®
T
echnological innovation continues to change
bass fishing. With each innovation anglers
are able to see, access, and pattern fish that they weren’t before. It seems that these advances are
progressing with lightning speed, and every year the fish
locating tools available to anglers are better and better.
Some of these may or may not make a significant difference
for the weekend hobby angler; however, if you are going to
be competitive, having the latest and greatest technological
tools will certainly give you an advantage and make you a
better angler.
These technological advances are proving to provide a
competitive edge.
LIVE SONAR MAKES A DIFFERENCE
Nine out of the top-10 finishers in the 2022 Bassmaster Classic used live sonar. Numerous top-10 finishers in the recent Wild West Bass Pro-Am on Lake Oroville noted relying on it, and even today as I’m preparing this article, Tai Au posted on social media how he was able to see a four-pound spotted bass come out of some brush with his Lowrance Active Target and pursue a rip bait. Without the forward-looking live sonar, he would have never seen or been able to catch that fish.
Live sonar, in my opinion, is the biggest technological leap in bass fishing electronics we have seen. Live sonar is the most unique and innovative sonar on the water giving you the ability to see fish swimming, see your lure — and see it all live and in real time.
With this dynamic view you can see 3D images of fish, structure, and baits in amazing detail. I recently read an analogy I think is quite applicable – “If a conventional fish finder produces a photograph, live sonar shows streaming video.”
Furthermore - this technology can be directed beneath the boat, broadcast in a wedge in any direction, and even directed forward of your boat’s position to monitor a retrieved lure and any fish swimming in the live sonar beam’s path. Live sonar images from all three major marine electronics manufacturers—Humminbird, Garmin and
Lowrance—reveal structure, lure motion, and fish behavior in remarkable detail.
A GAMECHANGER 3 WAYS
I really foresee this technology changing angling in three fundamental ways; by seeing fish we could previously not see, particularly suspended fish, observing behavioral patterns, and responses to baits/technique.
Suspended Fish: Never before could we see suspended in open water ahead of the boat, fish suspended beneath docks, along rock faces, in trees, etc. Live sonar allows anglers to search and see where bass are, or are not. No longer do we need to spend 20 minutes fishing a dock we think has fish or making that extra pass along a wall or bridge. I think this opens up a lot of water to target – especially for spotted bass. For years I’ve surmised and lamented about spotted bass in open water with their transient nature. Now with the ability to see them – we can more easily target them.
Fish Behavior: In addition to seeing more fish, we can now observe their behavior. Are they chasing bait, orienting tightly to structure or cover, are they moving, how are they
Summer 2023
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