Not surprising

With there being tournaments with and without FFS, it will end up like Nascar road courses. We will probably end up with guys like Boris Said, if you remember this guy. He was sort of a part time Nascar driver that specialized in road courses. I wouldn't be surprised if we see guys like him that just specialize in FFS and stink the rest of the time.  

 

My point with this odd analogy is that there will be a clear distinction between those who can win without FFS and those that can only fish with it.  It will be interesting and probably better to watch. 

Sounds like they need ammunition to use against Garmin before banning completely.  Ratings don’t lie. Nobody watches scope tournaments and they are finally accepting it. 

This year the BPT showed us that there are a few tournaments where FFS matters a lot, there are a few tournaments where it doesn't matter at all and most tournaments it matters a little.  It also showed us that there are a few anglers that are masters with FFS,  there are a few that would be better off without it on their boat and that most anglers catch a few more fish when using it.  I suspect that we will see similar results next year on the Elite tour.  Now that the two major tours are limiting FFS use,  the general public will eventually learn that FFS is not the end of the world and we can move on to the next thing that is going to end the world.  😊

1 hour ago, Tennessee Boy said:

  the general public will eventually learn that FFS is not the end of the world and we can move on to the next thing that is going to end the world.  😊

There’s a better chance  you and I fishing on Jupiter from hovercrafts. Randy’s army is too big 

15 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Wonder who got through the door first...him or Milliken?

I'm pretty sure Milliken didn't qualify to stay on the elite tour.  Last I looked he wasn't.  

22 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

I'm pretty sure Milliken didn't qualify to stay on the elite tour.  Last I looked he wasn't.  

Actually, he did. His finishes put him just over the line to requalify for next year. He has hinted, but not directly said, that he is going to fish the Elites again next year. He has however, flatly stated that he thinks that the new BASS policy about forward facing sonar is "stupid" (his words). He did for the first time say that he thinks a point will come when the advancement in electronics will be "too much" and at that point things will need to be banned. His personal point for banning electronic devices? When they incorporate AI. So, after all the shouting, whining, and complaining from both sides he actually AGREES with Randy. He just has a higher "banning point" than Randy does. I find it hilarious, and also don't really care.

On 9/2/2025 at 2:41 PM, HawkeyeSmallie said:

I want to see a Rick Clunn throwing a spinnerbait into flooded timber or a KVD working a jerkbait

I’ll bet you can find those old videos on YT or somewhere!

25 minutes ago, DogBone_384 said:

I’ll be you can find those old videos on YT or somewhere!

Oh they definitely are.

 

If I'm bored and can't do anything I'll watch them sometimes.

 

There's also a guy on youtube that has a ton of old fishing videos that are really cool.

 

Videos from KVD, Bill Dance, Larry Nixon, you name it.

 

Old School Bass Fishing Vids

 

https://www.youtube.com/@oldschoolbassfishingvids9059/videos

 

 

 

 

 

7 hours ago, Kirtley Howe said:

He has however, flatly stated that he thinks that the new BASS policy about forward facing sonar is "stupid" (his words).

 

This is the same guy who poached a trophy caliber fish because he "forgot" to buy a license.  Uh huh.

15 hours ago, GReb said:

Sounds like they need ammunition to use against Garmin before banning completely.  Ratings don’t lie. Nobody watches scope tournaments and they are finally accepting it. 

If I’m not mistaken B.A.S.S. said that viewership was actually up some. Not sure if they meant tv or online. Also not sure if it was Elites only, Opens only or cumulative.

I like the new rules. I'm not for or against FFS, but if I have to choose one, I will choose against, kinda.

 

I am totally fine with using it for learning about fish behavior and habitat. I'm against it for use in tournaments. But if you want to learn about fish, or check out a brush pile before the tournament, I can see that.

 

 

I'd like to see them go dark for some tournaments. That'd be some interesting fishing to watch!

 

21 minutes ago, volzfan59 said:

If I’m not mistaken B.A.S.S. said that viewership was actually up some. Not sure if they meant tv or online. Also not sure if it was Elites only, Opens only or cumulative.

