It’s great when a plan comes together…
October 2, 2024
There is absolutely no better feeling for an angler than when he puts a plan together and it becomes reality. Tournament bass fishermen spend countless hours fishing and scouting in order to try and formulate a game plan that he hopes comes to fruition. Hopefully this plan will either put him in the winner’s circle or in position to cash a check. Today we’ll wrap up and put a bow on the 2024 Texas ABA Pro League Series.
This time of year (September & October) is when so many bass tournament organizations schedule their championships. ABA (American Bass Anglers) held their two-day championship on Lake Sam Rayburn on September 14th & 15th. This is a tournament where only anglers that qualified could fish this event.
Let’s first start with how practice went and took place on Thursday and Friday before the tournament began on Saturday. Thursday and Friday’s practice was not too bad but was pretty much hit and miss as it was difficult to put any kind of pattern together. But one thing I felt I could count on was where I was catching most of my fish, which was on main lake points.
The lake level was pretty much pool level or about 3 inches low while the bass were very shallow and could be caught with a couple of techniques….flipping a soft plastic trickworm or casting a spinnerbait. Turns out, every fish I weighed for both days actually came on one particular spinnerbait. Now this played right into my hands as I would consider myself a shallow water angler.
I was able to catch a lot of bass on the trickworm, but catching quality was an issue. I just wasn’t able to get a big bite when flipping cypress trees or anything else. They were good solid keeper fish (2 pounders), but not fish that would get me a check. Then on day 2 of practice I spent most of the day with one specific spinnerbait in my hand.
My blade of choice (as some anglers call a spinnerbait) was one that I have had great success with especially on the Red River and Sam Rayburn. This is a quarter ounce white Hummdinger with a small gold willow leaf blade and a small silver Colorado blade. But I think the real magnet for this spinnerbait was the 3-inch paddle tail trailer I used in a ghost shad color. Turns out, it matched the baitfish the bass were feeding on perfectly.
Not only did it catch fish, but every bass I brought to the scales both days came on this one spinnerbait. So many fish were caught on it, that I had to put on a new one for day 2. Twice I had to replace the back blade on this spinnerbait because they were breaking off as the wire just got so weak from all the fish I caught on it.
I finished 7th overall with over 28 pounds of bass during the two-day event, with 16 lbs. on day one and 13 lbs. on day two. Of course, there’s always the one that got away as I broke off a bass over 5 pounds on day one on of all things, a topwater bait called a Zara Spook.
Turns out, it was my own fault as the line on this reel was over a year old. This is why fresh line is so important on tournament day! This one mistake cost me leading the tournament on day one and left me with a day two deficit of just over 2 pounds.
But in the end, it was all good as I wrapped up the 2024 ABA Pro League as runner-up for Angler of the Year. Just the fact that at the age of 63, I proved that even without being a forward-facing sonar expert, you can still compete with those that are. Chalk one up for the older guys!
Till next time, good luck, good fishing, and take the time to enjoy some of the best fishing of the year as bass start their fall migration feeding period.
Steve Graf
Angler’s Perspective
Someone has finally banned forward-facing sonar!
October 9, 2024
Well, the day has arrived when one of the professional bass fishing organizations has made a major decision that will impact a lot of professional anglers both young and old. This decision was to ban forward-facing sonar. Finally, someone has grown a set and decided to level the playing field….or have they, and will it?
Let’s first look at who has decided to step up and save the sport of bass fishing as so many legendary pros think needs to be done. The NPFL (National Professional Fishing League) recently announced that forward-facing sonar will NOT be allowed for official practice or tournaments in 2025.
It will not be allowed for scouting (practice) or at any other time. It must be removed from your boat, along with the black box and the transducer. As one joyful pro angler said, “Time to go back to old school fishing!” No longer will anglers be able to look at bass on a screen like a version of Xbox and catch fish.
Is this good for the sport or is this decision holding the sport back? Well, the answer you get will depend upon what angler you ask. Majority of the old school guys will defend this decision and say “yes” it is good for the sport. Most compare this decision to the banning of the A-Rig (or umbrella rig) which many of the pros thought was an unethical way to catch bass by using more than one bait or hook. Old school anglers feel the same about forward-facing sonar in that it’s an unfair advantage for the anglers versus the fish.
I tend to agree with the old school anglers now that I’ve been a user of forward-facing sonar for the last two years and understand how it works. With this device, no fish is safe anywhere on any body of water. It allows anglers to select and zero in on the bigger bass in a school or swimming solo. This is not good for any fishery and could have lasting consequences as anglers do what I would call selective fishing by targeting larger bass.
Let’s face the facts with this electronic device. It has made champions out of anglers who have never won a tournament in their life. It’s become an equalizer or advantage for the younger or less experienced anglers that are fishing on the professional level. It has allowed them to not only compete but win with little to no experience compared to the guys that have paid their dues and taken years to acquire the knowledge they possess.
Nothing has leveled the playing field quicker for the younger generation of anglers more than forward-facing sonar. Anglers competing on the NPFL will have to rely on finding fish with more traditional ways by locating fish either by catching them or using side scan or down-imaging. No longer will they be able to just ride around on a body of water with three or more transducers and locate bass in real time.
While all organizations will not ban this new technology, there will be others that will follow. It’s still hard to understand how the three major electronic companies (Garmin, Humminbird and Lowrance) will move forward.
These companies will not sit on their hands and stop developing new technology. So, what’s next? Will the next advancement be banned as well? If so, how will these companies continue to survive without innovation and advancements in technology?
Here’s my perspective…. we can’t just continue to ban every new piece of technology that comes out! Tournament organizations need to adapt by altering the rules presently in place; rules that work for both boaters and co-anglers. At some point, they will have to figure out how to make forward-facing sonar and any future innovations work for the benefit of everyone.
But understand this, just because it’s banned on the professional level, does not mean it will be banned for the everyday angler or anglers fishing on the lower levels of competition.
I do agree that anglers on the professional level should be held to a higher standard; that’s why they’re called professionals. It’s the same reason Major League Baseball does not allow aluminum bats. Hitters would have too much of an advantage over pitchers and it would completely change the game.
But with regards to forward-facing sonar, only time will tell if it is doomed or if it will return. I personally think at some point, it will once again be allowed. Till next time, good luck, good fishing and take the time to enjoy some great fall fishing as lakes are less crowded now that hunting season is upon us.
Steve Graf
Angler’s Perspective
