B A S S the FFS tour

[OleCdub]

If you don't think it was exciting when Trey caught his last big fish, for him to get excited when he said she's coming after it, to hook that fish and for it to come up and see the size of it, then you should quit watching if that didn't excite you.

Valid point. I did not think that was exciting and it didn't do sh*t for me. So I will take your advice that doesn't come from a caring place and quit watching B.A.S.S altogether. Thank you. I will stick to MLF & NPFL where my kind belong. I will still comment on hammer's threads here though, those are fun.

[BigFishSteve]

Pa-leeese! You ain't gonna stop watching BASS.

[Jeff Hahn]

I don’t need fair chase. I prefer every advantage I can get.

So a 1/4 stick of dynamite is ok? Just kidding! But, the point is that fair chase is at the core of the debate. If fair chase was NOT an issue, then anything goes.

[SteezMacQueen]

These kids are good because of the all the information they have available to them... youtube, the internet, social media. There is gobs and gobs of information out there that wasn't available to the "old guns". They have a level of competitive fishing at a young that also wasn't available to those of the past. These kids grow up obsessed with the sport and work there ass off to get to where they are at. FFS or not they would be doing well. FFS is just a tool and everyone has it and everyone has the same amount of time in a day to learn it. To say that they are good because they grew up with an Xbox is just stupid. They still have to know bass movement and behavior. Maybe the 'old guns' are just to lazy to learn and adapt and just want to complain.

The information is available to the old guys too.

next!…..

[Jeff Hahn]

I like to think the younger pro angler has combined the knowledge from the past with the newest technology. Instincts and time on the water is still being applied while on the water. FFS is just another tool. In fact, if you listen to Tucker Smith after winning at Lake Fort, it wasn’t his FFS that was the key. It was rather the use of his side imaging and 360 to find these fish. That technology has been in use for a long time.

That’s where we disagree. FFS is fundamentally different than previous types of electronic technology. Previous type of depthfinders helped an angler locate the types of places where bass were likely to be located, given seasonal patterns. Yes, on rare occasions, one could actually see a fish on the older type of depthfinders and catch it. I’ve even done that with a flasher a time or two back in the day. However, FFS is designed specifically to show an angler exactly where a fish is located. And, it shows how the fish reacts to the angler’s lure. With FFS, an angler longer uses his casts to probe structure to see if a fish is there. Technology has replaced those skills with a video screen.

[BigFishSteve]

Why only 1/4? I believe in habeas fishmus. The expectation of fish to be brought before me for judgement and further consideration.

[yadkincustomlures]

BASS being the "young gun scoper" tour is overplayed, IMO.

I crunched the numbers because I was curious. The average age of the 2025 Bassmaster Elite series anglers (rounded to the nearest year) is 38 years old.

I went back to 2015 before livescope existed and when all the old fellas like David Smith, Zell Rowland, Paul Elias, Rick Clunn etc still fished, and the average age of the field, even with all those old outliers, was 41 years old.

So over the past 10 years, the Bassmaster Elite series tournament field has gotten 3 years younger. Dam yungins ruining the sport!!!!

[BigFishSteve]

That’s where we disagree. FFS is fundamentally different than previous types of electronic technology. Previous type of depthfinders helped an angler locate the types of places where bass were likely to be located, given seasonal patterns. Yes, on rare occasions, one could actually see a fish on the older type of depthfinders and catch it. I’ve even done that with a flasher a time or two back in the day. However, FFS is designed specifically to show an angler exactly where a fish is located. And, it shows how the fish reacts to the angler’s lure. With FFS, an angler longer uses his casts to probe structure to see if a fish is there. Technology has replaced those skills with a video screen.

You are right! I love it.

[stratos4life]

he wasn't doing it with a screen. He was just that damn good.

So no one can ever be as good as KVD at a young age? Maybe KVD was getting info on the lakes from locals or guides. I just don't see why so many people are upset about ffs. Yeah it shows fish but so does 2d, downscan, and side imaging.

