Addressing Common Forward Facing Sonar Criticisms

New technology is inevitable. Humans naturally find ways to make tasks easier and fishing is no exception. With new technology comes criticism and with criticism comes resistance. Some people do have legitimate concerns of technology surpassing regulation. Some simply need a scapegoat for their failure to adapt. It can be difficult to adapt to technology, I will admit even I sometimes struggle myself. Some people like to be outraged (and as a side note, my most viewed articles are based on outrage) and know it sells well.

I will preface that I tend to embrace technology a bit more than most. I am far from an expert angler and definitely not a tournament angler but I do have forward facing sonar myself and use it quite a bit. I do think that some criticism comes from a place of ignorance and I’d like to offer my thoughts on common talking points. A lot of this will apply to any innovative technology in fishing.

Makes Fishing Too Easy

I often hear it being called spotlighting. This is a hunting term where a powerful light is directed at animals at night, effectively stunning them and making them easy to shoot. People claim that forward facing sonar finds fish and can be sniped instantly. Some claim that it takes all the skill out of finding the fish.

When we first get onto a lake, we have to decide where we want to fish. Even with the massive forward facing sonar beam, it is merely a flashlight in a dense forest. We have to start by determining a likely area. Let’s say the walleyes are on mid-lake reefs. So we have to find those reefs first. Once we actually get to those reefs, we can finally start to scan for them. Then we still need the fundamentals to present baits properly. Also perhaps that mark we’ve been trying to entice for the last five minutes was a sucker. We should have moved on from that mark but we had to try. Technology does play a part in providing us with information but it’s a lot smaller than most think. It does make people better at fishing in the long run but it’s not going to make someone go from zero to hero in an instant.

The only times where I will say it does make things a lot easier (in my experience) is ice fishing and open water crappies. Ice fishing is highly limited by lack of mobility so getting as much information from one hole is greatly appreciated. Crappies in open basins are hard to find unless you can drive over them with your 2D sonar. In general fish that do not relate to structure will be a lot easier to catch with forward facing sonar.

Even if it does make things a lot easier, isn’t it human nature to find ways to make tasks easier? It just seems silly that some people want some things to stay hard to do while utilizing technology in other aspects of life.

Takes the Fun Out of Fishing

Some people do believe that fishing is meant to be mysterious and every catch is meant to be a surprise. I don’t completely disagree with that. Feeling a strike out of nowhere gives fishing a bit of a shock factor.

Now fun is pretty subjective. Some people do like the mystery. Though some people do find seeing fish on a screen and enticing it to be fun as well. Some people just like to see a rod bent.

Fortunately there is a pretty easy solution to this. You do whatever you please and let others be. Nobody is forcing you to fish a certain way and I certainly hope that you do the same.

It’ll Ruin Fisheries

I can see this being a concern as the improved ability of anglers will lead to more fish caught. Though if people are going to use this concern, it should be backed by facts.

For me personally, I don’t think I have put a significant amount more fish on the table because of it. Even when I seek out fish for dinner, I probably keep the same limit of fish. I generally never really had a problem limiting out when I wanted to even in the pre-FFS days. Again, maybe that’s because myself and a lot of the angler base has not really figured out how to optimize forward facing sonar yet.

That being said, if there is strong evidence that fisheries are actually being ruined, daily and possession limits should be modified accordingly. It’s been done many times to account for overexploitation and it will be done if they deem it necessary in the future.

Fishing Has Become More Pay to Win

The price tag of a forward facing sonar setup is pretty high which does lead to people getting the idea that fishing has become a rich man’s game.

I think we really have to acknowledge that success in general is determined by how much you can spend. Bigger boats can handle rougher water and travel faster. Better trolling motors mean that you can stay on fish better. Lithium batteries will power electronics longer. Electronics are part of the equation but are far from the only factor. We have to accept that it has been the reality for a long time and we’re far from reversing that trend.

There is some hope for budget anglers though. As time passes, electronic companies will innovate to bring prices down. We are seeing this happen right now for example with the Lowrance Eagle Eye 9 which costs a mere $999 USD.

A Word on Opposition

At the end of the day, we have to remember that a lot of online opinions are not necessarily a representation of the whole angler base. People who complain tend to be more vocal than those who don’t. Many people on the internet post without thinking things thoroughly. Many people who are making these opinions don’t even own a forward facing sonar unit. Some content creators benefit from creating outrage as it sells well.

In the end, we need to all form our own opinions by critically thinking and doing our own research. Don’t simply follow the opinions of a high profile influencer or the general hivemind. In my opinion, just do you want provided that it’s legal and you’re respecting the resource. Ignore the netizens who want to impose their opinions on your use of technology.