MLF Announces FFS Restrictions for 2025 Season

[Glenn]

Full story:

https://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_123/mf-ffs-2025-9624.html

[bowhunter63]

I like the one out 3 periods. Seems like a fair deal for both sides 

[F14A-B]

I had really wanted to fish the BFL next year, I’ve been waiting on this ruling..

 

Not going to do it though, a couple guys I know have been really unlucky on draws. You pay for co-angler participation then tip your boater for obvious reasons but with FFS it’s not worth it. Not everyone is gung ho about FFS but most are. Bummer. 

[Tennessee Boy]

I’m looking forward to watching this play out even if it is a little hokey.

 

If it works out maybe MLB should consider allowing aluminum bats in the 2nd and 5th innings. 😆

 

[gim]

I like the restriction in high school events. The younger generation should learn how to fish too, not just scope.

[Chris Cavanaugh]

Get rid of it on tournament days completely but this should show a difference beween periods for less skilled guys. I guess time will tell. IMO your a pro go catch fish with your boat and motor. Use all electronics during practice then total blackout during tournament days. 

[GReb]

The strategy around this will be interesting and good for tv. And sonar will be discussed heavily throughout entire broadcast which is good for brands.

 

If a guy catches 20 pounds in period 1 and 2 without FFS and then catches 50 pounds in period 3 with it the brands will be able to say “see! It’s worth $2000” lol

[king fisher]

I read the rules, and I don't think they made it complicated enough.  They should include if your middle name has more than four letters, you can use half a screen for 37 minutes only if the moon is within 3 days either side of full, if the moon is 3 days either side of new, then anglers with  middle names with less than four letters can use half a screen for 37 minutes.  During any other moon phase any angler can use FFS full screen for 5 minuets, then half screen for seven, followed by unlimited screen as long as angler views screen with a mirror while facing opposite direction.

 

Toyota series anglers have the same rules but in completer reverse.

 

High School anglers can only use FFS while accompanied by an adult.  Adult must be over 21 years of age, and prove they can down load 5 fishing videos on a cell phone or computer in under an hour solo.

 

A test will be given before each event to prove each angler understands the rules.  Test will be 20 questions, and a score of 98% will be required to participate in any MFL event.  A polygraph will also be administered to each angler to prove they did not cheat on the rules test.  Any one failing the polygraph will not be allowed to use FFS. unless the moon is full, and it is between 13:21 and 15:52 Greenwich England time.  

[Koz]

10 hours ago, F14A-B said:

I had really wanted to fish the BFL next year, I’ve been waiting on this ruling..

 

Not going to do it though, a couple guys I know have been really unlucky on draws. You pay for co-angler participation then tip your boater for obvious reasons but with FFS it’s not worth it. Not everyone is gung ho about FFS but most are. Bummer. 

That’s why I quit fishing both the Phoenix and Toyota series. Heck, we have a Super Event on one of my home lakes in two weeks and the MLF brass are staying at my hotel, but I won’t fish the event.

 

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy FFS and have it on my kayak. But it makes for a miserable experience as a co-angler.

 

MLF could clear this up if they would define their rule that states boaters must not inhibit co-anglers.

 

I have asked MLF to define this and provide examples but it has fallen on deaf ears.

 

I’ll stick with my kayak tournaments.

 

Edit: The recent survey conducted by MLF showed that almost unanimously, co-anglers wanted FFS banned in co-angler events. MLF rejected that. Good luck finding enough co-anglers. Boaters are not going to be happy when they start pairing up boaters to equalize the field.

[Susky River Rat]

@Koz I agree in a co angler situation there should not be the use of FFS.

I am willing to bet that most of the winning weight will come from the FFS period.

 

 

[gulfcaptain]

1 hour ago, Susky River Rat said:

@Koz I agree in a co angler situation there should not be the use of FFS.

I am willing to bet that most of the winning weight will come from the FFS period.

 

 

Then be a boater and step up, don't complain about what the guy who spent $$$$ on his boat wants to do. You're there for pennies compared to him. I fished as a co 2 times,  that was enough for me to decide I will put fate in my own hands good or bad.  And I'm sorry you get paired with someone who's efficient at running the bank with trolling motor on high, bud you ain't got a shot either. Or runs spot to spot 5 casts and done.....you're along for the ride. 

[Susky River Rat]

@gulfcaptain I have a boat first off. Second if you were a series promoter and you gained revenue by having co anglers you should want to fill that field as well. Which they are having issues with because nobody wants to be stuck with someone in the middle of the lake scoping. From a pure promoter side of things it’s a terrible idea. 

[Tennessee Boy]

Everyone uses technology differently so these restrictions will affect each angler differently.   The MLF restrictions would have the greatest impact on the way I fish compared to NPFL.   I would much rather fish all day with only 360 than 1/3 of the day with 360 and FFS.  

[Koz]

2 hours ago, gulfcaptain said:

Then be a boater and step up, don't complain about what the guy who spent $$$$ on his boat wants to do. You're there for pennies compared to him. I fished as a co 2 times,  that was enough for me to decide I will put fate in my own hands good or bad.  And I'm sorry you get paired with someone who's efficient at running the bank with trolling motor on high, bud you ain't got a shot either. Or runs spot to spot 5 casts and done.....you're along for the ride. 