[n2theblue]

That’s where we disagree. FFS is fundamentally different than previous types of electronic technology. Previous type of depthfinders helped an angler locate the types of places where bass were likely to be located, given seasonal patterns. Yes, on rare occasions, one could actually see a fish on the older type of depthfinders and catch it. I’ve even done that with a flasher a time or two back in the day. However, FFS is designed specifically to show an angler exactly where a fish is located. And, it shows how the fish reacts to the angler’s lure. With FFS, an angler longer uses his casts to probe structure to see if a fish is there. Technology has replaced those skills with a video screen.

Found someone who has never done vertical jigging.

[xranger77]

That’s where we disagree. FFS is fundamentally different than previous types of electronic technology. Previous type of depthfinders helped an angler locate the types of places where bass were likely to be located, given seasonal patterns. Yes, on rare occasions, one could actually see a fish on the older type of depthfinders and catch it. I’ve even done that with a flasher a time or two back in the day. However, FFS is designed specifically to show an angler exactly where a fish is located. And, it shows how the fish reacts to the angler’s lure. With FFS, an angler longer uses his casts to probe structure to see if a fish is there. Technology has replaced those skills with a video screen.

This 100%

[logjam]

Please explain how it is more interesting to watch. You are staring at the back of a dude's head regardless.

Watching someone throw a swim jig and see some of the fish hit is more interesting. The FFS would be more interesting to watch if they would half the screen so you could watch what they are seeing

[logjam]

Please explain how it is more interesting to watch. You are staring at the back of a dude's head regardless.

Watching someone throw a swim jig and see some of the fish hit is more interesting. The FFS would be more interesting to watch if they would half the screen so you could watch what they are seeing

[Hoot]

BASS being the "young gun scoper" tour is overplayed, IMO.

I crunched the numbers because I was curious. The average age of the 2025 Bassmaster Elite series anglers (rounded to the nearest year) is 38 years old.

I went back to 2015 before livescope existed and when all the old fellas like David Smith, Zell Rowland, Paul Elias, Rick Clunn etc still fished, and the average age of the field, even with all those old outliers, was 41 years old.

So over the past 10 years, the Bassmaster Elite series tournament field has gotten 3 years younger. Dam yungins ruining the sport!!!!

[BassJP]

Sorry but the screen doesn’t catch fish …

[c rig]

Nothing negative intended at all, just think we should respect a lot of what pioneers in the past did for our sport and they were quite successful with what they had.

IMHO older guys like me and others certainly have respect for what the old pioneer guys did to elevate bass fishing. Younger guys likely don’t even realize what the earlier BASS guys did, what they used, etc.

But let’s be honest. Bill Dance was successful throwing a solid blue worm, often commenting that “any color will work, as long as it’s blue”.

I’d bet you’d find very few, if any Elite guys who’ve even thrown a blue worm, much less own any.

Same with flashers, pistol grip rods, or paper graphs.

Times change, technology gets better.

Yet guys like John Cox chug along cashing checks. Just a few years ago he didn’t even use a depthfinder, he only had a unit with mapping to help keep him from getting lost. You can bet wherever he is he’ll be throwing a General, frog, slobberknocker or Frittside to shallow visible cover.

[JB134]

Sure would love to see a band on anti FFS on this site. It’s a cool piece of bass gear. It’s not going away, and will only get better. Some people need a new hobby

[StretcherJockey]

I’d love to see a split schedule where they can use it at half the tournaments and can’t at the other half. I’m really interested how some of these kids would do without it. I’m sure a couple of them would still do okay but most almost certainly would not. I hesitate to say they for sure wouldn’t because none of us actually know how they’d do but common sense should give you a pretty good guess.

[BMCD]

If anyone tries to deny this now then they themselves are in denial . This sport was once based on instinct and time on the water is now based on something completely different . 8 out top 10 are 25 years or younger.

big deal. use to be dominated by other factors too. J.Wheeler and D.Conell come to mind both were not scopers and still good b4 hand. Im gonna go out today and just scope for a few hours.

[azbassman352]

Watching the swim jig guys and glides was good, but the FFS crap I do not enjoy. I get that it's very hard to get proficient on FFS, but the hammers finishing at the back of the pack is not the bass fishing I love. They young guys are unbelievable. Dakota must have busted his transducer with only one fish the second day.