October 13, 2023
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — B.A.S.S. officials announced today that, while they will continue allowing the use of forward-facing and live sonar during the 2024 Elite Series season, the organization is creating a committee of representatives from across the company to continuously monitor the use of live sonar, listen to angler feedback and gauge the technology’s impact on competition, fan experience and bass populations.
As part of the monitoring, the committee will review data gathered internally to evaluate live sonar’s impact throughout the coming season. A review of onboard technology being used by each Elite Series angler will be conducted by tournament staff and the committee at the beginning of the 2024 season. Subsequent surveys of the Top 10 following each Elite event will also cover the time spent using live sonar and the positioning of transducers.
That data will be reported to the committee alongside information such as catch rates and tournament weights to paint a more accurate picture of the technology’s significance to competitive bass fishing.
B.A.S.S. has emphasized that the organization is committed to listening to anglers, fans and industry insiders while monitoring and evaluating the use of these tools and studying how they impact both competition and fan experience.
For more information on how the committee and B.A.S.S. will evaluate forward-facing technology during the 2024 Elite Series season, visit Bassmaster.com.
