Electronics

[El jefe]

I'm new here so this may be a dead horse already, but where does it end with bass boat electronics? I'm in my 40's , I can afford what I want but feel bad for the kids getting started.... it's great that college scholarships are becoming more common, high school teams etc, but what the hell? You can't deny that at least on deeper fisheries you are at a disadvantage when you don't have some type of live scope electronics? Some will disagree but I've seen this crap in racing motor sports for years.... I know we're way past flashers and paper maps but it just seems like we took a HUGE leap these last few years in the electronics area of fishing. Guys with 20-30k in electronics on a 100k boat. Crazy.... I'll get off my soap box now lol.

[islandbass]

I agree it’s crazy but there’s always a choice. I choose not to go the bass boat let alone using electronics, lol. I simply don’t want the hassle of storage, upkeep, etc. 

 

With that said, I am not opposed to anyone who chooses to invest what you illustrated very well. More power to them. 
 

I am looking forward to reading the future responses in this thread. Cool topic! ?

[GreenPig]

Same can be said for square footage of a house, horsepower of car/truck/boat motor, boat size, etc. The companies are in it for $'s and folks are buying them, so it's not stopping anytime soon. I actually know folks that drive Ford & Dodge trucks but I don't call them crazy, cause it's their money.?

[Craig P]

I don’t worry about the young without money, we were all young without money at one time. They’ll make their way, we did. 

 

As for the price of electronics and boats, no matter the hobby, they all get expensive when you get up into the nicer equipment. Fishing and boating I do think is on the upper end of that realm unless we all want to get into flying airplanes and helicopters.

 

On the bright side, people can still go to Walmart, grab a $30 rod and reel setup, a container of worms and still catch fish.  Don’t lose sight of where we started. 

[Catt]

Electronics have changed, the bass haven't.

 

There are a lot of local tournaments being won without foward facing sonar.

[DitchPanda]

 I've seen this mentioned a ton on YouTube the past year or so..how we have gone way to far with electronics. Some guys are for live scope to be banned in tournaments even saying it makes fishing to easy. Well if that's true why are the same guys...Jacob Wheeler, Brandon Palaniuk...always dominating? If its that easy anybody should be able to outfish them right? Wrong...still gotta find the right fish, interpret what your looking at and figure out how to make them bite.

 Oh and this notion that you have to have all these electronics is ridiculous. John Cox is 2nd in points in Bassmasters AOY...he is basically a bank beater...very little in the way of electronics on his boat so it can be done.

 Lastly one argument I hear over and over is the real reason these electronics should be banned is because they are so expensive not all tournament guys can afford them. That's absolutely ridiculous. I can afford a new Silverado but my GM can afford a Porsche...should it be illegal for him to buy one since I can't afford it? That's how life works people with more money can afford nicer toys...is there some advantage in that? Yes...does that make it wrong? No. That's just how it is.

[Deleted account]

5 hours ago, El jefe said:

I'm new here so this may be a dead horse already, but where does it end with bass boat electronics? I'm in my 40's , I can afford what I want but feel bad for the kids getting started.... it's great that college scholarships are becoming more common, high school teams etc, but what the hell? You can't deny that at least on deeper fisheries you are at a disadvantage when you don't have some type of live scope electronics? Some will disagree but I've seen this crap in racing motor sports for years.... I know we're way past flashers and paper maps but it just seems like we took a HUGE leap these last few years in the lectronics area of fishing. Guys with 20-30k in electronics on a 100k boat. Crazy.... I'll get off my soap box now lol.

It's gonna be ok Randy, It's gonna be ok...

"Being put at a disadvantage" because of economics is and has been a thing since the beginning of time, has nothing to do with fishing. We could go the way of NASCAR with fishing restrictor plates, or now with basically everyone running the same rigs dictated by the rules, I don't like it.

[scaleface]

My suggestion has been {and I'm the only person who has liked it } is one unit at the console and one at the bow . Choose whatever .

[Tennessee Boy]

I can’t fish in a kayak tournament because I don’t have a kayak and they won’t let me use my bass boat.  I’m okay with that.  
 

Start a club or tournament trail with any restrictions you like and see how many like minded people will join.

[Captain Phil]

2 hours ago, Craig P said:

I don’t worry about the young without money, we were all young without money at one time. They’ll make their way, we did. 

 

Having money when you are young is a handicap not a blessing.  Without it, you learn what it takes to make your own way in life without relying on someone else.  