No, the issue is boaters who fish deep water and spend the day turning in circles and running over the lines of the co-anglers.  Or the boaters who use FFS, see fish in the co-angler quadrants, then spin the boat around and box out the co-angler.

 

It wasn’t so bad last year, but this year was ridiculous if you were a co-angler trying to fish. How bad was it? In the recent MLF survey co-anglers nearly unanimously voted against FFS.

 

In light of the updated rules, MLF needs to end the farce and drop the co-angler or clarify the rules on impeding co-anglers.

[volzfan59]

I agree with @king fisher, leave it to mlf to make a confusing situation even more confusing.

 

#FishingBoatDocks

[TnRiver46]

@volzfan59, I didn’t even attempt to read it , what’s the cliff notes version? 😂 

 

I never understood it before, 6 rounds and some zeroing somewhere, bout like reading my insurance policy 

[Tennessee Boy]

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I never understood it before, 6 rounds and some zeroing somewhere, bout like reading my insurance policy 

You should change insurance companies. 😆

 

The stuff that matters from a fans prospective for the BPT IMHO.

 

Limit of two FFS transducer and 360 counts as FFS.  You can only use them in one of the three periods during the day.  You must declare that you will be using it before the period begins.  
 

I didn’t read the stuff for the other MLF trails.

[gulfcaptain]

10 hours ago, Susky River Rat said:

@gulfcaptain I have a boat first off. Second if you were a series promoter and you gained revenue by having co anglers you should want to fill that field as well. Which they are having issues with because nobody wants to be stuck with someone in the middle of the lake scoping. From a pure promoter side of things it’s a terrible idea. 

I guess where I live fishing 30ft is shallow. And it's a cast away from the bank.  And those that do circles, spin around, chase things down. Sit in the middle....they aren't very good at it then. I get it but you have to realize what you sign up for too.  $100? You carry zero financial risk,and are along for the ride. An angler deliberately does something to impede, file a protest. Remember you're his Marshall.  Don't like it ask to be returned to the ramp, file your motion and btw, his day is over now too. I give mutual respect to the guys in my boat. See 10-20% of both sides are screwing it for the others.  

[gim]

14 hours ago, Koz said:

Good luck finding enough co-anglers. Boaters are not going to be happy when they start pairing up boaters to equalize the field.

Eventually they’ll either run out of co anglers, they’ll change the restrictions, or they’ll have to do exactly what you said, pair up boaters.

 

I can’t imagine boaters are gonna be up for that though.

 

So they’ll be back to square one. Change the rules. I don’t fish as a co angler nor do I fish in tournaments, but I can tell you 100% that I would not be participating if the front boater was scoping all day either.

[Koz]

35 minutes ago, gimruis said:

Eventually they’ll either run out of co anglers, they’ll change the restrictions, or they’ll have to do exactly what you said, pair up boaters.

 

I can’t imagine boaters are gonna be up for that though.

 

So they’ll be back to square one. Change the rules. I don’t fish as a co angler nor do I fish in tournaments, but I can tell you 100% that I would not be participating if the front boater was scoping all day either.

There was at least one tournament in my region this year where the paired up boaters. They had to split time fishing off the bow and the stern.

 

I was looking forward to fishing the tournament on Oconee since my hotel is on that lake. It should be a docks and seawalls event, but it’s not worth the entry fee if you draw a scoper. Boaters don’t care about local knowledge.

[Susky River Rat]

@gulfcaptain see you’re playing both sides of the fence. If I drive 4 hours to fish as a co angler to win money I took a financial risk too. Sure it might be the boat but, I drove my vehicle there got a hotel and am getting my money agains everyone else’s I can beat people. Ending my day ruins all that for me. Where is it in the rule book that as the boater that I can’t sit out and scope all day? That co angler can in theory catch those fish too. They just do not have the same equipment. So what would the protest be of? Well he was scopin all day in the middle of the lake? I do not think that’s going to fly. 

@Koz you don’t need the knowledge. That’s one of people’s biggest argument with FFS.

[Tennessee Boy]

4 hours ago, Susky River Rat said:

@Koz you don’t need the knowledge. That’s one of people’s biggest argument with FFS

Ask yourself this question.   In the B.A.S.S. tournament on Toledo Bend this year why were so many anglers bunched up in one creek?  During the tournament @Catt was on here talking about how much he liked that creek.   Did they scope out all 186,000 acres of the lake and all find the same fish in the same creek?  or did they get local knowledge from locals like @Catt?

8 of the top 10 on the final day.

[Catt]

@Tennessee Boy I can't verify it as fact but I heard some were reading an article, "So Yall Want To Learn Toledo Bend?" on bassresource. 

[J Francho]

^^^^100%

[Team9nine]

2 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Ask yourself this question.   In the B.A.S.S. tournament on Toledo Bend this year why were so many anglers bunched up in one creek?  During the tournament @Catt was on here talking about how much he liked that creek.   Did they scope out all 186,000 acres of the lake and all find the same fish in the same creek?  or did they get local knowledge from locals like @Catt?

8 of the top 10 on the final day.

Don’t know, but I saw where Josh Jones posted to all Bassmaster Elite guys that he is offering to sell all his best waypoints on Fork, Tenkiller and St. Clair (for a price) between now and Jan 1 when the no-info rule goes into effect … and he claims two guys have already jumped on it  🤣 stir that pot!