top pros are "cheating" with advanced technologies

I read Rick Clun's article about fishing awareness in the recent Bassmaster magazine. He mentioned one young pro didn't do well in a tourny. The given reason is his GPS honey holes didn't produce fish on tournament days. My thoughts are with Mr Clun. I think the advanced technologies give Pro fisherman an unfair edge on fish. They fished few regular lakes and rivers every year. Everyone of them have GPS sweet spots matched up with different conditions year after year. They have 360 degree fish finder. They can deploy power pole shallow anchor. They can blazing on the water at 70MPH. Oh， do I mention that they have a trolling motor called auto pilot? The two main elements I don't like to see are GPS and advanced sonar system in competition. What's up with these equipment? Point A doesn't have fish let's move to point B, Point C...It is all preset. It feels like "cheating“ to me. Of course it is not cheating because everyone else is using the same technologies. Personally, I think the old timer bass pros have more talent than the ones running on stage now.

Last edited by willy68 on Thu Nov 07, 2013 4:15 pm; edited 1 time in total

I read Rick Clun's article about fishing awareness in the recent Bassmaster magazine. He mentioned one young pro didn't do well in a tourny. The given reason is his GPS honey holes didn't produce fish on tournament days. My thoughts are with Mr Clun. I think the advanced technologies give Pro fisherman an unfair edge on fish. They fished few regular lakes and rivers every year. Everyone of them have GPS sweet spots matched up with different conditions year after year. They have 360 degree fish finder. They can deploy power pole shallow anchor. They can blazing on the water at 70MPH. The two main elements I don't like to see is GPS and advanced sonar system in competition. What's up with these equipment? Point A doesn't have fish let's move to point B, Point C...It is all preset. It feels like "cheating“ to me. Of course it is not cheating because everyone else is using the same technologies. Personally, I think the old timer bass pros have more talent than the ones running on stage now.

When potentially millions of dollars on the line I am using everything I possibly can and twice on Sunday.

You dont like using it fine dont during fun fishing, but if your in a tourney and thats how you make a living you have to take advantage of every one that is given to you.

I understand what you say. Looking for fish is the most difficult part of job. I would like to see them compete without GPS, without advanced sonar system. See what they can produce.


"When potentially millions of dollars on the line I am using everything I possibly can and twice on Sunday.

You dont like using it fine dont during fun fishing, but if your in a tourney and thats how you make a living you have to take advantage of every one that is given to you.[/quote]"

It is crazy how technology has changed the way we fish...



Then again there's some that still do fine without any of it...


A topic worthy of discussion.


Defiantly hard to say.. With the craze of it all it's hard to deny those top guys.. When it comes to this type of fishing people will do whatever as long as the confidence is there. Especially when you got the edge on others.

IMO it's kinda a overkill for competition.. I'd respect a guy more who doesn't use any electronics then a guy whos got some crazy 9D Sonar and can see everyone pebble on the bottom..

In the long run you still gotta catch those fish even if your on top of em.

Everyone in the Elites are there because they love fishing. You need a fish finder and trolling motor anyway. Mine as well be the best there is.

I think I would feel differently if there wasn't top pros doing terrible in every single event with all the said technology.

This post seems to be focused on electronics, so I may be off subject and off point here - but I'll bet your rod and reel is considered "advanced technology" and maybe even "cheating" by some folks.

Check out Tenkara fishing where there is no high-tech precision reel, or bushcraft where they build their own rod with no reel like some of us remember doing when we were kids, using bamboo or other suitable materials (not the high tech graphite) that they find in the field, or hand-line fishing which requires neither a rod or a high tech reel; or "uncle steve fishing" on you tube who uses only the cheapest of equipment available. All very fine fishing techniques that don't employ anywhere near the technology that I bet is in the arsenal of most folks on MAFF. In most cases we can get by with far less. But the old addage "he who dies with the most toys wins" seems to have changed to "he who does with the most coolest toys wins", where coolest means high-tech.

What makes the difference maybe is the goal: tournament fishermen want the $$; fly-fishermen want the peace; bushcraft men simply want to survive....

