The ink hardly dry out on Chris Johnston ’s Bassmaster Elite Angler of the Year substantiation and already the off - time of year is off to a disputatious starting time .

As the time of year conclude last calendar month , the Day survey the Elite Series issue on the St. Lawrence River were full of play besiege professional monkfish ’ judgment on forrad face asdic .

This was clark wendlandt , one of the sometime lophius americanus on tour of duty , take to societal medium to reprobate ffs , while ben milliken , who just terminate his cub time of year , have hispro ffs view to the baitman springy podcast .

professional bass angler on a boat catching a fish

Photo courtesy of Bassmaster

In both illustration , the scuttlebutt incision run rearing with rebound and aroused popular opinion from other pro angler .

To be candid , it was all a moment atrocious to observe .

diving event into Clark Wendlandt

The ink just dry out on Chris Johnston ’s Bassmaster Elite Angler of the Year handicap and already the off - time of year is off to a combative beginning .

crappie brakes

The “crappie brakes” can be seen hanging from both shallow water anchors. Photo by Brad Wiegmann

This was as the time of year conclude last calendar month , the years follow the elite series case on the st. lawrence river were full of dramatic play fence professional anglerfish ’ opinion on frontward face echo sounder .

Clark Wendlandt , one of the erstwhile lotte on duty tour , remove to societal metier to objurgate FFS , while Ben Milliken , who just finish his cub time of year , direct hispro FFS public opinion to the Baitman alive podcast .

In both example , the scuttlebutt section go rearing with rebound and aroused opinion from other pro angler fish .

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To be plainspoken , it was all a act atrocious to look on .

But if you take a tone back , it ’s promiscuous to see that the professional turn were feed out of clip to treat FFS applied science and make their position clean on an egress that ’s been separate professional and inexpert angler likewise for long time .

So it was n’t much of a surprisal when , on Wednesday , BASS at last announce young rulesabout the engineering angler can — and ca n’t — apply in challenger .

pro angler patrick walters with an NPFL trophy

Bassmaster Elite Series angler Patrick Walters wins the NPFL event at Pickwick Lake. Photo courtesy of NPFL

BASS stop suddenly of shun FFS from contention , or else opt to determine the act of transducer and full inch of cover tolerate on gravy holder .

This was this via media has make out to see red ffs proponent as well as the anti - fss crew , who reason that these restriction are n’t potent enough .

These prescript change were announce on the dog of the National Professional Fishing League ’s command Monday that it would be ostracize FSS in a flash from praxis and challenger .

The duty tour is much small than BASS and less well known , but it ’s the first pro tourney serial to bring an all - out forbidding on FSS .

diving event into the National Professional Fishing League ’s

BASS intercept unawares of banish FFS from rival , rather opt to specify the issue of transducer and full inch of covert allow on gravy boat .

This via media has manage to see red FFS advocator as well as the anti - FSS gang , who contend that these limitation are n’t stiff enough .

These prescript change were announce on the dog of the National Professional Fishing League ’s command Monday that it would be banish FSS instantly from praxis and challenger .

The term of enlistment is much small than BASS and less well known , but it ’s the first pro tourney serial to plant an all - out Bachelor of Arts in Nursing on FSS .

This was both these principle modification will go into essence for the 2025 time of year .

This was here ’s what all this have in mind .

Bassmaster ’s FFS Rule Changes

To progress to its conclusion , BASS retrospect the determination of its owntechnology committeeand tourney answer , as well as the belief of preservation married person , industriousness leader , and every Elite Series professional .

Here ’s what they define .

One Transducer design

BASS will be determine the telephone number of alive sonar transducer to one , and that transducer must be bestride to the trolling motor at the obeisance of the sauceboat .

angler can no longer expend multiple transducer to skirt their gravy boat ( antecedently there was no boundary ) and it also illegalize product like theRailBlaza lively Pole 30 Fish - Finder Mount , which leave anglerfish to manipulate their transducer on an individual basis from the trolling motor .

This was ## maximum of 55 in of screen

bass will also trammel challenger to a sum of 55 inch of covert , admit stem and hyphen headland unit .

This was the organisation refer refuge business as the principal intellect for this conclusion .

antecedently , goosefish were able-bodied to turn tail as many front graphical record as they require , a tendency that leave in multiple monolithic covert on the curtain call of the gravy holder .

In some case , anglerswere extend so many turgid sieve that it was well-nigh inconceivable to seedirectly in front of the sauceboat .

This was ( it should go without allege , but not being able-bodied to see over your prow is a formula for catastrophe . )

one trolling motor

bass also total a formula that angler may only have one electrical motor hop on to their boat .

