A little help

[otaymichael]

Hi fellow enthusiasts. I'd like to ask a favor of the few folks that post reports. FFS is a big deal now, but not all of us use it. It'd be nice for folks to report what percentage of bass caught were with it, and what percentage were caught 'blind casting', fingers crossed patterns.

I'll start. Just fished Barrett Wed., Landed 15 on top (buzzers, solid body frogs, spooks), my buddy got 25, all subsurface (spinnerbaits, worms and flukes- smaller overall, but bigger numbers). Hot as hell, not many folks fishing. All caught without FFS.


Gracias, now back to our regularly scheduled program!

[VinnyBass]

Let's see..... not one of my bass in years I caught at the SD River were ever caught with FFS. Three of my bass in the 7lb range last year caught..two at Murray and one at the SD River were caught without FFS. My 7lb plus bass caught on a swimbait this year was caught from shore and the next biggest bass caught at Murray this year over 6lbs was caught without FFS. In searching for schools of shad it is helpful I admit, but definitely not a guarantee that a bass with bite. I think there are guys that search for a specific fish and use the FFS. I have not gone that deep into it. Yes there are guys in the national tournaments use it almost all the time for that. It is like when you first get a fish finder years ago and you can see the bottom depth and structure. Of course you can even see schools of bass and if lines are going through them, those are bass feeding on the shad.
So FFS just is a more advance finder the way I look at it. All I can say Michael is that for me personally I do not rely on it 100% but it is nice to have. I remember last year when I took my other kayak up to Sutherland that does not have any electronics and for the first time in years caught more bass than McFish. I concentrated on basic things I’ve learned over the years. Years of fishing knowledge you learn really helps in bass fishing. I know Randy Blaukat hates FFS because he feels so many
young fishermen that are winning tournaments do not have the fishing knowledge you learn after years of fishing and to him it is like cheating and not fair. Anyway, I feel pretty comfortable that I can catch bass without electronics. You can find a fish using different types of electronics...... but cannot guarantee at all they will bite is what I feel.

Hopefully others can share their opinions for you.

[Dfishin]

I use it and why I like it. I don't do the find them and drag a jig head by them much. i use it to find structure underwater that hold fish. There is plenty no fish structure. It is a double edge sword. You find them, they check your bait out, then swim away. This happening all the time. Then there are times you see them go to your bait and fish on. They gather around daring each other to eat it and one darts over and fish on. I have watched fish over 10 feet away jet over or up or down to get your bait. It is unreal (mind blowing to me) what is happening under the surface and the surface is calm. you can find fish with side and down scan, but they are on the move and gone. Even the structure they come and go.
To some it up, it helps me find what I'm looking for and gives me a better chance at hooking up. Fun to watch also.
I will go through an area just throwing all around all the time, but I know there are fish in the area!

[Moose]

100% of my fish have been caught without the use of FFS. I don't have it. I'm sure I would use it if I could afford to upgrade to it but I also feel like it has taken technology a little overboard.

[KillinTime]

100% Non FFS. I don't own one. I am not a great source, as I only fish freshwater about 4 month a year and the rest is ocean.
Great post question!!

[Dannicus]

If it isn't obvious, I've been fishing out of a float tube for 50 years. My electronics are a Garmin striker 4 which I primarily use for water temp, depth, and structure. I've watched the guys staring at their screens like a video game, and as cool as it looks, I've spent years refining how to locate structure and patterns without it. I'm too darned old to learn a whole other tech. I have no problem with it, but honestly I don't think it's for me. Also, it sure has made watching Bassmaster tournaments boring AF.

[otaymichael]

If it isn't obvious, I've been fishing out of a float tube for 50 years. My electronics are a Garmin striker 4 which I primarily use for water temp, depth, and structure. I've watched the guys staring at their screens like a video game, and as cool as it looks, I've spent years refining how to locate structure and patterns without it. I'm too darned old to learn a whole other tech. I have no problem with it, but honestly I don't think it's for me. Also, it sure has made watching Bassmaster tournaments boring AF.

Good job. Yeah, I'm in the same boat with that thinking, or should I say the same float tube, eh?! ;?)

I don't mind it, wish I had the mula to get one, I don't. I also don't watch the tournaments anymore, not interested in watching the back of an angler staring at a monitor and explaining what he's seeing, and they don't show us what it is, yet they could. They have shown the screens, here and there, but showing it only 2% of the time is not gunna cut it.

