the sonar module box and perhaps a “ network box ” must be connected to each unit as well .
Did I mention the multiple transducer cables that must also be run neatly down the trolling motor shaft ? Some pros actually run another pole or “ turret ” to attach extra transducers . Those cables must find their way to the units , too . Also , that 36-volt trolling motor is going to need some juice as well .
When it ’ s all said and done , there might be as many as 10 to 15 wires / cables running up through the bow cover . Some of these units require so much power , pros have gone to a dedicated battery for their electronics only . That brings the sum total of power supply to a cranking battery , a couple of trolling motor batteries and a battery for the electronics . Looks like a bigger charger might be in the cards as well , but you get the idea .
Basically , with just electronics alone , an angler is managing enough power
ILLUSTRATION BY JOE MAHLER and network connections to keep a small town up and running .
In all , it ’ s a symphony of cords , boxes , units and batteries . With that comes the obligation to know the locations , functions , directions and connections of this conglomerate in order to troubleshoot it should something fail .
Most pros either rig these components themselves or are a close witness to how marine rigging shops do it . Some even take the extra time to label every single wire with a professional label maker so they know exactly what they ’ re dealing with in the heat of battle . Issues with these complex setups are usually something minor – a loose connection , a kinked wire – so knowing the blueprint to the whole system can produce a quick fix .
the information flow
Once this sophisticated symphony is in synch , pros then must fine tune their electronics through a myriad of settings and screen configurations that fit their need for information flow from the units .
One of those information flows will be dedicated to mapping . Digital mapping is a huge part of the competitive fishing equation . Electronic and mapping companies procure their own mapping SD cards for major tournament lakes . Depending on the lake , some brands of cards will differ from others in terms of detail .
The solution , of course , is to own a couple different mapping SD cards for each lake . However , mapping does not end there . With each tournament , pros initiate hundreds of individual waypoints . A single season of touring can generate a thousand or more waypoints . Five years of touring can generate 6,000 to 8,000 waypoints . Keep accumulating all those waypoints into new units year after year and it can make for a tremendous juggernaut of unruly waypoints eating up memory in units .
Mapping and waypoint management alone is a part-time job for fulltime pros . While it could be argued that waypoint management is not really technology management , I will add that companies also have mapping and waypoint management software for laptops and mobile devices that allow pros to organize their waypoints into individual files and onto SD cards . Hence , some pros dedicate entire SD cards to specific lakes . This leads to dozens of mapping and waypoints cards finding their way into SD card organizers , each neatly labeled for quick reference .
lights , cameras , action !
Tech management , however , does not stop there . These days pros are required to run their own POV cameras in accordance with the rules of tournament trails . In addition , pro anglers have also become self-producers of their video efforts for YouTube and social media . This leads to an entirely different realm of technology management where multiple POV cameras are used to capture content during a day of fishing .
These cameras require plenty of TLC throughout the day in terms of powering and positioning for the best footage . This yields hours of content that must be gathered , labeled , edited and rendered . Bring in more SD cards and hard drives !
Finally , as if there isn ’ t enough on their tech plate already , now the onus of weighing fish and self-reporting weights is beginning to fall on anglers more as well . This is mostly for unofficial realtime leaderboards used in tournament reporting .
Thankfully , the BUBBA Smart Scale has made this chore as easy as possible . The BUBBA Scale is a digital weigh scale that also functions as a GPS , culling system and tournament scoring device when integrated with the BUBBA app on an angler ’ s phone . All this information is sent to a tournament administrator , who can keep up with a field of anglers ’ weights and locations , rendering realtime scoring of the field .
But as easy as BUBBA scales make it , the angler must still initiate these inputs to get the ball rolling .
I ’ m not saying you need to be a graduate of MIT to be a professional angler these days . However , I think most true technology managers in any field would be surprised by the sheer amount of technology management that goes into a day of bass fishing for the top pros in the sport .
APRIL-MAY 2024 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 19