all tournament circuits will have individually tailored policies governing the use of live sonar
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mlf to implement new forward-facing sonar rules in 2025
all tournament circuits will have individually tailored policies governing the use of live sonar
By Mitchell Forde
It ’ s no secret that the proliferation of forward-facing sonar has revolutionized tournament bass fishing . More than any other advancement in recent memory , the technology has accelerated anglers ’ understanding of bass behavior and unlocked new ways to catch them — to the point that , if competitors aren ’ t staring at sonar screens , they often haven ’ t been able to keep pace .
As a result , forward-facing sonar has become a divisive subject among fishing fans and anglers . Major League Fishing addressed the issue with a series of policies that will take effect starting in 2025 . These rules , which are tailored to each of the seven tournament circuits under the MLF umbrella , will continue to allow anglers to showcase the fishcatching power of forward-facing sonar while also highlighting versatility at the highest levels of the sport .
“ We ’ re not anti-forward-facing , we ’ re not negative toward the creation of technology ,” said MLF President and CEO Boyd Duckett . “ We are negative toward single-dimensional angling . So , we attempted to find a way to incorporate forward-facing in such a way that it becomes part of our sport but doesn ’ t dominate our sport .”
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Across all levels of MLF competition , anglers will only be allowed two forward-facing or 360-degree sonar transducers on their boats . In addition , no graph screens may extend more than 25 inches from the seat or more than 18 inches from the floor of the front deck while an angler ’ s boat is on plane . Those restrictions will standardize equipment and address some of the safety concerns that have emerged from anglers cramming more and more technology onto their boats .
As for how anglers are allowed to deploy forward-facing sonar , it will look a bit different at each level .
bass pro tour ’ s “ one period rule ”
During Bass Pro Tour competition , pros will be allowed to utilize forward-facing / 360-degree sonar during one of the three periods in each competition day . An icon on SCORE- TRACKER ® will show MLFNOW ! viewers which anglers are using the technology , who has already used it and who can still access it . Duckett believes that will not only encourage diversity among the competitors but make their strategies more compelling .
“ Now you have , so to speak , a ‘ turbo-boost period ’ that should be very intriguing to the fans ,” Duckett said . “ So , you take someone like Drew Gill , who is probably the best in the world at this technique , and it ’ s going to be fun for all the fans — we want to see Drew ’ s skillset . We want to see him dominate the field during this period , and then we also want to see how he survives those other two periods . Conversely , we want to see Mark Davis , who is one of the best natural anglers on the planet , continue to compete when technology is limited , and can those techniques that he has honed over the years carry him through a turbo-boost period .”
Bass Pro Tour anglers will still be allowed to use forward-facing sonar during practice . Those rules apply to all seven regular-season events plus REDCREST . General Tire Heavy Hitters and the General Tire Team Series represent an exception . With all anglers competing in league-issued boats in those events , forward-facing sonar use will not be limited .
MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2024