Launching the satellite
The late 1980s saw the advent of GPS units for use on recreational vessels . Less accurate than models of today , early GPS plotters directed anglers in the general vicinity of their hotspots ( sometimes off by as much as 50 feet ) but were still far better than lining up objects on the bank . Big-water bass anglers embraced GPS more than any other group in the early days . Great Lakes tournament legend Steve Clapper was a pioneer in the use of the new technology .
“ The biggest thing with having a GPS – which made it mandatory in my mind for tournament use – was how much time it saved ,” Clapper posits . “ Prior to that , we often lined up objects on the shoreline , but that took a lot of time . A GPS put you in the area immediately . Plus , we used it on Erie to cross the open lake for the first time and saved run time ; the same happened on Okeechobee . We weren ’ t limited to running the bank or ( threatened with ) getting lost .”
Through the use of GPS , tournament anglers were now able to reduce time spent idling or hunting around for previously discovered spots , increasing efficiency and , again , making the technology vitally import to success .
Sonar technology continued to evolve steadily throughout that period , but it changed dramatically with the introduction of side-imaging units in 2005 . A field-tester at the time for Johnson Outdoors , I was the first angler to use their side-imaging product on Lake Erie , and it forever changed my smallmouth game .
It ’ s important to remember what we had been seeing up until then : a two-dimensional profile of the bottom , directly beneath the boat . With side imaging , I could not only view a larger frame , but I finally saw objects in three-dimensional reality , complete with shadows .
What side imaging gave tournament anglers was efficiency to scan massive areas of bottom and immediately know when they were around bass . Previously , the only way to be certain was to cast . With such “ advanced ” imagery , top anglers began spending the bulk of their day graphing rather than fishing ; covering miles of water each day . The term “ mega-school ” was coined as anglers began to unlock the secrets behind the grouping behaviors of offshore bass , dominating tournaments as a result .
Side imaging ( and its counterpart down imaging ) utilizes higher frequency sonar signals than traditional 2D sonar . It gives anglers the ability to discern objects with greater detail . With such technology , it ’ s possible to pick out fish from the limbs of a submerged tree , for instance .
360 and beyond
Further sonar refinements were made when Humminbird
introduced 360 imaging around 2010 . Anglers now viewed a detailed readout of the bottom , all around the boat . While many tournament pros never adopted the technology , a few have used 360 imaging successfully and rely on it daily .
“ It makes fishing offshore structure just like fishing the bank ,” insists Bryan Thrift , one of the most successful bass tournament anglers of the last decade . “ I can follow a grass line and I can see the turns and pockets and points in the grass , or any object or drain . With 360 , it doesn ’ t matter which way the trolling motor faces ( in contrast to the popular new forwardshooting sonar ), or where I put the boat to hold on structure .” For Thrift , 360 imaging has totally changed his offshore game , making the technology mandatory for keeping ahead of his competitors .
All the major sonar manufacturers produce powerful units , and each brings specific technological advantages to the table . In fact , many pros now use depth finders from numerous companies at once , further outlining the need to take advantage of every detail in order to stay ahead of the competition . A pro may use Garmin for navigation , Lowrance for traditional 2D views and Humminbird units for side imaging and 360 , for example .
In any case , we ’ re witnessing a no-holds-barred time in our sport in terms of technology . Competitive anglers are constantly searching – and often finding – the next big advancement to push them one fish ahead of the rest , just as they ’ ve done for 60 years .
APRIL-MAY 2021 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 25