The ink barely dried on Chris Johnston\u2019s Bassmaster Elite Angler of the Year check and already the off-season is off to a contentious start. As the season concluded last month, the days following the Elite Series event on the St. Lawrence River were full of drama surrounding professional anglers\u2019 opinions on forward facing sonar. Clark Wendlandt, one of the older anglers on tour, took to social media to condemn FFS<\/a>, while Ben Milliken, who just finished his rookie season, took his pro FFS opinions to the Baitman Live podcast<\/a>. In both instances, the comment sections ran rampant with backlash and emotional opinions from other pro anglers.<\/p>\n To be frank, it was all a bit ugly to watch.<\/p>\n But if you take a step back, it\u2019s easy to see that the professional tours were running out of time to address FFS technology and make their stances clear on an issue that\u2019s been dividing professional and amateur anglers alike for years. So it wasn\u2019t much of a surprise when, on Wednesday, BASS finally announced new rules<\/a> about the technology anglers can \u2014 and can\u2019t \u2014 use in competition.<\/p>\n BASS stopped short of banning FFS from competition, instead opting to limit the number of transducers and total inches of screen allowed on boats. This compromise has managed to anger FFS proponents as well as the anti-FSS crowd, who argues that these restrictions aren\u2019t strong enough.\u00a0<\/p>\n These rule changes were announced on the heels of the National Professional Fishing League\u2019s statement Monday that it would be banning FSS outright from practice and competition. The tour is much smaller than BASS and less well known, but it\u2019s the first pro tournament series to institute an all-out ban on FSS.<\/p>\n Both these rule changes will go into effect for the 2025 season. Here\u2019s what all this means.<\/p>\n To reach its decision, BASS reviewed the findings of its own technology committee<\/a> and tournament results, as well as the opinions of conservation partners, industry leaders, and every Elite Series pro. Here\u2019s what they determined.<\/p>\n BASS will be limiting the number of live sonar transducers to one, and that transducer must be mounted to the trolling motor at the bow of the boat. Anglers can no longer use multiple transducers to surround their boat (previously there was no limit) and it also outlaws products like the RailBlaza Live Pole 30 Fish-Finder Mount<\/a>, which allows anglers to control their transducer separately from the trolling motor.<\/p>\n BASS will also limit competitors to a total of 55 inches of screen, including bow and dash head units. The organization cited safety concerns as the main reason for this decision. Previously, anglers were able to run as many front graphs as they wanted, a trend that resulted in multiple massive screens on the bow of the boat. In some cases, anglers were running so many large screens that it was nearly impossible to see<\/a> directly in front of the boat. (It should go without saying, but not being able to see over your bow is a recipe for disaster.)<\/p>\n BASS also added a rule that anglers may only have one electric motor mounted to their boats. While using more than one trolling motor is uncommon, some pros have been finding alternative ways to fish by mounting trolling motors to their shallow water anchors, a setup known as crappie brakes. These \u201cbrakes\u2019\u201dallow you to more easily control the back end of your boat, which can be helpful when trying to position for a cast or if you see a fish on FFS and need to stop the boat in a hurry to keep the fish inside your transducer beam.<\/p>\n Finally, BASS announced it will diversify its Elite Series schedule by adding new lakes to its lineup and eliminating old standbys. The organization said that \u201cwhile live sonar technology will remain a consistent tool used at the very highest level of competitive bass fishing, experience and a deep-seeded understanding of fish behavior, movement and patterns will also be needed for success moving forward on the fisheries scheduled.\u201d This change appears to address criticism that BASS was purposely selecting lakes where FFS tactics would reign supreme. Regardless of the FFS controversy, I\u2019m excited to watch new anglers break down new lakes instead of reviewing the same 15 to 20 lakes we\u2019ve grown accustomed to seeing the last five years.<\/p>\n Fans have been clamoring for BASS to make a call on FFS for years. Now that the organization actually has, however, many fans are still pissed off.<\/p>\n FFS proponents say BASS\u2019 decision was brash. It\u2019s unnecessary to limit technology that every angler had the opportunity to learn and leverage. It doesn\u2019t matter how advanced FFS gets as long as all competitors have access to it.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, anti-FFS fans also seem unsatisfied. The decision doesn\u2019t go far enough to eliminate technology that has changed the entire experience of pro bass fishing.<\/p>\n \tBassmaster\u2019s FFS Rule Changes<\/h2>\n
One Transducer Rule\u00a0<\/h3>\n
Maximum of 55 Inches of Screen<\/h3>\n
One Trolling Motor\u00a0<\/h3>\n
New Schedule\u00a0<\/h3>\n
Rule Changes Have Prompted Even More Outrage Among Fans<\/h2>\n
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