Maybe most guys will disagree with me on this but does anyone else think that the new fishfinders / graphs are almost too good for bass tournaments? I think it kind of takes away the fun to a certain point in finding fish with lures. You see on tv guys just dropping a bait down to the fish and watching them come up and hit their lure like a video game. I know that just because you find them it doesn't mean you will always catch them but it's a huge advantage and almost takes the fun out of it to a point. (unless you win money!) Give me your opinions on it. 

I think they are too good, period.  

 

It has really changed the face of ice fishing to a point it is almost ridiculous.  In semi-shallow lakes a few guys can get a good scope of the water in very short order, set up on the fish and destroy them.  

 

You take the modern 3d graphs with a few guys and electric augers and they can clean out small bodies of water ice fishing...

Too good? What? I love my Solix 15 SI GPS Bluetooth and 360 imaging on my little jon boat. As far as I know nobody is forced to use them. You can grab a can pole a be a minimalist but it'll be slightly harder to get a check. 

On Kentucky Lake (my home lake) it seems like every major pro tournament in recent memory has been won on the ledges by someone that relied heavily on electronics to find the fish.  However, tournament fishing at the highest level is changing.  It seems to me that most BPT tournament are won on the bank where electronics are less of a factor.  Yes,  there are plenty of exceptions.   If I was fishing a tournament in May on Kentucky lake with a five fish limit I would be idling around offshore staring at my electronic to find fish.  If I was fishing a BPT style tournament,  I would be throwing a trickworm along the bank.

 

For me personally, electronics add to the fun but sometimes I feel like I'm cheating when I drive straight to a spot that I can remember spending half an hour looking for in the old days. 

Hmm. If you're getting paid for catching fish, shouldn't you be required to have a commercial fishing license? It's a business, right?

Tournaments, it’s just keeping up with the Jones’ so to speak but for the everyday angler, I think it takes the fun out of fishing.

 

I can see the allure the first couple of times using something like livescope but I could also see me getting bored with it quickly. I’ve seen a fair share of people selling their livescopes after just 6 months, I assume it is because the allure wore out.

You still have to catch them. You still see pros almost every tournament blank, or not catch a limit. They’re just another tool like everything else. 

Sounds like a commit from the early '70's! "Fish Finders should be outlawed" was a common theme back in the early days of using sonar like flashers and paper graphs to locate bass.

Tom

The number of days where modern electronics make things 'too easy' is far less than the number days where they don't.  

 

The success is still coming from the skill of the angler, not the gear.  You don't need the latest and greatest in order to be effective...Even 'base model' electronics now have accurate mapping, side imaging, and down imaging available.  No matter what electronics you have, if you put in the time to utilize them effectively you'll be far ahead of the vast majority of anglers out there - even those with nicer/newer units.  You'd be surprised how few people actually take full advantage of all the technology they have.  

 

I look at it as developing another technique...So I think limiting or banning them just punishes those anglers that are willing to work harder than others by becoming skilled with them.  

6 minutes ago, Logan S said:

Even 'base model' electronics now have accurate mapping, side imaging, and down imaging available.

Errr - where are those options on my Hook 2-4 (it's not even the X with GPS).

53 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Errr - where are those options on my Hook 2-4 (it's not even the X with GPS).

What I mean is that the significant features of modern electronics don't have a huge cost barrier anymore...Obviously not every model comes with them and things like Livescope are still pretty expensive, but overall you can get into a setup that will map and scan pretty effectively for affordable prices.

9 minutes ago, Logan S said:

but overall you can get into a setup that will map and scan pretty effectively for affordable prices.

Kidding - but I do follow contour maps too...just with the I-Boating app on my Android. Maps with GPS, I can set waypoints too. Record of my trip on 31 July where I caught the bass in my profile pic...black line shows my route that day.

Tablet sits in the mount shown here on the right side.

Our bicentennial year 1976 I modified a tackle box to house my paper graph for a fishing trip to my inlaws in Minnesota for a vacation to Lake of the Woods, Ont Canada.  

Minnesota had a pending regulation to outlaw sonar units and Ontario already limited sonar use, so I smuggled my unit into Cananda. My inlaws didn't know and wouldn't have approved thinking it was cheating. That was the mind set back in the 70's and I am surprised to see it resurface.

Tom

Far less sophisticated 'tools' have been banned, for example - the A-rig.

9 minutes ago, Dirtyeggroll said:

Far less sophisticated 'tools' have been banned, for example - the A-rig.

They're illegal to use in MN at any time unless only one (1) of the arms has a hook...the rest have to be hookless.

7 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

They're illegal to use in MN at any time unless only one (1) of the arms has a hook...the rest have to be hookless.

Do you guys have smelt? I’m pretty sure you can use several hooks here in Michigan for smelt. Can you in Minnesota? If yes how would that be different than an A-rig? 

6 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

Do you guys have smelt? I’m pretty sure you can use several hooks here in Michigan for smelt. Can you in Minnesota? If yes how would that be different than an A-rig? 

I don't know about hook-n-line for smelt. Here in MN, there's no closed season, no limit, and most people use dip-nets. Seine nets are legal to use in certain places.

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

I don't know about hook-n-line for smelt. Here in MN, there's no closed season, no limit, and most people use dip-nets. Seine nets are legal to use in certain places.

Most dip net them here too. I’m pretty sure they catch them through the ice too. 

