Yes.

40 years ago, heck even 30-35 years ago, you could catch 12-14 pounds a day every day and probably make the Bassmaster Classic. A 20- or 25-pound bag was pretty sweet. I've heard, and talked with, Clunn about this. Back then the Classic was the biggest achievement, both getting into it and then winning it. Twelve or 14 a day, every day of the tournaments, probably would put you in the show.

After the early 1990s when Van Dam, Yelas and that era landed, the weights started increasing. Not gigantically, but enough to make that "catch 12 a day" deal be fairly irrelevant. Bed fishing became more of a thing. Newer techniques and equipment. It was a natural evolution.

Now, we're seeing KVD, Yelas, Ike and the others from the 90s, 2000s and 2010s being supplanted by the new crew and new equipment. Two guys caught more than 100 pounds at Santee. The talk about LiveScope aside ... catching 100 pounds with 20 bass still is pretty remarkable. Two guys did it in one tournament.

Take away LiveScope and we'll go back five years. They were catching 100 pound 4-day weights "back then." Heck, Van Dam caught 70 pounds or whatever it was in three days to win the 2011 Classic and was throwing back 5-pounders. I talked with him about that and he said he could tell how big it was by the way it bit and felt when he set the hook. Said it was one of his most amazing days ever. No scope-scan sonar or anything.

Weights are up. Would be fun to crunch the numbers to see how much. Might not be astronmically but they're higher.

Like I said...poor ole fish ain't got a chance.

No excuse for not slaying them now.

Ban them

The magic and mystery of bass fishing has been lost to the new age sonar. I remember Tomm Mann back in the 70's catching ten bass that weighed over 100 lbs one day in Lake Eufaula fishing ledges , this new sonar wasn't available way back then when he shocked the bass fishing world...

Used to be we didn't know the size or the species but when we caught a big bass that we couldn't see it was super exciting . Still exciting, yes,, Now we have watch and catch sonar with fish taking shape and watching them attacking the lure..... dudes have even learned how to follow a bass they spooked or missed till it stops and sets up again using the live sonar.

I don't even have a sonar unit right now ,, my Lorance X85 finally burned out,,, I can't afford the new age sonar,, I'm looking at getting a Garmin striker right now... I'd settle for a Humminbird 360 set up , I can see all around me and throw to those targets. A Humminbird Live would be a nice addition if one day the money ever came into my hands...

IF any and all of it helps a fisherman to catch what hes after I'm for it...

I’m all for banning bass tournaments on public waters. They want to act like NASCAR then let them build their own fisheries to compete on and use whatever they want.

What do you think tournaments are doing or not doing? The guys that fish tournaments are going to be out there no matter what's going on

I’ve never heard a person who owns forward facing sonar say they should be banned. I still use 2d & maps but someday may take the plunge. I was fishing back in the winter on a lake where folks were beating the deep banks & not catching anything. I found them on bait on 2d in 50’ of water & caught several good fish. Did I feel like I was cheating? NO. Live & let live.

Any of you guys against them ever used one? The entire electeonics deal weather its live foreard facing, down imaging or side imaging is hard work. You dont just turn them on and find fish. You have to learn how to use them to find fish, they are not a cure all. I have had one for years and while it soes make certain types of fishing more efficient so does my trolling motor, boat, rod and reels, lures, weather, etc. No one thing is making fishing tougher or easier. I will say so many more people fish all week now that it has affected the fish more than any sonar has imo.

Everyone should just fish from the bank with cane poles and minners..

And they are still going to be fishing out of big fast boats and day in and day out, those same guys are still going to catch more and bigger fish than him.

Agree with everything Clem posted. I really want someone in this MLF format to start trolling. You can absolutely smoke em doing that. Either make it all legal or make it all illegal. Pains my sould to see some dude 'fishing' and staring down at his game console all day.

Agreed. You still have to learn how to use and interpret the images you are looking at. LS has made me realize how many fish I’m not catching.

i could have 5 of them and still not find a mess of crappie...

Mine has sure helped me catch crappie; bass, not so much. I have caught some that spotted on the screen and cast to him and caught him, but I have wasted hundreds of casts throwing at something that wouldn't bite and might not have even been a bass. The net effect may be negative for me.

I don't fish tournaments, so I don't care what rules they wanna use.

I own one and think they should be banned for all fishing. People are flat out raping the largest crappie in every body of water with them. If I wanted to play a video game, I'd go in my sons room.

Owned my share of big fast boats and caught more and bigger fish than lots of folks.

I believe that lots more fish die in bass tournaments than they want the public to believe. Go to any boat ramp in Guntersville after a weigh in and see for yourself. I’m guilty of it myself. I’ve seen numerous fish weighed in that were alive but were probably dead by the next day.

Being slammed around in a livewell for up to 5+ hours - of course a lot of them are going to die after being released. MLB's catch, weigh and release format is the only one that I can agree with when it comes to minimizing fish mortality as it pertains to tournament fishing.

Need to take them scopes off them rifles too!!

Yep and I ran dogs 40 years ago.