Just a thought

Last edited by tacklesmith on Thu Nov 07, 2013 6:52 pm; edited 2 times in total

I agree with much that has been said and all the cool new toys and advanced technology is a product of society and the world today. I think of golf now a days compared to 20 or 30 years ago...new materials, lighter clubs, weighted clubs, distance finders...ect- not the same as it was for Sam Snead or Arnold Palmer. But it still takes the operator whether it be in golf or fishing to produce the end result. As the games change with technology so do the competitors....I guess everything can be considered fair when it's available to all but some obviously can't afford the new gadgets and gizmo's.

I'm old school in both golf and fishing in terms of technology and electronics. I stick with what works...maybe because I like things simple and I enjoy the adventure of searching for fish on my own. At the end of the day it's a choice we all have.......

They all have the ability to use the same equipment. You still have to catch the fish at the end of the day. You still have to figure out what will get you the MOST, QUALITY, bites. I am sure way back when, when trolling motors 1st came out and the 1st depth finders ( flashers) came out , there were guys saying the same thing.... lets see em catch fish without a tm or without the flasher.

I feel like it makes it more difficult for people to break in. It's probably easier for a rich kid who's dad bought him a nitro and all the best gear when he was 12. Having more practice with all of it than anyone else. Where as there might be someone who would have been a spectacular fisherman but only has the budget for a canoe.

The biggest unfair advantage is GPS. It can literally mark a stump on way point. Heck, years ago I used to do door to door sales. Simply study paper map, I drove in darkness looking for street name and house number in a totally strange environment. Now, I can't got anywhere unfamiliar without my GPS. See, some ability is lost and technology took over.

I am not saying being a Pro is easy. I think the bass fishing circuit have too much commercial stuff involved. It is a double edge sword, without the sponsors we don't have Pros and we don't have something to look after. Reading Bass Master article "A Day On The Lake“，put a pro on a totally strange lake (with no GPS info), you see they don't well most of the time. The only thing amaze me is that they can produce a kicker fish most of the time.

Its not an advantage if they all have it. Its a tool and It helps but I think you dont give enough credit to just good fishing ability. I have done well at new lakes and I am no pro and dont use good electronics. Good fisherman are good fisherman. I know guys with top of the line electronics that are never in the money as well.

Sorry，what I try to say is a big advantage over the fish. It is like a hunter hunting a GPS traceable animal. To every competitor is a fair game.

Its not an advantage if they all have it. Its a tool and It helps but I think you dont give enough credit to just good fishing ability. I have done well at new lakes and I am no pro and dont use good electronics. Good fisherman are good fisherman. I know guys with top of the line electronics that are never in the money as well.

Fishing keeps getting harder and harder. If you do a search and find pics of the very beginnings of professional bass fishing tournies, there were 15 fish limits and the limits were filled with 7,8,9,and 10lbers. The fish are not as plentiful and the ones that are there are more shy and conditioned to seeing many baits. catching was wayyyyyyyyyyyyy easier back then.

if you read Rick Clun's article in the most recent Bassmaster, he said if he had a power pole, he would win classic two or three times more back then.

Fishing keeps getting harder and harder. If you do a search and find pics of the very beginnings of professional bass fishing tournies, there were 15 fish limits and the limits were filled with 7,8,9,and 10lbers. The fish are not as plentiful and the ones that are there are more shy and conditioned to seeing many baits. catching was wayyyyyyyyyyyyy easier back then.

if you read Rick Clun's article in the most recent Bassmaster, he said if he had a power pole, he would win classic two or three times more back then.

Fishing keeps getting harder and harder. If you do a search and find pics of the very beginnings of professional bass fishing tournies, there were 15 fish limits and the limits were filled with 7,8,9,and 10lbers. The fish are not as plentiful and the ones that are there are more shy and conditioned to seeing many baits. catching was wayyyyyyyyyyyyy easier back then.

And if guys before Rick Clun had trolling motors insted of having to anchor up, or had lazer sharp hooks or had tungsten weights, braided lline, florocarbon, knew what a carolina rig was, a drop shot, ect, ect