the modern era

With FFS dominating the fishing industry I’ve noticed a big change in tactics used. Just about every bass pro and many walleye pros have abandoned their tackle boxes for a basic presentations like drop shots and jig head+ plastic combinations.
What about the future? Is this it? Is one or two presentations all one needs to master to compete now days?
There’s generations worth of knowledge of different tactics and presentations that I can see being obsolete in the near future.
To me a good well rounded angler knows many tactics and boat control techniques to be successful in any condition.
None of that matters much anymore, just scope around, spot lock and cast to the fish.
Are we ushering in a generation of fisherman who will not learn these techniques? Should we just teach FFS 101 and call it good? What do the tackle manufacturers think about that? They have to be seeing decreases in sales in certain areas.
I personally find enjoyment in knowing lots of different techniques and having the equipment to do them successfully. To me that seems to be the minority frame of mind now days.
What do you guys think? Can a one trick pony that’s good at video games really be called the best fisherman?

Im not convinced yet that FFS will eliminate those other tactics. I think bass tournament guys are merely targeting the fish they see and its more effective in a tournament setting in the methods you described. I dont really plan to use my FFS in the boat just ice fishing. Maybe I will change my mind.

grubson wrote:

I personally find enjoyment in knowing lots of different techniques and having the equipment to do them successfully. To me that seems to be the minority frame of mind now days.

I am with you grubson. I generally prefer to “power fish” with a more aggressive approach and target more active fish. Staring at a screen with a drop shot does not sound appealing to me. And trying to watch it in a tournament is even worse.

I understand why pros do it though. They seemingly need to in order to be competitive.

The PMTT actually banned it last year in their events. Whether or not that makes its way to the pro bass and walleye circuits, I don’t know. Muskies stick out like trucks on live sonar.

There’s a newer generation of pro anglers that have mastered FFS/live sonar as their primary tactic. One particular angler, Kyoyo Fujita, on the Bassmaster Elites, is a real “scoper.” In events where it shines, he mops up. In events where it doesn’t help as much, he does poorly. The outcome of his placing is solely dependent on how effective live sonar is in any single event.

What do you guys think? Can a one trick pony that’s good at video games really be called the best fisherman?

I literally have just a few hours of experience with FFS and only through the ice so far, but I see it is a game changer. I still think the old tactics will prove to be viable for a long time, maybe forever. However your not wrong, watch any tourney nowadays and most guys have there eyes stuck to the screen.

I think it will obviously be a crazy tactic for awhile. But 5-10 years from now fish will slowly adapt to where they arent getting pressured by FFS. For example punching thick areas for bass will probably only get better as FFS cant see through it.

I shore fish so FFS has no bearing on my techniques or lack thereof. Being a master boat operator might get you in the top 10 at the boat rodeo but it doesn’t make you good fisherman. I usually have two rods with two techniques and choose which two I’m going to use by experience. If I can keep my lure selection down to what I can fit in my pockets even better. It’s another tool, and some people like collecting tools, me included. Purty sure my color-c-lector was the game changer of its time too. Then again I’m not a state record holder…for now.

“The future is now old man” comes to mind.

I don’t disagree necessarily. Companies like Berkeley and Northland are creating products with FFS master’s like John Hoyer, Bass fishermen etc. to cater heavier presentations to the masses. Tackle mfg’ers will have no issue continuing to sell to gullible fishermen.

Where you said “to master to compete” is where you lost me. I’m not out there trying to win anything. I fish how I enjoy to fish, and so do most I know. Im at peace with not being the next John Hoyer.

I fished with an NWT pro last summer on LOTW. He had $15000 of electronics in the boat, and still pulled spinners for 8 hours with maybe a 10lb bag to show for it. Lets not give it too much credit.

Riverrat wrote:

I shore fish so FFS has no bearing on my techniques or lack thereof. Being a master boat operator might get you in the top 10 at the boat rodeo but it doesn’t make you good fisherman. I usually have two rods with two techniques and choose which two I’m going to use by experience. If I can keep my lure selection down to what I can fit in my pockets even better. It’s another tool, and some people like collecting tools, me included. Purty sure my color-c-lector was the game changer of its time too. Then again I’m not a state record holder…for now.

Boat control techniques used to win walleye tournaments. Controlling speed, drift direction, and managing waves/ current used to be what set you apart from the competition.

ganderpike wrote:

“The future is now old man” comes to mind.

Where you said “to master to compete” is where you lost me. I’m not out there trying to win anything. I fish how I enjoy to fish, and so do most I know. Im at peace with not being the next John Hoyer.

I enjoy fishing for what it is also but do like to compete once in a while.
In the couple tournaments I fish annually I’ve seen major changes in the last two years. We used to dominate a walleye tournament pulling spinners in the weeds. We’ve struggled the last two years to stay in the top 10, being edged out by guys using FFS to dangle shiner minnows on individual fish. That’s as close to catching as you can get, hardly fishing in my opinion. Is it a fishing competition or a who has/ had the most money competition?

I’m glad you’re not striving to be the next Hoyer. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. He is a good fisherman but that’s about it from my experience.

ganderpike wrote:

fished with an NWT pro last summer on LOTW. He had $15000 of electronics in the boat, and still pulled spinners for 8 hours with maybe a 10lb bag to show for it. Lets not give it too much credit.

I fished on a lake the same day as a tournament where like half the boats didn’t bring in any fish. In half the time on the water, with no FFS, I caught the same amount!

grubson wrote:

What do you guys think? Can a one trick pony that’s good at video games really be called the best fisherman?

I think they’re called tournament winner. It may be you deciding to call them best fisherman.

