News

A US bass fishing tournament organiser – the National Professional Fishing League – has banned the use of live forward-facing sonar (FFS) in its competitions for next year.

Meanwhile, Bassmaster has announced it will limit the use of some technologies during events such as multiple engines or a cap on screen sizes, while the Kayak Bass Fishing group will only allow either a motor or FFS but not both.

The announcement has led to strong conversations among many in the US bass fishing fraternity

NPFL’s Brad Fuller said the decision was taken “after many sleepless nights and countless hours of discussions that touched every corner of the fishing industry.”

He added: “I enjoy using forward-facing sonar in my personal fishing, and I’m grateful for what’s it’s taught us about bass behaviour. It’s an incredible tool, and no matter your attitude toward the technology, it’s undeniable that it’s impactful for bass catching.

“Our concern at the NPFL is whether it’s a proper tool for competitive bass fishing. Every sport has equipment rules to protect the players and the integrity of the game.”

The thinking is that NPFL does not want competitive bass fishing to become a technology arms race where anglers stare at a screen, targeting pixels and losing their connection to the fish.

Forward-facing sonar is changing the ways that anglers approach competition and the ways that fans consume content. It’s also reducing the methods and baits that anglers use to compete.

Brad continued: “Our sport is too important and too diverse to allow technology to shrink it to a handful of methods and tackle. Robust competition requires variety, experience and broad skills. It must be more than an expensive video game.

“This decision will be met with some approval and some criticism, but we’re confident that this is the right decision at the right time for the sport and for the NPFL.”