am 74 and just beginning fishing after a 40 year absence. I have a fishing pontoon boat that I wanted to set up for successful fishing and am considering a fish finder in addition to a nice trolling motor system that will help keep boat in position while fishing. Since a nice trolling motor system will likely cost me around $2000 for 24v system, not getting the fish finder will decrease costs. If you know someone in the area that puts in trolling systems for less, i would appreciate suggestion.

[@bobramsey8380]

You are spot on ! Our lakes are being decimated by people who don't respect our fisheries ! They are keeping every big bass they catch and our lakes are in terrible shape because the states aren't stocking the lakes anymore. If sometimes isn't done soon there won't be any fish left to save !

[@keithriggin3066]

What am I missing… you catch a fish, weigh it.. Release it.. back into the lake .. unless this was a catch, clean, eat tournament…

[@akpoindexter1982]

There are many tournaments that basically follow this approach: 1) catch Five Fish speeding all around the lake at top speed, sloshing the fish 2) swap them out of your livewell if you catch a bigger fish, 3) dock your boat, and put your fish in a bag 4) take your bag into a tourney weigh station. 5) Wait in line for your weigh in. 6) Wait for all fish to have been weighed 7) Call out each winner to hold up a couple fish out of their bag 8) Fish all go into a holding tank 9) Trained Volunteers take fish back to a pre-determined drop off spot to release them back into the lake. So...if a big fish was caught at 6:30am and final release boat completed at 6:30pm....That was a severely stressful 12 hour containment day for that fish.

[@weldon9254]

Plus the FFS guys who catch and keep

[@carsonfloyd9967]

Oh no! A good lake is producing big fish using new technology! That’s why I don’t use a rod and reel but instead a spear and only a wooden spear because metal ruined the game.

[@coleedwards6168]

😂😂

[@SeanShanahan9]

The aglers fishing with this equipment won't stop, it's all they know, fish and game in every state needs to be petitioned, I believe that's the only way to stop this crap at this point. Only the lazy use this crap, I've got to believe that we're right,I could never use the ffs the thought makes me nauseous.

[@badmoonryzin7251]

Waaaaah waaaaah 😭😭 Need a tissue? Only weak little girls use fishing poles and lures. Grab them with your hands like real fishermen do. All the crying makes me nauseous.

[@dkrzonca]

​@@badmoonryzin7251it's not fishing man. What are you talking about. It's the equivalent of putting a tracking device in a deer, and calling that hunting. It's for weak man/children

[@SeanShanahan9]

No crying here little man, at least I put my real name behind what I say. Seems I hit a sensitive spot for you . Sorry

[@gavinbutler4054]

Nah, i disagree. I bought a new boat this year that has livescope and I barely use it. It doesn't really suit the way that fish so I only use it when I feel like trying to tune my jerkbaits or crankbaits. I'm not proficient enough with livescope to be able to use a hover strolling setup. Does this make me less of a fisherman because I have livescope on my boat even though I hardly use it? If you want to ban livescope, ban all electronics from tournaments. Why are you going to punish the weekend warrior who decided to pick one up?

[@Nonamejustcommonsense]

@@SeanShanahan9 only lazy fishermen use bow mounted trolling motors. Ban that crap.

[@RetiredCoach]

I fish a couple of local evening jackpots and I’ve fished a few tournaments on the weekends But Big time tournament fishing (Whether it’s for bass or crappie ) has caused the major advancements in the fishing world. You need to address the elephant in the room that you keep avoiding. Just my opinion

[@arnoldfoote1925]

You'll bear the Burdon, Randy you are saviour Give us a break, man you think highly of yourself

[@smallmouthfreaks7609]

Same thing is happening on the st Lawrence. 25lbs these days gets you nothing. Now you need 30lbs. Boxing 10 to 15 year old fish for 8 hours and stressing them out. Its having a negative effect on this massive fishery. Imagine what its doing to the smaller bodies of water. Now dont get me wrong, i love using FFS, but to believe its not having an impact is ignorant.

[@Nonamejustcommonsense]

@@smallmouthfreaks7609 wait….the fish are so Stressed that they are eating better than they ever have before????

[@markbowers9579]

Well, you’ll love this. Hummingbird is coming out with their new mega live two and you have to run it on one of their new graphs so it’s looking like for a 12 inch graph and the mega live transducer upwards of $6000

[@billm9324]

It ticks me off that these "Professional" anglers continue to go along with this. A lot of them were in that tournament. Just look at the pictures and you can see how stressed the fish appear. There is no way more than a third of them survived.

[@edhughes6854]

Same for small fish. If you’re concerned about the fishery outlaw tournaments.

