September 11, 2025
As forward-facing sonar (FFS) continues to change competitive bass fishing more than any advancement in history, B.A.S.S. announced adaptations to its rules to limit its usage on the Elite Series in 2026.
As I eluded to last week
Following input from their Angler Board of Professionals (ABP), B.A.S.S. chose to forbid the use of FFS in four of their nine Elite events next year, leaving the other five events wide open to the technology (B.A.S.S. includes a screen-size disclaimer, but this makes no practical difference in anything).
The venues allowing FFS were chosen randomly by coin flip. In the end, a few offshore hotspots fell on each side of the cut.
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What stood out the most was the direct reporting on the reasons for this change. I admire the transparency. From the press release: “Many stakeholders within the bass fishing community, including fans and B.A.S.S. members, continued to voice concerns about live sonar use and its influence on competition. Elite Series anglers, through the Angler Board of Professionals (ABP), also asked for more limitations for the 2026 season."
They came out and said it!
After dancing around the subject for four years, B.A.S.S. admits that fans are voicing concern about FFS use. Rather than continuing to celebrate the technology, praise the magnificent catches that are re-writing the record books and attempt to design compelling split-screen television views, B.A.S.S. is now admitting that just about everyone watching their broadcast thinks forward-facing sonar sucks. It sucks for fan engagement, it sucks for historical precedence and it sucks for the health of our fisheries.
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But we all knew that already.
The takeaway, then, is the pathway moving forward. Again from the release: "In 2025, B.A.S.S. scheduled a diverse set of fisheries to naturally limit FFS dominance…”
The results, of course, were great events with nailbiter finishes. Even more, those events were fun to watch. Gone were the dopey head-down, rear-only camera views as analysts struggled to fill dead air. What replaced it was a compelling fishing show, just like the old days.
Now I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that the shallow-water target tournaments generated significantly more viewership than the FFS duels. Following the 2025 season, then, B.A.S.S. media was likely looking at the numbers and confirming what they knew all along.
Following that, a decision was made to limit FFS use in four events next season which, if my theorized pattern holds, should show a noticeable difference in viewership from event to event. I know which four tournaments I’m going to watch.
So where will we go from there? Assuming B.A.S.S., apparently now more focused on bringing a quality product to its fanbase, sees a major difference at the end of 2026 in broadcast numbers. Will that justify further reform?
To those in favor of FFS, I wonder if this decision is a sign of the beginning of the end? It could be.
As we all know, Major League Fishing's Bass Pro Tour limited FFS for the 2025 season by only allowing the technology in one of three competitive periods. This move by B.A.S.S., however, has far greater implications.
By not allowing the technology entirely at certain events, it will become apparent that the technology itself is impacting competitive fishing in a number of ways, all of which must be considered. To do so in an impartial fashion may require eliminating FFS altogether.
I remain a devout fan excited about the changes B.A.S.S. is bringing forth.
But do they know what they’ve gotten themselves into?
Joe Balog is the Executive Director of Mighty River Recovery, a nonprofit organization working to restore Florida’s St. Johns River. A former national tournament angler, product designer, seminar speaker and guide, Balog has worn just about every hat available to a professional angler. Today, he enjoys rehashing his experiences and adding veteran insight through his weekly Bass Wars column.