 

The value of fishing electronics is greatly exaggerated.  Sure you can see fish, but it doesn't catch them for you.  TV fishermen and fishing shows are sponsored by companies that want you to buy their products.   They want you to believe you need a $100K bass boat with a motor bigger than your truck engine, $4K in power poles and enough electronics to launch a mission to Mars.   All this to catch fish less that 30 inches long?  When I was a kid, bass were the poor man's sport fish.  I knew people who fished without shoes who could catch bass better than 99% of today's fishermen.  The first time I saw Shaw Grigsby, he was fishing barefoot.  The last time I saw him, he was fishing in a trailer park marina where he won a national tournament.  He didn't need a TV to tell him where to fish.

 

My boat has two pieces of electronics, one in the dash and one on the bow.  Neither one cost over $500 and they tell me all I need to know. 

[Deleted account]

17 minutes ago, Captain Phil said:

 

Having money when you are young is a handicap not a blessing.  Without it, you learn what it takes to make your own way in life without relying on someone else.

Tom Brady was just talking that nonsense. 

[Captain Phil]

1 hour ago, Deleted account said:

Tom Brady was just talking that nonsense. 

 

Practically all the people I knew who made out well in life started out with no money.   Practically none of them had college degrees or parents that funded them beyond high school.  I have known more than one who was the son of a millionaire who lost everything they had.  Most of them were very unhappy as they tried to live up to their father's legacy.  True happiness is growing old knowing what you did you did well and without anyone's help.    

[LrgmouthShad]

7 hours ago, GreenPig said:

I actually know folks that drive Ford & Dodge trucks but I don't call them crazy, cause it's their money.?

I’ll put my Ranger up against any one of y’all’s trucks ?

[gim]

Seems like electronics have really advanced in technology the past few years. I can’t afford to upgrade my 4 year old units. And I honestly don’t really fully even utilize all the features on my current ones either. I’m not a tournament angler and I don’t have the desire to be. I’ll stick to what I have.

[Jig Man]

Is there a point here somewhere?

[Deleted account]

3 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

I’ll put my Ranger up against any one of y’all’s trucks ?

The old Mazda one, absolutely! 

57 minutes ago, Jig Man said:

Is there a point here somewhere?

Opposite the eye...

[WRB]

The forward looking scanning live scope technology is adopted from off shore salt water anglers who spend millions on their equipment. The fresh water bass anglers can now afford this technology.

Money can’t buy skill and intuitive knowledge and agree it’s a quantum leap from 2D sonar in the hands of skilled knowledgeable anglers.

The spot lock TM technology is another big advantage for today’s bass anglers.

Sponsorship is the answer for young tournament anglers or family support.

Tom

[El jefe]

No point, just conversation. I don't care how anyone spends their money but just wondering if they will ever put a limit on it like they do with engine HP? 

[Catt]

4 hours ago, WRB said:

Money can’t buy skill and intuitive knowledge

 

Ability & skill vs Hopes & dreams

 

[Captain Phil]

Progress is a good thing.  Before flashers the only way to know water depth was with a pole.  If you have never tried to find fish with a flasher, you don't know what you are missing.   About the only thing it would tell you is there was something down there.  Some people claimed they could interpret a bunch of light lines as fish.  I never could.  Still, it was better than running aground. 

 

Spot lock is probably the most useful new electronic feature.  My son uses it when fishing for inshore salt water fish and he finds it invaluable.  It can hold position against the strongest tide.   My Lowrance units both have GPS which I hardly ever use because I know where everything is.  If I fish somewhere new, it does help me get back to the ramp.  Here in Florida, all I really need to know is depth.   No sense in looking at the bottom because it's mostly featureless. Things are way different in a reservoir or a lake with bottom structure.  

[FrnkNsteen]

I agree that electronics have gotten a little ridiculous, but if people want them and are willing to pay for them, the companies are going to continue to make them, as they should!

 

The part that irritates me is the ridiculous cost of everything. I can buy a 65" 4K tv for less than a $1k. So why does the same technology I can buy in a 7" screen for $599 - $799 cost me $2500 - $4000 for a 12" - 15"? Personal choice though. I just choose not to pay it. I have a 10" at the console and a 7" up front until I can justify another 10 x 12",... Or when they are available.

 

That being said,... I was watching Major League Fishing or Elite series and was very surprised when one of the commentators came on and said "We have gotten a lot of feedback from our viewers saying they are tired of watching fisherman fish their sonars like a video game, and we get it, so this tournament has been brought to lake xxxx (don't remember the lake name) because its a shallow stump filled lake with big bass, so sonars won't play a part and you'll see some old school bass fishing."

 

Sounds like more than a few people have issues with the live scopes.