While I’m all for the sport of bass fishing growing, at what cost? Professional anglers are taking the new forward-facing sonar technology to levels that may not be good for the sport. Our lakes and waterways are under assault as we speak. Lakes are being invaded with sonar technology that has all species of fish on high alert. Today we’ll look at the impact this may have on the industry in general.
To understand where we are with today’s technology, we must first look at where we came from. The first fish finder device was developed in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1948. Then in 1957 Lowrance released the Fish-Lo-K-Tor that was designed for recreational fishermen. These first fish finding units were hard to operate and were difficult to read unless you had a good understanding on what you were actually looking at, but they were prone to misinterpretation.
But today’s electronics can be read without any misinterpretation as anglers watch on a 12-to-14-inch screen on what can only be described as a high-tech video game. This technology has played right into the hands of the young anglers on the rise looking to compete with the best anglers on the planet.
Their learning curve has been fast forwarded to warp speed like the Star Trek’s Enterprise. No longer do they have to spend years developing a feel on how and where to find bass based on weather conditions. No longer do they have to spend years understanding how to read water. They no longer need the instincts that the older generation of anglers used to compete with on the highest level.
This being said, how will this new technology affect the industry overall? It appears to me and many others that we are developing a group of young anglers without the fishing instincts so many of today’s top professionals possess. These seasoned anglers took years of time on the water to develop instincts and skills necessary to compete with the best anglers in America and across the globe.
One facet of bass fishing that will be truly affected is the bait and tackle industry. With the popularity of forward-facing sonar has come a new series of minnow style baits. These baits are all the craze right now and are winning tournaments consistently. So, what about all the crankbaits, spinnerbaits and jigs that have made up a huge part of bass fishing sales over the years? What will become of all these baits that have been the bread and butter of all major bass fishing companies? Will they just sit on the shelf and collect dust, or will it all come back to life after this forward-facing sonar obsession is over or possibly banned?
For tackle store owners, there’s got to be a sense of nervousness as dealers all over the country do inventory on baits that are just hanging on pegs waiting for anglers to pull one off. It’s almost like land of the misfit toys in the Christmas movie “Rudolf.” They are just waiting for the day when they will be wanted again.
Like anything new, we wonder if this new unbelievable technology is here to stay. Is this just a fad like bellbottom jeans and silk shirts with white dress shoes? Or is this like the Pet Rock and Ty Beanie Babies that some thought were the best ideas ever! The one unknown factor at this point is IF tournament organizations will ban these new fish-finding units. If this does happen, maybe things will get back to what we used to think of as normal.
Till next time, good luck, good fishing and make sure to check out Tackle Talk Live podcast, as well as the Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show on You Tube.
Steve Graf Angler’s Perspective
