I think someone needs to point out in this thread that Ben and Beadle are 2 of the best fishermen in the state and were catching boat loads of fish long before getting a LS. Combine the knowledge they already had with the LS technology and the result is that they catch even more. But don't get the idea that all the average yahoo needs to do is to buy a LS and he will immediately become a master fishermen. I can promise you that it doesn't work that way.

For the average fisherman, somebody like me, live bait is a miles more effective technique than using a LS. You don't have to know much at all to land a bunch of bass if you have a bucket of spottail minnows. But give that average guy a LS and he will likely catch fewer fish with it than he would without it. The reason for that is he will waste a lot of time trying to catch fish that won't bite. And a lot of times they won't even be the target species. I've had a LS a couple of years now, try to fish once a week on a 4-6 hour trip, and I am not sure I have yet learned enough that I catch more bass with it than I did without it. I am certain that I catch smaller fish; the bigger ones don't run in the schools that are chasing bait, so I'm not fishing where they are when using the LS. The last few trips we have done a lot better by ignoring the LS and just fishing, but I still can't resist wasting time when I see one on the screen.

The real controversy about the LS is it's use in the major tournaments on TV. Watching someone else fish with a LS when you can't see their screen is about as boring as it gets. If they ban them, it won't be because they are catching too many fish, it will be because people quit watching the show.

I fish for the fun of it, and fishing with a LS is a lot of fun to me. I've always enjoyed any sort of sight fishing, and while it isn't exactly the same, it's still very interesting to me. It's definitely more effective for me for crappie fishing than for bass; I can see the schools and catch them at times besides the spring now. I don't keep any more fish than I ever did, but now I carry home more crappie instead of bass. I would think most would consider that a good thing.

To show how accomplished I've become with it, I was bass fishing around bait last fall and we kept seeing big stripers swim by the bait I wasted a lot of time trying to catch one and finally hooked one on a BFS reel with 5 lb line. Fought him for about 20 minutes and my partner finally netted him. He weighed 18 pounds, but maybe I am not so good at identifying the species.

I’m not a great fisherman or own a nice boat but also am not hating on those who do spend that kind of money on a rig or electronics
I mean it’s just an observation that it can’t be good for the sport of bass fishing and probably not good for the survival of fish in our lakes and rivers. I mean if everyone had thier catch rate go up like y’all who are fortunate enough that has one or two or three screens on thier boat I just don’t see that being a good thing

I mean they done ruined college football. Now fishing. Can’t have nothing.

It does seem like the bigger fish I catch on LS are singles or doubles out floating In the middle of the creek most of the time. I'm also not the biggest live scoper there is either I can catch fish with it but I usually get bored after an hour or two and I want to go swim a jig or throw a big swimbait. I think the advancement hlthat has helped fishermen the most is fluorocarbon line. I took a buddy that has ms live bait fishing about a month ago he had mono on his spinning rod I had flouro. I could watch the bass swim up to his bait and not eat it. I could pitch to that fish and he would eat immediately.

Sounds like that fluorocarbon line will help anglers catch more fish and then deplete the resources.

Unsporting! Ban it! Waaaaa! You'll catch all the mama egg fish! We need to go back to nylon and Pikie Darters! Waaaaaa!

Don’t see the comparison lol.
I mean tungsten weights 10 bucks Ok. Fluorocarbon line 30 bucks.
Ffs sonar. 20-30. K. Up to 50k in electronics. Or at least that’s what Randy Blaukat claims some in professional bass spend
Whatever floats your boat though. Really none of my business though

Don’t see the comparison lol.
I mean tungsten weights 10 bucks Ok. Fluorocarbon line 30 bucks.
Ffs sonar. 20-30. K. Up to 50k in electronics. Or at least that’s what Randy Blaukat claims some in professional bass spend
Whatever floats your boat though. Really none of my business though

So is Gerald Swindle also a dumb sob also?

It's a great tool that's for sure, I'm fortunate to be able to own it. I'm single, I keep my bills paid, so I splurged a year ago and bought it. What I've learned since I've had it, is some I catch, some I don't. It has helped me get on fish; a lot quicker than without it. I say that but, I already was pretty quick by using side scan. I would ease along and find structure, and when I see all the little white dots in the structure, I'd mark it, chuck out a buoy and fish catching some. Now, I still pretty much to the same, except I can now be more precise with my bait and catch a few more than what I was and a few bigger ones too. I can now see them big uns laying up in that thicket and ease my bait on in there to him, if I don't get hung up, lol! I've also just got pissed off at them too, lol!

I don't bass fish and frankly despise all those tournaments whether it's bass, bream or crappie. I don't have any competitive nature about me at all. Too much fussing, too much pride, too much worship, too much of driving the cost up on fishing in general. It wouldn't bother me if they out lawed all of them.

Like Preacher said, I don't keep any more than I always did before FFS. I'm just an ol country boy that likes to hunt, fish, ride the dirt roads and eat a little of the bounty I was blessed with.

Is it an unfair advantage? in my opinion no. Everyone has the same opportunity to buy one or not. The ones that say not everyone can afford to have it, well then let's quit telling all the ones that say they are oppressed by the white man and don't have the same opportunity, that they do. All you got do is apply yourself, work for it, pray about it, do what it takes to get you one.