I've been out of the game for about 3-4 years due to health issues. I sold all my bass fishing stuff. I stopped paying attention to any of it because it caused me depression to not be out there.

I'm back at it. I made a humble purchase to get back into the swing of things. An Aird-X MH/F casting rod with the Aird reel (apparently released last year), and an Aird-X M/F spinning rod with a 2500 Laguna. I bought some Senkos, Ned Rig stuff, spinnerbaits, a Vision 110, and Spook. Essentially the baits that were working well for me before I came to an abrupt end.

I have seen a number of things I don't even recognize, from gear to baits. Not so much techniques, but I haven't dug very deep. Karashi keeps coming up.

It's funny - the sport never changes and yet it changes. What have I missed?

A lot has changed and yet nothing has changed.

Been doing way more finesse .

Folks are catching bass on baits called poop and janitors.

There’s this thing called forward facing sonar now. People talk about it sometimes.

Karashi.

/end thread

1 hour ago, Pat Brown said:

There’s this thing called forward facing sonar now. People talk about it sometimes.

I'd put this one as the top technology advancement in fishing out there in recent memory. Some lures are now literally designed to be used in conjunction with it.

And its not just in bass fishing either.

Front facing sonar I would guess would be the biggest change. Seems like a lot of people are pretty proficient at it.

The finesse baits have changed a little. Ned’s was big 5 years ago. Now a lot of people are drop shoting .

Even if things change, what you have is still pretty good. It will get you started on the right foot. The Karashi is a nice little bait that you can use with your spinning rod. It's an underwater small hard minnow ( a twitch bait I guess ) that works well and is fun to use. Try it !

I feel like the advent of FFS sonar introduced high quality spinning reels to more bass fishing people.

Gear has gone up. Tariffs from Japan, and U.S. prices. For example, you used to get a metal framed slx for 99. Now for 95 you get the plastic frame caius. Lews changed the speed spool from 99 to 140 but it may be discontinued now for different models. The stuff other people mentioned as well.

What has changed? Arthritis in my knee is worse and I need to lose some weight.

I know it's not gear related but fishing pressure is the biggest change I've seen. The number of people on the water is crazy nowadays. Which is good & bad. Our fish are definitely wiser from seeing a gazillion different baits.

What has changed for me in the past 3-4 years is I used to have less and cheaper tackle, and catch more and bigger bass. Now I have more tackle and catch less and smaller bass. I'm not sure if there is a relationship of amount of tackle to bass ratio, but it is worth considering. Bait Monkey is convinced the bass have become more educated, and I need to start fishing more expensive gear. I think maybe I should simplify and go back to fishing the tried and true lures of the past.

What's new?

1. Forward Facing Sonar (FFS) and related baits/rods. It's expensive and pretty much just the tournament guys use them. It's primarily an open-water or isolated cover tactic that targets previously unmolested bass. It's an effective way to find and catch fish by "seeing" them with electronics rather than the traditional cast-n-wind "hunting" approach.

2. Bait Finesse System (BFS). A specialized fishing method originating in Japan that uses baitcasting gear to cast lightweight lures usually reserved for spinning gear. It allows anglers to use ultra-light setups with the precision, accuracy, and lure control of a baitcaster, ideal for pressured fish or tight, heavy cover.

3. Japanese baits, lures, and rods/reel (Japanese Domestic Market or JDM). A collection of unique baits such as "fuzzy baits" and other high-quality lures plus high-end precision equipment. They've become very popular due to their effectiveness and "fun factor".

4. Glide Baits - realistic baits the resemble the forage bass feed upon. Often requiring specialized retrieves and equipment, but are highly effective. The baits can be very expensive.

What's not new?

Any baits and equipment in your current arsenal still work just as well as they did before, if not even better, because fewer anglers are throwing them. Dropshot, splitshot, Zara Spooks, spinnerbaits, Senkos, and Rat-L-Traps (and more) still catch plenty of big fish.

On 4/26/2026 at 11:06 AM, Rockhopper said:

Karashi.

/end thread

I had to Google "Karashi." Meh. I'm not tempted. I'll keep dancing with what brought me to the party.

Biggest change I've seen is fishing pressure.

Many more local tournaments, night tournaments, even on some of the remote lakes I fish.

Personally,

Probably throw 80% finesse these days and it's been a game changer.

The tried and true methods still catch fish. Don't abandon what you're doing. I like the advances in equipment. Reels that cast easier and rods that are more sensitive. I've got in to some new techniques. There does seem to be more tournaments now so there is more pressure on the fish and that's a bummer. When I take my sons to the lake I'm always saying, I bet the tournament guys have already fished these spots 5 times before we get there. But it's still one of my favorite things to do and I still have a lot of fun.

The biggest change I have seen in the last 3 or 4 years is the change to baits with a secondary mouvement: baits that move even if you are not retrieving them.

I'm so old school, new techniques and lures to me are just 10 year old ones I haven't tried yet. I'm always slow to jump on the newest things.

Scoping and associated baits, Karashi, poop baits, fuzzy dice baits, expansion of electronic braking systems in reels, tungsten about to be completely unaffordable.

I've been dragging my feet on trying any of the new techniques, but I'll probably consider an electronic braking reel when the time comes to replace my next one.

5 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

I had to Google "Karashi." Meh. I'm not tempted. I'll keep dancing with what brought me to the party.

You are missing out on a hell of a lot of fun!

YouTube is packed with redundant information.

Strolling/Jig and Minnow has become a major player.

The spinnerbait is making a comeback.

Holding a fish away from your body when photographed no longer doubles its size.

Out of control spraying by an endless group of spray companies are effecting our sport on many classic bodies of water. Florida is being heavily effected, I have heard that other states are having similar problems! There must be a better way then nuking everything!

22 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

I had to Google "Karashi."

Me too, whew!!…. Thought I was the only one.

6 hours ago, geo g said:

Out of control spraying by an endless group of spray companies are effecting our sport on many classic bodies of water.

Even HOA’s are contracting the private sector for spraying.