Birmingham, Alabama – The Bass Anglers Sportsmen Society (BASS) announced Wednesday, September 4, that it will not ban the employ of live sonar for the 2025 season. Instead, anglers in its Bassmaster Elite Series AND Classical bassist they must now follow recent equipment standardization rules that set what the organization calls “guardrails” on what and to what extent anglers using forward-looking sonar technology can employ.
The organization stated that Elite and Classic competitors will now only be allowed to have one live pickup. In song published on the Bassmasters websiteJames Hall, editor-in-chief of Bassmaster magazine, said that – based on an extensive review of the equipment used by competitive anglers – that’s four fewer than some anglers and two fewer than most.
“(It) creates a level playing field. This eliminates the ability for anglers to cover wide areas using transom-mounted live transducers to observe the lake at high speeds. Now bass modeling is a must. You have to understand fishing patterns and seasonality to know where to start,” said Hall, who served on the organization’s technology committee.
MORE FISHING REPORTS IN OUTDOOR NEWS:
Teenage boys spring into action to save a sinking yellow lab during a fishing trip in Minnesota
The Minnesota DNR is making changes to its muskie breeding program
Young New York anglers qualify for the 2025 National High School Championships
The recent regulations also only allow transducers designed for freshwater. Additionally, the recent regulations prohibit the employ of transom-mounted trolling motors and limit the total screen size to 55 inches.
“Live sonar legally helps people catch more fish. Elite Series professionals are the best instructors in the world. “I believe that by standardizing live sonar technology and adding some limiting components to its use, we will see the best of both worlds: old science for finding fish and novel ways of catching them,” Hall wrote.