[Moose]

. Also, it sure has made watching Bassmaster tournaments boring AF.

Couldn't agree more! Whenever I turn on either BASS or MLF and see guys just staring at their FFS, i turn it off almost immediately . Its boring as hell!

[Bigbertha]

Like kids watching kids play video games

[Fisheromen]

Interesting place to draw the line in the sand! I can remember when old-timers were saying the same things about fish finders
! The horses are already out of the barn!

[Mcfish]

Interesting place to draw the line in the sand! I can remember when old-timers were saying the same things about fish finders
! The horses are already out of the barn!

Put them back in the damn barn....

[Mcfish]

Let's see..... not one of my bass in years I caught at the SD River were ever caught with FFS. Three of my bass in the 7lb range last year caught..two at Murray and one at the SD River were caught without FFS. My 7lb plus bass caught on a swimbait this year was caught from shore and the next biggest bass caught at Murray this year over 6lbs was caught without FFS. In searching for schools of shad it is helpful I admit, but definitely not a guarantee that a bass with bite. I think there are guys that search for a specific fish and use the FFS. I have not gone that deep into it. Yes there are guys in the national tournaments use it almost all the time for that. It is like when you first get a fish finder years ago and you can see the bottom depth and structure. Of course you can even see schools of bass and if lines are going through them, those are bass feeding on the shad.
So FFS just is a more advance finder the way I look at it. All I can say Michael is that for me personally I do not rely on it 100% but it is nice to have. I remember last year when I took my other kayak up to Sutherland that does not have any electronics and for the first time in years caught more bass than McFish. I concentrated on basic things I’ve learned over the years. Years of fishing knowledge you learn really helps in bass fishing. I know Randy Blaukat hates FFS because he feels so many
young fishermen that are winning tournaments do not have the fishing knowledge you learn after years of fishing and to him it is like cheating and not fair. Anyway, I feel pretty comfortable that I can catch bass without electronics. You can find a fish using different types of electronics...... but cannot guarantee at all they will bite is what I feel.

Hopefully others can share their opinions for you.

I let you catch more fish that day...felt sorry for you! I took all the hooks off my baits...yeah, that's what I did!

[VinnyBass]

Let's see..... not one of my bass in years I caught at the SD River were ever caught with FFS. Three of my bass in the 7lb range last year caught..two at Murray and one at the SD River were caught without FFS. My 7lb plus bass caught on a swimbait this year was caught from shore and the next biggest bass caught at Murray this year over 6lbs was caught without FFS. In searching for schools of shad it is helpful I admit, but definitely not a guarantee that a bass with bite. I think there are guys that search for a specific fish and use the FFS. I have not gone that deep into it. Yes there are guys in the national tournaments use it almost all the time for that. It is like when you first get a fish finder years ago and you can see the bottom depth and structure. Of course you can even see schools of bass and if lines are going through them, those are bass feeding on the shad.
So FFS just is a more advance finder the way I look at it. All I can say Michael is that for me personally I do not rely on it 100% but it is nice to have. I remember last year when I took my other kayak up to Sutherland that does not have any electronics and for the first time in years caught more bass than McFish. I concentrated on basic things I’ve learned over the years. Years of fishing knowledge you learn really helps in bass fishing. I know Randy Blaukat hates FFS because he feels so many
young fishermen that are winning tournaments do not have the fishing knowledge you learn after years of fishing and to him it is like cheating and not fair. Anyway, I feel pretty comfortable that I can catch bass without electronics. You can find a fish using different types of electronics...... but cannot guarantee at all they will bite is what I feel.

Hopefully others can share their opinions for you.

I let you catch more fish that day...felt sorry for you! I took all the hooks off my baits...yeah, that's what I did!

At first, I thought I just out-fished you and now I realize you just made it a lot easier for me to do that. Either way, thank you for being so considerate. You’re not as bad of a guy as people say.