According to USTVDB, there was an uptick in viewership, but it fell right back off to normal.

 

Sadly, we are more of a niche market than Hot Dog Eating on ESPN.

 

 

13 hours ago, Kirtley Howe said:

13 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

I'm pretty sure Milliken didn't qualify to stay on the elite tour.  Last I looked he wasn't.  

Actually, he did. His finishes put him just over the line to requalify for next year.

My bad. He actually did NOT make the cut. I misread his finishing place. He placed 70th, ( I for some reason thought he had finished 50th) which left him below the cut line. He has hinted that he could try the Opens again, but he has not committed to that yet. I am not even sure if he has any real reason (other than vanity) to even bother trying. I guess time will tell. I apologize for giving out false information about his statis. 

10 minutes ago, Kirtley Howe said:

My bad. He actually did NOT make the cut. I misread his finishing place. He placed 70th, ( I for some reason thought he had finished 50th) which left him below the cut line. He has hinted that he could try the Opens again, but he has not committed to that yet. I am not even sure if he has any real reason (other than vanity) to even bother trying. I guess time will tell. I apologize for giving out false information about his statis. 

I need to learn to type....he finished 75th, not 70th.

12 hours ago, Kirtley Howe said:

I need to learn to type....he finished 75th, not 70th.

I dont get the math. There are over 100 anglers. Are they cutting 25 of them? I thought they were just cutting 10.

13 minutes ago, scaleface said:

I dont get the math. There are over 100 anglers. Are they cutting 25 of them? I thought they were just cutting 10.

The cutoff line was at 70. Ben finished in 75 place so he did not make it. The remaining spots will be filled with the top 9 finishers in the opens (or at least they are invited to join the Elites), and BASS may extend special exemptions to past champions or Angler of the Year winners under the "Legends" rule. I have no idea how any other spots may be filled. Like you, by my math, BASS has only filled 79 spots out of slightly more than 100 spots, so unless they invite others that are of "special interest", or allow a LOT of 
"Legends" exemptions the field will come up short. 

27 minutes ago, scaleface said:

I dont get the math. There are over 100 anglers. Are they cutting 25 of them? I thought they were just cutting 10.

 

The top 70 are always safe.  Then the bottom 30 are ranked by career averge AOY points.  So if you were top 10 AOY for 4 years and then placed 99th this year, you are probably safe still even though you were 99th. That career average AOY position is now the list of cut order.

 

10 EQs get a spot in the elites.  1 bass nation winner gets a spot.  So that is 11 cut right off the top.  Then any medical exemptions may alter that number.

 

Also, if anyone retires or withdraws that will alter the number and cut line also.

Watch the full coin-flip show where hosts Tommy Sanders, Mark Zona and Davy Hite learned in real time which 2026 Elite Series events will feature forward-facing sonar.

Only takes 2 hours or so.

https://www.bassmaster.com/elite-series/video/elite-ffs-schedule-coin-flip-show/

🙂

A-Jay

Is Zona back with BASS or is he episode by episode? Anyone know? 

I watched a little of the coin-flip show.  I like Zona but his coin flipping skills were lacking.  His thumb technique was similar to the technique required for playing marbles.  You need more altitude when flipping a coin so you get a little hang time.    His coin-flips were more like coin-flops.  😆

😂🤣😂 yup, sounds like Zona

Watching FFS events is like watching curling.  Polishing ice and lots of yelling yup. I’ll pass.

Tournament trails and things like AOY exist and are popular because people generally want to see the "best of the best", not the best on 1 weekend or the best at 1 technique or the best during 1 season.  

 

What BASS did is along those lines - You will have to be good with it AND good without it all year long.  Anglers can't use it as a crutch OR an excuse anymore.  The coin flip was a great way to avoid crazy accusations or theories...I love the fact that GVille and Champlain won't have it.

 

All or nothing is easy and definitive, but not as much of a true test in today's bass fishing world.