Play the game or don’t. Girls pretending to be boys want to compete with boys. Don’t have the required equipment to compete, and lose. Boys pretending to be girls want to compete with girls. They dominate.

Guy without FFS wants to compete with guys who have FFS… and lose. Seems similar to a girl wanting to be a boy playing in boys sports.

Don’t be fooled that technology hasn’t lead tournaments for many years. You want to compete… be competitive!

I got a buddy down in Texas who is quite good catching crappie. 16′ Garmin screen. He’s QUITE good at keeping the FFS pointed at the fish. Learning to use the software isn’t too hard. Learning that boat control, or rather sonar control is what sets him apart from his peers… as his peers told me about him. I got 90% of what I wanted to know about FFS on that trip (I was hunting but we were in a boat to and from spots so i got the 6 minute tutorial) but what I learned is that the remaining 10% of info I don’t have is the most crucial to catch a fish. Sonar control, boat control… whatever is needed to USE the software successfully by presenting a bait to a single fish.

Sorry not sorry dueces

FFS is the worst thing to happen to fishing. I won’t use it and won’t teach my kid how to use it.

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

I got a buddy down in Texas who is quite good catching crappie. 16′ Garmin screen. He’s QUITE good at keeping the FFS pointed at the fish. Learning to use the software isn’t too hard. Learning that boat control, or rather sonar control is what sets him apart from his peers… as his peers told me about him. I got 90% of what I wanted to know about FFS on that trip (I was hunting but we were in a boat to and from spots so i got the 6 minute tutorial) but what I learned is that the remaining 10% of info I don’t have is the most crucial to catch a fish. Sonar control, boat control… whatever is needed to USE the software successfully by presenting a bait to a single fish.

Holy guacamole a 16 foot screen, he must have a big boat

https://fb.watch/qkX4ZSrBCG/?mibextid=w8EBqM

The only thing fishermen like more than catching fish is complaining about other people catching more fish than them.

Seth Feider has a 22 inch NBT Battleship screen on the bow of his boat this season. It’s $4 grand just for the screen and is plug n play with Garmin.

https://nbtmarine.com/

FishBlood&RiverMud wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>grubson wrote:</div>
What do you guys think? Can a one trick pony that’s good at video games really be called the best fisherman?

I think they’re called tournament winner. It may be you deciding to call them best fisherman.

Play the game or don’t. Girls pretending to be boys want to compete with boys. Don’t have the required equipment to compete, and lose. Boys pretending to be girls want to compete with girls. They dominate.

Guy without FFS wants to compete with guys who have FFS… and lose. Seems similar to a girl wanting to be a boy playing in boys sports.

Don’t be fooled that technology hasn’t lead tournaments for many years. You want to compete… be competitive!

That made me laugh.

FFS sucks in walleye chop . Change my mind . It also a lot of dicking around in comparison to find fish vs using side imaging . Green box lowrance ruined it all and the sky is falling .

Dave maze wrote:

The only thing fishermen like more than catching fish is complaining about other people catching more fish than them.

Yourself included! I’m not complaining, this time…

I’m more or less just curious. Is this what it’s come to? All the knowledge of patterns, presentations, and boat control. The tackle hoarding of an infinite number of everything for each presentation. All that means nothing against a guy with FFS sonar and the knowledge to use it. I’m fine with it, or without it. It is what it is. Regardless I’ll always be salty just the same, every time you out fish me Dave, and I’ll expect nothing less from you.

isu22andy wrote:

FFS sucks in walleye chop . Change my mind . It also a lot of dicking around in comparison to find fish vs using side imaging . Green box lowrance ruined it all and the sky is falling .

Tell that to the guys winning with FFS.
Side imaging is a great tool, but it’s a LONG ways from FFS.
The sky isn’t falling, never claimed it was. . The sport is changing however, more and faster than ever before. It’ll be interesting to see what they come out with next. How much better can it get?

Just another tool in the tool box . Sometimes that’s all it takes . No doubt it’s not useful . Its only get more effective as time evolves. No doubt in my mind . One day I’ll invest im sure – but for now it just seems like a lot of messing around with poles and mounts and wires and black boxes and stuff I don’t want to deal with .

I must be a minority opinion than others.
I fish for the fun of being on the water. I have SI and DI but really use my lake maps to get me to the spots I want to fish, keep me out of rocks ( and find my way back tot he cabin when up in canada.
Otherwise I target fish with what I think is going to be the best presentation for the time and season and cover lots of water.
Like catching fish? – hell yeah but not staring at a screen all day. I can do that playing video games.
My two cents. Being on the boat or onshore and casting doers it for me. Catching something is an extra bonus.

It’s a tool. It’s also not refined enough to fit all applications yet.

Sure if you’ve prefished an area for days, scanned it, found fish in nice pods, and so on it is the cat’s meow to pick off isolated fish.

On the flip side if you are trying to find schools of bottom hugging saugers and walleyes in moderate current on a washboard bottom with boat waves, wind generated waves, and so on…I’d argue it’s still just as effective to maneuver through the areas that are “fishy” focusing on boat control versus trying to find, isolate, and target that “one” fish with FFS. You’ll find yourself screwing around with the FFS more than you will the rods that put fish in the boat.

If I exclusively fished lakes I think it’d be more effective. River fishing it has its place, but it’s not the same. If you are a serious ice angler chasing crappies or any fish that often suspend a bit, that’s where FFS really shines.

Tricorder technology will take the guess work out of fish location.
I seen the documentary.

Between this phone and my job in front of a computer, I have no desire to look at a screen while out on the lake. I’m comfortable if that means I’ll catch less fish.

An interesting pod cast on the subject from some of today’s big names in MLF.

The future… (I just created this image with AI).

The best part is that the reel is upside-down.

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