[@tgull8096]

Born in G’ville. Live minutes away. 58 year old angler for life. Based on the evolution of technology in our time, we likely haven’t seen anything yet. FFS is likely just the start. The nearby city of Huntsville is fueled by the technology race to arm,locate and kill. FFS in competitive bass fishing is just an extreme evolution of tricking a fish with a lure that bypasses skill and experience …and luck. Really the first step is tournaments limiting entries and regulating equipment to balance out the pressure. To preserve the future of fishing we must preserve our fish.

[@richardkeene1188]

You are entitled to your opinion. Be well. Merry Christmas.

[@TheRonofcian]

Randy, you are exactly correct in all your reasoning.Especially like using a drone for deer hunting. By the way, they also have an underwater drone camera for fishing which will probably become legal sooner or later. On clear waters like NYs St Lawrence river this would be a deadly tool for finding fish. And lets not forget about the bass filet black market fisherman also have forward facing sonar to increase thier profits. All this adds up to a smaller fishery for us.

[@christianbench3632]

I took up golf. It’s much more enjoyable than tournament fishing right now.

[@glynnreid1217]

5 hour rounds of golf are not enjoyable. That's why I only fish now. Go early, stay late.

[@c219troll]

Shouldn’t there be a decline of big fish by now? Seems that these lakes are getting better. Definitely getting better on the crappie where I fish

[@Joshthetruthseeker]

They are appearing to get better because people are using FFS to target large bass in open water that would normally never even be fished for let alone caught. Just wait till they kill all the big ones and we're all fishing for 12 inch bass and your kids or grandkids cant catch fish, then maybe youll understand.

[@andybales7318]

Well of course it's getting "better" u are cheating to catch fish that weren't pressured & kept the reproducing cycles going year after year....within 5-7 years, fish declining rapidly will be very noticeable

[@fishingmusician]

88 thousand views....pretty cool...keep up the fight

[@ed-so9fd]

Couldn't agree more Randy two years ago took a trip to Lake Fork for some Crappie fishing,weather turned out to be horrible had motor issues at the boat ramp as luck would have it a guide and his client invited myself and my Buddy to join them so we did. The guide was using livescope was my first experience with it I was shocked it was like a video game the mission of the guide was to put us on large fish which he did no problem doing, 11/2 to 2 lb females, was common , caught my personal best at over 2 and a half pounds. the lake limit is 25 fish....the conditions that day were ugly, very high winds yet we boated 58 crappie the day before his client and friends limited out at 75 fish... granted fish down south have a longer growing season but like you stated this can not continue,its unsustainable on any fish population.

[@codymilner6890]

You need to get this memo over to those folks who are holding up nba games and throwing paint on museum paintings.

[@jamesham5623]

I wonder if FFS is changing the tackle industry. Seems like all they need is jig head and minnow or jerkbait.

[@23jumpman92]

100% it is

[@brandonwood4249]

It most definitely is.

[@glynnreid1217]

One of the local tackle shops says the majority of freshwater sales are from tournament fishermen. Without them he said he would have closed the doors because of the bad economy.

[@markflueckiger6157]

Had a Tournament on Big G 3 weeks ago...no FFS...27 lbs caught...all in less than 5 ft of water...I am a little confused here

[@mike1970ist]

What happens when it is no longer tournament fisherman installing live scope on their boats, but also... catch, keep and eat fisherman? When we start seeing 14 foot jon boats with $5,000 FFS equipment installs we are really screwed! I was honestly straddling the fence about this FFS technology as I can understand arguments on both sides of this issue... but if/when catch and keep fisherman start locating and eating these bass in "refuge areas" then the sport we all love as we know it will be decimated. You make many good points in this video Randy. I think State Wildlife and law making agencies need to start discussing and addressing this issue asap. Hopefully between the tournament organizations, the tackle & electronics industry etc... compromises with FFS can be made... i.e. FFS can be used in designated practice rounds only but cannot be used during tournament days or cannot be used when taking fish etc... I am not sure what the answer is as all opposing sides will need to bend somewhat to insure the longevity of the sport all of us love.

[@bryanwalker8406]

I totally agree! I fish the old river on the tallapoosa. From Malone to jay birdcreek.15 years ago we wood catch avg. 6 to 10 spots over 5lbs. 25 fish at 2lb avg on a 10hr float . Now a good day is 15 fish total with maybe a couple of 2 to 3 lb fish. Never liked back water fishing that much. More fun to me wading and flat bottom. Keep up the battle.

[@independentthinker8930]

I saw this mess coming years ago when tournaments started and bass boats started. I grew up in Smith Lake, We moved because of all the traffic, I don't even go there anymore. I stick to small rivers and streams, small lakes.