Would BASS considered this cheating?

[Lcp3557]

This is a hypothetical but I believe it would have been big news and would have possibly considered cheating. There is a question at the end.

You would have to go back to pre live scope days. Say 8 years ago.
Let's say you have a young Angler who was a good fishermen, who qualified for the Elites. He is also a computer geek and has been working on producing live sonar. He figures out how to do just that. He keeps it a secret as he starts his 1st season on the Elite series. He wins the 1st two tournaments chasing suspended bass. BASS is trying to figure out how he is doing this. He shows them what he developed, live sonar.

The question is what would BASS have done?

[mean_dean]

Nothing, if not forbidden specifically in the rules not much they can do about it.

[Mark Perry]

I wouldn't call that cheating at all.

[OsageJoe]

I don't know how under any circumstance you could consider this cheating.

[Bass in the grass]

Aaron Martens basically did that, he was a sonar guru. 2D is just as live as ffs is.

[Kramos26]

No

[Lcp3557]

Cheating may be a little harsh. I don't think it's Cheating if it isn't in the rules. Would they have moved to ban it?

[coreynov902]

I'll play devils advocate here. He is gaining an unfair advantage using technology that is not readily available to the other anglers, thus creating an unlevel playing field. Could BASS do anything about it...not sure, especially since nothing in the rule book would directly prohibit it. But I'm sure his competitors would say that it's cheating.

[D.Moore]

Aaron Martens basically did that, he was a sonar guru. 2D is just as live as ffs is.

So someone that is good with FFS could take a 2D transducer and aim it forward and do with it what he can do with live scope?

[novakevlar]

First guy to use a flogger was probably accused of cheating by some. Depends on what you would define as "fair play".

[Lcp3557]

I'll play devils advocate here. He is gaining an unfair advantage using technology that is not readily available to the other anglers, thus creating an unlevel playing field. Could BASS do anything about it...not sure, especially since nothing in the rule book would directly prohibit it. But I'm sure his competitors would say that it's cheating.

[Tigercat]

First guy to use a flogger was probably accused of cheating by some. Depends on what you would define as "fair play".

It would probably be assault if they didn’t know the safe word.

[JJohnSind]

Most of the people calling out "cheating" are just looking for excuses on why they got beat.

[RANGER487]

I'll play devils advocate here. He is gaining an unfair advantage using technology that is not readily available to the other anglers, thus creating an unlevel playing field. Could BASS do anything about it...not sure, especially since nothing in the rule book would directly prohibit it. But I'm sure his competitors would say that it's cheating.

is there a difference between that and a angler having a new prototype bait that’s not on the market yet?

[novakevlar]

It would probably be assault if they didn’t know the safe word.

A lesson Trevor Bauer certainly learned!

[grayline]

Most of the people calling out "cheating" are just looking for excuses on why they got beat.

THIS

[Hoot]

Toss some damp hypothetical wood on the fire and create a lot of hypothetical smoke so it
becomes factual and ends up on a YouTube Video or Podcast.

Then pick out a certain Angler you don’t like and start insinuating his previous success was due to this and start watching the Clicks roll in.

[RNKingCx19]

is there a difference between that and a angler having a new prototype bait that’s not on the market yet?

yep home made lures? Not available to all involved.

[Gsmith223]

You should look into the origins of FFS and live side scan technology and you will find there have been some pros out there using it longer than you might think. Years ago I ran a side scan transducer on my trolling motor, I could never find fish with it but after a lot of trial and error I was able to use it much like we use 360 now to find structure and bottom changes.

https://bass-archives.com/forward-facing-sonar-1979/

[coreynov902]

is there a difference between that and a angler having a new prototype bait that’s not on the market yet?

This is a good point. But I'm not sure I consider it apples to apples. Does a prototype, or homemade, lure give you an unfair advantage over other anglers the same way that a technological advancement in electronics can? Forget FFS and lets use the spot lock feature on trolling motors. Let's say the angler in the original post creates this instead of live sonar. No other company has created spot lock yet, so this one angler has access to being able to stay locked on a spot during windy conditions, making him much more efficient than any other angler in the field. Would this constitute cheating? Again, while the rules don't prohibit it, I would say that this technology gives this one angler an unfair advantage over his competitors.