Every tournament there are guys in $70,000 bass boats that can't put fish in the livewell.

WALKER COUNTY LAKE CATFISH TOURNAMENT ANGLERS CRYING FOUL AFTER 70 YEAR OLD WOMAN WINS TOURNAMENT WITH A CANE POLE AND A ZIPLOCK BAG FULL OF GRAVY TRAIN

JASPER - Participants in the annual Walker County Lake Catfish Tournament are crying foul tonight after a 70 year old Jasper woman bested the next closest competitor by 12 lbs while using nothing but a cane pole, and Gravy Train dog food for bait.

One competitor with whom we spoke had this to say, "I have the very best catfishing equipment that money can buy, the best boat, the best rods, the best electronics. There ain't no way that old lady beat me with a stick and some dog food, no way. Something smells fishy here, and it ain't my stinkbait."

Others say that it is not unusual for "Ms. Minnie" as she is lovingly called by lake patrons to weigh in her limit at least five days a week.

"Ms. Minnie sure can catch 'em. She always leaves the lake with enough catfish, and shellcrackers to feed five people. Ms. Minnie wouldn't cheat, those men just ain't as good at fishing as they think they are."

Bass fishing is always changing, and has been for a long time. I remember when graphite rods first came out. Some people thought they should not be allowed. Too light, fast, sensitive? There's always guys who catch fish, and those that dont. A hi tech graph might help some folks, but it won't make any difference to others

17 minutes ago, Catt said:

WALKER COUNTY LAKE CATFISH TOURNAMENT ANGLERS CRYING FOUL AFTER 70 YEAR OLD WOMAN WINS TOURNAMENT WITH A CANE POLE AND A ZIPLOCK BAG FULL OF GRAVY TRAIN

JASPER - Participants in the annual Walker County Lake Catfish Tournament are crying foul tonight after a 70 year old Jasper woman bested the next closest competitor by 12 lbs while using nothing but a cane pole, and Gravy Train dog food for bait.

One competitor with whom we spoke had this to say, "I have the very best catfishing equipment that money can buy, the best boat, the best rods, the best electronics. There ain't no way that old lady beat me with a stick and some dog food, no way. Something smells fishy here, and it ain't my stinkbait."

Others say that it is not unusual for "Ms. Minnie" as she is lovingly called by lake patrons to weigh in her limit at least five days a week.

"Ms. Minnie sure can catch 'em. She always leaves the lake with enough catfish, and shellcrackers to feed five people. Ms. Minnie wouldn't cheat, those men just ain't as good at fishing as they think they are."

Catt, this is funny! That old lady has probably been fishing this way for Lord knows how long, and catching fish too. Some guys over think it.

Everyone is throwing up some odd rare stories...sure, it CAN happen but overall the electronics are needed to consistently catch fish day in day out.  Especially when you are talking big, deep water.  I really have no problem with it on huge reservoirs and big lakes.

 

My entire problem with electronics, as I mentioned is more in regards to hard water or ice fishing on smaller bodies of water.  In the winter with all the vegetation virtually gone and the water clear as can be, with these newer 3d models, you can literally find all the fish.  It's very easy to pinpoint them, sit there and hammer them.  The fish arent moving a great deal and they bunch up.  This is my main concern with electronics.  Especially when 90% of ice fisherman throw everything in the bucket.  For this reason alone I would like to see the electronics you can use limited.

2 hours ago, JediAmoeba said:

Everyone is throwing up some odd rare stories...sure, it CAN happen but overall the electronics are needed to consistently catch fish day in day out.  Especially when you are talking big, deep water.  I really have no problem with it on huge reservoirs and big lakes.

 

I fish Toledo Bend, 190,000 surface acres, my electronics is a Lowrance HOOK2-4x GPS Bullet, basic fish finder & GPS system, offering Wide-Angle Broadband sonar & a GPS plotter.

34 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

I fish Toledo Bend, 190,000 surface acres, my electronics is a Lowrance HOOK2-4x GPS Bullet, basic fish finder & GPS system, offering Wide-Angle Broadband sonar & a GPS plotter.

Other than the GPS, that's my unit. For the plotter - I-Boating app on the 8" tablet. 'Tonka is only 14,528 acres.

17 hours ago, JediAmoeba said:

Everyone is throwing up some odd rare stories...sure, it CAN happen but overall the electronics are needed to consistently catch fish day in day out.  Especially when you are talking big, deep water.  I really have no problem with it on huge reservoirs and big lakes.

 

My entire problem with electronics, as I mentioned is more in regards to hard water or ice fishing on smaller bodies of water.  In the winter with all the vegetation virtually gone and the water clear as can be, with these newer 3d models, you can literally find all the fish.  It's very easy to pinpoint them, sit there and hammer them.  The fish arent moving a great deal and they bunch up.  This is my main concern with electronics.  Especially when 90% of ice fisherman throw everything in the bucket.  For this reason alone I would like to see the electronics you can use limited.

Tell Dee Thomas, he managed to change how bass anglers fish using a 12' flipping pole without a reel and fished from a 15' aluminum boat, no electronics.

Today Dee still fishes local tournaments in his 80's, he does have a more comfortable bass boat but rarely uses any electronics. Dee is usually cashing a check, wins a few and had big bass for his local circuit last year at 12+ lbs.

Bass Fishing Hall of Fame angler, the father of flipping.

Tom