By Steve Chaconas
Forward Facing Sonar (FFS) is changing largemouth bass pursuit. Technology shows fish 100 feet away, allowing anglers to see lures approach fish until caught. The last 3 tournament seasons have been wrought with contention and controversy as unranked anglers rose to the top of a sport that had been dominated by experienced professional anglers relying on decades of knowledge and experience. In recent tournaments, FFS anglers are shown staring at big screens and chasing bass in deeper open waters. Bass fishing fans argue this doesn’t produce a compelling sport.
Major tournament organizers are addressing the technological imbalance, enacting FFS restrictions for 2025. Heritage bass tournament organization BASSMASTERS is limiting transducers and screens. The other major tournament trail, Major League Fishing (MLF) is restricting duration of use.
Bassmaster Elite Series BassCat Mercury pro John Crews says, contrary to social media beliefs, FFS still involves finding and evaluating significant areas. Sometimes spots are located with FFS but mapping and examining contour lines puts you in the vicinity of key high percentage spots.
Crews says FFS can distinguish how fish relate to cover: holding tight, swimming near, or suspending over it. FFS reveals fish mood and location and whether they’re suited to being chased with trolling motors and FFS. Anglers must decide how many fish need to be in an area before they determine its effectiveness for achieving a tournament limit.
These details are nailed down before the first cast. Similarly rigged spinning rods have a variety of jig head weights and soft plastic minnow baits. Jig weight is according to depth and wind. In open water Crews downsizes Sunline as thinner line runs deeper and is less likely to be blown around. In clear water or when FFS indicates spooky fish, longer rods make longer casts. In heavier cover, Crews beefs up leader strength.
Crews’ company Missile Baits makes soft plastic minnow imitations and drop shot baits in many shapes, sizes, and colors. Natural baits, according to Crews, have a darker back and lighter belly mimicking baitfish. Missile Baits Spunk Shad, with a gray or green back and white belly, works well in open water. Missile Baits Magic Worms in Missile Morning, a pink translucent bait, are a Crews favorite. Leader length depends on water clarity, longer for drop shot (up to 20 feet) and shorter for minnow baits.
Idling to locate schooling fish or using side imaging to find fish areas are common FFS strategies. Crews says waypoints marking fish are a waste of time for open water fish, except to identify general locations or if close to cover. Crews says finding fish isn’t the final answer. Fish moving during the day make using FFS a challenge. Finding them again is the key to winning. Most pros are quiet about their system of finding fish.
Making a significant rule change for 2025, Major League Fishing (MLF) is giving anglers the option to use FFS during only one of three periods. Triton Mercury pro Brent Chapman says the strategy of when to use FFS is compelling for fans. Chapman also notes this will differentiate angler skills from the FFS impact.
TV misses FFS strategy. Chapman points to how far FFS is looking. Shorter distances show more detail, including how fish react to lures, and allows anglers to target individual fish. Longer range settings enable long casts to groups of fish. Decisions on this distance depend on how close they can get to fish. Fish behavior is revealed with FFS identifying them as a target by anglers who determine the screen is showing bass. No matter the setting, most pros are reluctant to reveal FFS set ups.
Decisions, like using soft minnows or hard jerkbaits, are based on hookup percentage. Lower rates indicate time to change baits or presentations. Sometimes abandoning a fish then returning might be the best way to approach an individual fish. Chapman says new rigs with unique baits are sometimes necessary to get fish to commit. Even knots can impact success.
Prefishing with FFS involves idling around with Side Imaging to locate fish and then slowing down with the trolling motor to see fish size with FFS. Local YouTube videos reveal many key locations. Using FFS in high school through college gives younger anglers a leg up with technology without having to rely on old school mapping or visual targets. Unlike traditional tournament practice periods, there’s not much casting with FFS.
FFS is here to stay and Chapman says established pros are committing to it. Adjustments on installation and set-up are keys to maximizing his Garmin FFS effectiveness. Choosing a transducer for specific scenarios, based on distance, is important. Having proper power supply and voltage results in better pictures. Gain, range, color gain, color limit, and ghost settings are secrets unlikely to be shared.
FFS works well until the screen goes dark. Relying on electronics negates time on the water knowledge and experience. It’s certain more adjustments by tournament organizations and anglers will be coming as technology continues to advance and anglers acquire FFS skills. It’s only a matter of time until anglers will be targeting the same fish from hundreds of feet away. Fans will decide if they watch.
Potomac River Bassing in NOVEMBER
Cast moving baits on 10-pound test Gamma Edge fluorocarbon line.
Squarebill crankbaits covering any grass remnant or hard cover is the best strategy Patterns vary from shad to red crawfish.
Half ounce lipless crankbaits either silver with a blue or black back, red patterns, or chartreuse can be dragged around gravel banks or near grass remnants.
Spinnerbaits, ¼ ounce Colorado/Indiana gold blades and white skirts work well when contacting hard cover.
Pitch jigs, in either black/blue or green pumpkin patterns to hard cover including docks. Try Texas rigged Mizmo tubes on 3/0 tube hooks tied to 14 pound test GAMMA Edge fluorocarbon line.
About the Author: Capt. Steve Chaconas is a Potomac bass fishing guide & freelance writer. Potomac River reports: nationalbass.com. YouTube channel NationalBassGuide.