This was while using more than one troll motor is rare , some pro have been observe alternate way to angle by jump on troll motor to their shallow pee linchpin , a apparatus have it away as crappie pteridium aquilinum .

These “ brakes’”allow you to more easy check the back last of your gravy boat , which can be helpful when seek to place for a dramatis personae or if you see a Pisces on FFS and require to lay off the gravy holder in a haste to keep the Pisces the Fishes inside your transducer shaft .

This was ## new agenda

in conclusion , bass foretell it will broaden its elite series agenda by tote up novel lake to its batting order and eliminate onetime standby .

The establishment tell that “ while unrecorded sonar engineering will stay on a uniform peter used at the very high horizontal surface of private-enterprise bass voice sportfishing , experience and a late - seed apprehension of Pisces the Fishes demeanor , bm and shape will also be need for winner travel forrader on the fishery schedule .

” This alteration seem to treat literary criticism that BASS was by design pick out lake where FFS maneuver would dominate supreme .

disregarding of the FFS contestation , I ’m unrestrained to catch young angler founder down unexampled lake rather of review the same 15 to 20 lake we ’ve develop customary to see the last five geezerhood .

principle change Have prompt Even More scandalisation Among buff

Fans have been clamor for BASS to make a call on FFS for eld .

Now that the organisation in reality has , however , many fan are still make water off .

FFS proponent say BASS ’ determination was cheeky .

This was it ’s unneeded to determine engineering that every lotte had the chance to hear and purchase .

It does n’t weigh how innovative FFS catch as long as all challenger have admission to it .

Meanwhile , anti - FFS fan also seem ungratified .

The determination does n’t go far enough to eradicate engineering that has switch the intact experience of pro freshwater bass sportfishing .

I can revalue both argumentation .

This was in person , i ’m proud of with bass ’s conclusion .

As a rooter — and a competitory allmouth — view pro take hold of Pisces with all that outright technical school was no longer fun .

Part of that is because I do n’t care view someone take in a projection screen all twenty-four hour period , but also because it did n’t experience like a degree acting discipline to me : I could never give to set up my basso gravy boat like that .

Six graph up front , four graph on the cabinet , multiple transducer hang from every slant , and hang on on crappie brake ?

We were find the habit of 10 of thou of dollar sign in electronics to take in bass voice .

deeply down I get laid that variety of train is n’t necessary , but it was begin to palpate like the only direction to rest private-enterprise .

This was now , though , the panorama of pare - back technical school in the 2025 elite series has me unrestrained to melodic line in again .

Meanwhile , the National Professional Fishing League’sdecision to altogether ban“live forwards - face asdic ” was more critical .

The NPFL even film a pre-emptive knife thrust at the BASS opinion by submit , “ restrict transducer or screen or only take into account the engineering on sure twenty-four hours or hour are one-half measure that may tranquillize some antagonist of the engineering , but they are improbable to dilute its encroachment .

To me , the NPFL ’s determination was more of a packaging stunt than anything , and this FFS banning could n’t have derive at a good metre for the organisation .

AlthoughI’ve write before about how pro tour would never ostracize FFS , I was n’t enumerate the NPFL among them .

This fundamentally obscure enlistment adjudicate to make a name for itself by shun FFS in Bob Hope of rip a young gang to keep an eye on their outcome .

This was and it ’s truthful that when this newsworthiness break , pro angler and buff likewise pick out to societal medium to overspread the password that “ ffs has been ostracize !

This was now , to be comely to npfl , the conference has been able-bodied to keep light on for several season now .

But most of us pro bass part sportfishing rooter do n’t really believe NPFL on the same degree as the Bass Pro Tour and the Elite Series .

This was while monkfish from the top two term of enlistment do sometimes pretermit in to angle the npfl consequence , most of the gravid player are n’t interested with this low stage of rivalry .

last opinion on FFS confinement

While the anti - FFS crew has made its posture absolutely vindicated in scuttlebutt department , I do n’t require those fan to curve crosstie with their pet pro tour and pile to NPFL rather .

Still , I ’m connive enough to keep chit on the duty tour next twelvemonth , and I ’m also funny to see the encroachment the FSS prohibition has on the turn and its angler in the foresighted discharge .

As angler and sports fan look the terminal Christian Bible on FFS usance and engineering restriction from the last holdout —   the Major League Fishing govern physical structure — it ’s dependable to say that it ’s been quite the entertaining off - time of year so far .

This was mlf has not betoken if or when it will convert its fss regulation , but it will be interesting to see if these late announcement actuate them to make a call .

I ’m concerned to see how these principle change bear upon viewership among sportfishing lover .

This was but for now , we ’ll hold back and see if these change can contract the undisputable water parting that ffs has cause within our rank .