[Mcfish]

Let's see..... not one of my bass in years I caught at the SD River were ever caught with FFS. Three of my bass in the 7lb range last year caught..two at Murray and one at the SD River were caught without FFS. My 7lb plus bass caught on a swimbait this year was caught from shore and the next biggest bass caught at Murray this year over 6lbs was caught without FFS. In searching for schools of shad it is helpful I admit, but definitely not a guarantee that a bass with bite. I think there are guys that search for a specific fish and use the FFS. I have not gone that deep into it. Yes there are guys in the national tournaments use it almost all the time for that. It is like when you first get a fish finder years ago and you can see the bottom depth and structure. Of course you can even see schools of bass and if lines are going through them, those are bass feeding on the shad.
So FFS just is a more advance finder the way I look at it. All I can say Michael is that for me personally I do not rely on it 100% but it is nice to have. I remember last year when I took my other kayak up to Sutherland that does not have any electronics and for the first time in years caught more bass than McFish. I concentrated on basic things I’ve learned over the years. Years of fishing knowledge you learn really helps in bass fishing. I know Randy Blaukat hates FFS because he feels so many
young fishermen that are winning tournaments do not have the fishing knowledge you learn after years of fishing and to him it is like cheating and not fair. Anyway, I feel pretty comfortable that I can catch bass without electronics. You can find a fish using different types of electronics...... but cannot guarantee at all they will bite is what I feel.

Hopefully others can share their opinions for you.

I let you catch more fish that day...felt sorry for you! I took all the hooks off my baits...yeah, that's what I did!

At first, I thought I just out-fished you and now I realize you just made it a lot easier for me to do that. Either way, thank you for being so considerate. You’re not as bad of a guy as people say.

Who says that..I'll fight em! I did point out which rock to throw at and what lure to use...! Yeah, I remember that exactly..kind of like that...

[VinnyBass]

Let's see..... not one of my bass in years I caught at the SD River were ever caught with FFS. Three of my bass in the 7lb range last year caught..two at Murray and one at the SD River were caught without FFS. My 7lb plus bass caught on a swimbait this year was caught from shore and the next biggest bass caught at Murray this year over 6lbs was caught without FFS. In searching for schools of shad it is helpful I admit, but definitely not a guarantee that a bass with bite. I think there are guys that search for a specific fish and use the FFS. I have not gone that deep into it. Yes there are guys in the national tournaments use it almost all the time for that. It is like when you first get a fish finder years ago and you can see the bottom depth and structure. Of course you can even see schools of bass and if lines are going through them, those are bass feeding on the shad.
So FFS just is a more advance finder the way I look at it. All I can say Michael is that for me personally I do not rely on it 100% but it is nice to have. I remember last year when I took my other kayak up to Sutherland that does not have any electronics and for the first time in years caught more bass than McFish. I concentrated on basic things I’ve learned over the years. Years of fishing knowledge you learn really helps in bass fishing. I know Randy Blaukat hates FFS because he feels so many
young fishermen that are winning tournaments do not have the fishing knowledge you learn after years of fishing and to him it is like cheating and not fair. Anyway, I feel pretty comfortable that I can catch bass without electronics. You can find a fish using different types of electronics...... but cannot guarantee at all they will bite is what I feel.

Hopefully others can share their opinions for you.

I let you catch more fish that day...felt sorry for you! I took all the hooks off my baits...yeah, that's what I did!

At first, I thought I just out-fished you and now I realize you just made it a lot easier for me to do that. Either way, thank you for being so considerate. You’re not as bad of a guy as people say.

Who says that..I'll fight em! I did point out which rock to throw at and what lure to use...! Yeah, I remember that exactly..kind of like that...

Better calm down unless you want another crawbait hitting your tube and flying 15 feet in the air again,

[DarkShadow]

FFS is a great way to push the gas on the learning curve.

Some say it means you no longer have to know where the fish should be. Maybe. I look at it as another tool in the arsenal—one that can help you understand what you're looking at and why fish are where they are.

What I'm not doing is keeping track of how many fish came off the FFS versus how many didn't. I'm not one of those guys keeping a spreadsheet like, “I caught 82.3 fish at Barrett last week, bringing my annual total to 295.1.”

Does it count if i scouted the spot with FFS but then blind casted? What if I used FFS to target one fish, but then another one ate the bait? Does that count? What if I glanced at the FFS to find a bait ball, and then casted in the general direction? Does that count? What if I caught it on BFS gear while looking directly at it on FFS? Does the BFS cancel out the FFS? From what I hear, that might actually be worth extra credit.

Imagine asking that question back when guys were just learning basic 2D sonar in the 70s:



At some point, they're all just tools. The fish doesn't give a shit which one you used.

[otaymichael]

Nice art buddy! ;/)