Livescope out of hand

[Al Agnew]

I don't know why, but it kinda reminds me of something...many years ago, Bass Pro Shops came out with their first bass fishing video game.  They used my artwork on the package, so they sent me a free game.  This was back when I knew next to nothing about computers...heck, I think it was before Windows.  Anyway, I loaded up the game on my computer and messed around with it.  You could pick from a bunch of different real lakes to fish, pick your rod and reel combo, pick the lures you used, and then you went fishing.  So I was virtually moving around the lake, looking for cover and structure to fish.  I'd find a good looking spot, start "casting", and nothing.  Eventually, I figured out that the way the game worked, you moved around until you actually could barely see a FISH up against a piece of cover or something, and THEN you casted to it, and you'd hook it every time.

That's exactly how the FFS works.  Used to be, if you didn't think you could catch fish beating the banks, you'd move around looking at your flasher, finding dropoffs and creek channels and maybe if you were good at figuring out the flasher you might even find some sunken trees or rock piles, and you'd then cast to them to see if they actually had some fish on them.  You didn't KNOW there were fish on those places, but they looked good.  I even caught fish on some of them.  But there were many more that didn't produce anything, whether the fish weren't there, weren't there at that exact moment, or wouldn't bite what you were throwing.  You just didn't know.  Now, you know.  Unless they are crappie or catfish or white bass or carp, anyway.

But this is changing bass fishing on reservoirs and lakes in so many different ways, not the least of which is that suddenly the bass in these lakes that were not pressured at all, those pelagic fish that just roam around looking for bait in open water far from the banks, are now getting hammered.  Pretty soon they are going to get a lot tougher to get to bite. It's like the last frontier and it's going to be diminished before long.

Kinda like I've spent all my long life beating the banks when fishing the rivers, and just in the last decade or so I'm finally figuring out that there are fish out in the middle of the river that I've never really fished for before.  Maybe I need FFS on my solo canoe?

  

[jdmidwest]

8 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

When sidescan came out, one of my customers accidentally located a Jeep in 22' of water near the back of Indian cr. at a power line crossing.  The "authorities" retrieved it and charged the owner a healthy sum for recovery & littering.

The question I have is:   If you graph this lake you'll locate sunken boats and sunken dock frames EVERYWHERE.  Since those things have numbers on them that are easily traceable......Why aren't those things recovered and the owners charged likewise?   

Because boats crash into docks on your lake all of the time and sink.  It would take a big landfill to hold them.  Keep them for fish structure.

[bfishn]

15 hours ago, waterpossum said:

Somebody will easily come up with a device that will interrupt the signals sent out by the transducers. I pray I get to use one .

That should be as easy as aiming the same unit as the other guy at the same spot (or at his boat).

[waterpossum]

10 hours ago, Flysmallie said:

Are you challenging me? 

Yes. PLEASE

[nomolites]

I love it, sonar jammers.  There should be weight neutralizing devices too, so anglers can’t get to those fish “down deep”.

Mike

[Quillback]

Watching the Elites on Fork today, it's all scoping at least for the leaders.  However, they are relatively shallow, 15 feet to 5 feet and they are throwing jerk baits.

FFS isn't going away for bass fishing unless the tourney fishermen refuse to fish FFS tourneys and the tourneys themselves ban it.  

[Lvn2Fish]

How many of you guys actually have the equipment ? Y’all are so sure that it’s the end all be all . Have you put a little time in with it? All the talk of pelagic fish and how this is going to ruin everything . We didn’t even know they were all out there until a year ago. It reminds me of trout fishing. When you can see suspended fish and watch how they react to your different presentations . There are days when a fish runs from a lure as soon as it hits the water . 30 ft down they see it hit the surface and are gone . Other times they will rush it from 30-50ft . This time of year is optimum for FFS . The fish are slower and less likely to move too fast . There are a lot of fish suspended over deep water this time of year. This unit isn’t limited to fishing deep either . You can’t always see the fish especially if they are relating to cover or the bottom . What you can see is the cover and make an accurate cast into it . It’s fun to see a brush pile that looked like it was empty explode into 20 3 pounders . It’s eye opening . All of this being said . I want everyone to just fish the way they want . Where does anyone get the right to tell another angler how to fish . If you like fishing with a tenkara rod and catching micro fish , that’s cool . If you like stabbing them in the back with a spear , go for it . If you like catching suspended bass with live scope and 6 lb line right on.

[waterpossum]

3 hours ago, Lvn2Fish said:

How many of you guys actually have the equipment ? Y’all are so sure that it’s the end all be all . Have you put a little time in with it? All the talk of pelagic fish and how this is going to ruin everything . We didn’t even know they were all out there until a year ago. It reminds me of trout fishing. When you can see suspended fish and watch how they react to your different presentations . There are days when a fish runs from a lure as soon as it hits the water . 30 ft down they see it hit the surface and are gone . Other times they will rush it from 30-50ft . This time of year is optimum for FFS . The fish are slower and less likely to move too fast . There are a lot of fish suspended over deep water this time of year. This unit isn’t limited to fishing deep either . You can’t always see the fish especially if they are relating to cover or the bottom . What you can see is the cover and make an accurate cast into it . It’s fun to see a brush pile that looked like it was empty explode into 20 3 pounders . It’s eye opening . All of this being said . I want everyone to just fish the way they want . Where does anyone get the right to tell another angler how to fish . If you like fishing with a tenkara rod and catching micro fish , that’s cool . If you like stabbing them in the back with a spear , go for it . If you like catching suspended bass with live scope and 6 lb line right on.

I wont be around to see if what I think will happen to the fishery after a few years of use. I think in the not too distant future the fish population will take a drastic down turn. Water quality and water quantity will be the biggest culprit but FF technology will also be a big part of the problem. Most people using it and justify using it rationalize that there is an unlimited amount of fish and that they can reproduce in numbers that will supply fishermen for eternity. 

[Ron Burgundy]

22 minutes ago, waterpossum said:

I wont be around to see if what I think will happen to the fishery after a few years of use. I think in the not too distant future the fish population will take a drastic down turn. Water quality and water quantity will be the biggest culprit but FF technology will also be a big part of the problem. Most people using it and justify using it rationalize that there is an unlimited amount of fish and that they can reproduce in numbers that will supply fishermen for eternity. 

The majority of bass fisherman release their catch so how will it decimate the bass population?  

[tjm]

3 hours ago, Lvn2Fish said:

How many of you guys actually have the equipment ? Y’all are so sure that it’s the end all be all . Have you put a little time in with it? All the talk of pelagic fish and how this is going to ruin everything . We didn’t even know they were all out there until a year ago. It reminds me of trout fishing. When you can see suspended fish and watch how they react to your different presentations . There are days when a fish runs from a lure as soon as it hits the water . 30 ft down they see it hit the surface and are gone . Other times they will rush it from 30-50ft . This time of year is optimum for FFS . The fish are slower and less likely to move too fast . There are a lot of fish suspended over deep water this time of year. This unit isn’t limited to fishing deep either . You can’t always see the fish especially if they are relating to cover or the bottom . What you can see is the cover and make an accurate cast into it . It’s fun to see a brush pile that looked like it was empty explode into 20 3 pounders . It’s eye opening . All of this being said . I want everyone to just fish the way they want . Where does anyone get the right to tell another angler how to fish . If you like fishing with a tenkara rod and catching micro fish , that’s cool . If you like stabbing them in the back with a spear , go for it . If you like catching suspended bass with live scope and 6 lb line right on.

So, do you think that it makes catching big fish easier or harder?

It looks like it takes away all need for fishing knowledge and skills, but as you say I haven't tried it.