The ink barely dried on Chris Johnston’s Bassmaster Elite Angler of the 12 months verify and already the low season is off to a contentious begin. Because the season concluded final month, the times following the Elite Sequence occasion on the St. Lawrence River have been filled with drama surrounding skilled anglers’ opinions on ahead dealing with sonar. Clark Wendlandt, one of many older anglers on tour, took to social media to condemn FFS, whereas Ben Milliken, who simply completed his rookie season, took his pro FFS opinions to the Baitman Live podcast. In each situations, the remark sections ran rampant with backlash and emotional opinions from different professional anglers.
To be frank, it was all a bit ugly to observe.
However in case you take a step again, it’s simple to see that the skilled excursions have been operating out of time to deal with FFS expertise and make their stances clear on a problem that’s been dividing skilled and novice anglers alike for years. So it wasn’t a lot of a shock when, on Wednesday, BASS finally announced new rules in regards to the expertise anglers can — and might’t — use in competitors.
BASS stopped in need of banning FFS from competitors, as a substitute opting to restrict the variety of transducers and whole inches of display screen allowed on boats. This compromise has managed to anger FFS proponents in addition to the anti-FSS crowd, who argues that these restrictions aren’t robust sufficient.
These rule adjustments have been introduced on the heels of the Nationwide Skilled Fishing League’s assertion Monday that it might be banning FSS outright from apply and competitors. The tour is far smaller than BASS and fewer well-known, however it’s the primary professional match collection to institute an all-out ban on FSS.
Each these rule adjustments will go into impact for the 2025 season. Right here’s what all this implies.
Bassmaster’s FFS Rule Adjustments
To succeed in its determination, BASS reviewed the findings of its personal technology committee and match outcomes, in addition to the opinions of conservation companions, business leaders, and each Elite Sequence professional. Right here’s what they decided.
One Transducer Rule
BASS might be limiting the variety of reside sonar transducers to at least one, and that transducer have to be mounted to the trolling motor on the bow of the boat. Anglers can now not use a number of transducers to encompass their boat (beforehand there was no restrict) and it additionally outlaws merchandise just like the RailBlaza Live Pole 30 Fish-Finder Mount, which permits anglers to regulate their transducer individually from the trolling motor.
Most of 55 Inches of Display
BASS can even restrict rivals to a complete of 55 inches of display screen, together with bow and sprint head models. The group cited security issues as the principle motive for this determination. Beforehand, anglers have been capable of run as many entrance graphs as they wished, a development that resulted in a number of huge screens on the bow of the boat. In some instances, anglers were running so many large screens that it was nearly impossible to see immediately in entrance of the boat. (It ought to go with out saying, however not having the ability to see over your bow is a recipe for catastrophe.)
One Trolling Motor
BASS additionally added a rule that anglers could solely have one electrical motor mounted to their boats. Whereas utilizing multiple trolling motor is unusual, some professionals have been discovering alternative routes to fish by mounting trolling motors to their shallow water anchors, a setup referred to as crappie brakes. These “brakes’”can help you extra simply management the again finish of your boat, which may be useful when attempting to place for a solid or in case you see a fish on FFS and must cease the boat in a rush to maintain the fish inside your transducer beam.
New Schedule
Lastly, BASS introduced it is going to diversify its Elite Sequence schedule by including new lakes to its lineup and eliminating outdated standbys. The group mentioned that “whereas reside sonar expertise will stay a constant instrument used on the very highest degree of aggressive bass fishing, expertise and a deep-seeded understanding of fish habits, motion and patterns can even be wanted for fulfillment shifting ahead on the fisheries scheduled.” This modification seems to deal with criticism that BASS was purposely choosing lakes the place FFS techniques would reign supreme. Whatever the FFS controversy, I’m excited to observe new anglers break down new lakes as a substitute of reviewing the identical 15 to twenty lakes we’ve grown accustomed to seeing the final 5 years.
Rule Adjustments Have Prompted Even Extra Outrage Amongst Followers
Followers have been clamoring for BASS to make a name on FFS for years. Now that the group truly has, nonetheless, many followers are nonetheless pissed off.
FFS proponents say BASS’ determination was brash. It’s pointless to restrict expertise that each angler had the chance to study and leverage. It doesn’t matter how superior FFS will get so long as all rivals have entry to it.
In the meantime, anti-FFS followers additionally appear unhappy. The choice doesn’t go far sufficient to remove expertise that has modified your entire expertise of professional bass fishing.
I can respect each arguments. Personally, I’m happy with BASS’s determination. As a fan — and a aggressive angler — watching professionals catch fish with all that limitless tech was now not enjoyable. A part of that’s as a result of I don’t like watching somebody watch a display screen all day, but additionally as a result of it didn’t really feel like a degree enjoying subject to me: I may by no means afford to rig up my bass boat like that. Six graphs up entrance, 4 graphs on the console, a number of transducers hanging from each angle, and tack on crappie brakes? We have been witnessing using tens of 1000’s of {dollars} in electronics to catch bass. Deep down I do know that type of gear isn’t crucial, however it was starting to really feel like the one technique to stay aggressive. Now, although, the prospect of pared-back tech within the 2025 Elite Sequence has me excited to tune in once more.
In the meantime, the Nationwide Skilled Fishing League’s decision to completely ban “reside forward-facing sonar” was extra decisive. The NPFL even took a preemptive stab on the BASS ruling by stating, “Limiting transducers or screens or solely permitting the expertise on sure days or hours are half measures which will quiet some opponents of the expertise, however they’re unlikely to cut back its affect.”
To me, the NPFL’s determination was extra of a publicity stunt than something, and this FFS ban couldn’t have come at a greater time for the group. Though I’ve written before about how pro tours would never ban FFS, I wasn’t counting the NPFL amongst them. This primarily unknown tour determined to make a reputation for itself by banning FFS in hopes of pulling a brand new crowd to observe their occasions. And it’s true that when this information broke, professional anglers and followers alike took to social media to unfold the phrase that “FFS has been banned!”
Now, to be truthful to NPFL, the league has been capable of maintain lights on for a number of seasons now. However most of us professional bass fishing followers don’t actually think about NPFL on the identical degree because the Bass Professional Tour and the Elite Sequence. Whereas anglers from the highest two excursions do generally drop in to fish the NPFL occasions, many of the huge gamers aren’t involved with this decrease degree of competitors.
Closing Ideas on FFS Restrictions
Whereas the anti-FFS crowd has made its stance completely clear in remark sections, I don’t anticipate these followers to chop ties with their favourite professional excursions and flock to NPFL as a substitute. Nonetheless, I’m intrigued sufficient to maintain tabs on the tour subsequent yr, and I’m additionally curious to see the affect the FSS ban has on the tour and its anglers in the long term.
As anglers and followers await the ultimate phrase on FFS utilization and expertise limitations from the ultimate holdout — the Main League Fishing governing physique — it’s protected to say that it’s been fairly the entertaining low season to date. MLF has not signaled if or when it is going to change its FSS rules, however will probably be fascinating to see if these current bulletins immediate them to make a name. I’m to see how these rule adjustments affect viewership amongst fishing followers. However for now, we’ll wait and see if these adjustments can shrink the indeniable divide that FFS has precipitated inside our ranks.
