FFS has come under increased scrutiny as of late because tournament anglers often just motor the lake looking at their screen. The 360 degree span is considerably more expansive than the down or side imaging used by many anglers for many, many years. Anglers can even recognize the species with reasonable certainty that they are targeting. The Wisconsin Conservation Congress even had a question in the Spring Hearings and numerous states are asking the same question of their anglers and regulators. In fact Bass Anglers Sportsmen Society (BASS) has some guardrails for the use of this “fish finding” tool. The Elite Series and The Bassmaster Classic have new rules for 2025. The competitors will only be allowed one transducer in place of the three or four that are sometimes utilized. Also, the screen size cannot exceed 55 inches. And, the National Professional Fishing League banned FFS for the 2025 season. This levels the playing field for the fishery and is one more way all angler groups must address the use of technology in this sport. Fish haven’t changed–but fishing sure has, and the advantage has been tilted to the angler and must be balanced to protect the fishery.
