FFS

So, I’m seeing reports of someone catching 29 Muskies and other reports of 10+ on the Fox River before daylight on opening day.  Just curious on people’s opinions on this.

Here’s mine:

A:  I feel that it is unethical harassment of fish that would otherwise not be caught.  I’ve not heard of someone catching that many fish in that short of time.

B:  I assure you fish are being snagged.

There's a reason why the PMTT outlawed the use of FFS. Two days prior to any tournament through the last day.

Wright, "They don’t care to learn, just want it to happen.  I’d venture most of these Millennial and Gen Z guides/Youtubers have no clue why a fish is in a certain spot positioned a certain way."

That's straight out of a get off my lawn stereotype playbook. Just a heads-up: most millennials are in their 40s now and have families.  Are you around Gen Zers at all, I'm around them everyday, yes 20% of them fit the stereotype but most are really good kids want to work, learn and make a difference.  Hunting and fishing is dying sport for a bunch of reasons,  1. Kids sports are year round and expensive, parents are chasing the college scholarship dream and spending piles of cash and time chasing that dream and not exposing kids to hunting and fishing like our generation, so they arent into it. 2. Cost, fishing is expensive, factor in a lost lure, bait, truck gas, boat gas etc and its more than a round of golf.  Heck a snoopy pole cost 30 bucks The list goes on and yes kids are different today but I have yet to take a kid fishing that didnt love it, its not the kids.  Things are just different, not sure how to change it.  I remember when flashers and simple depth finders were going to destroy fishing, alabama rigs, then down and side imagining.  Etc.  The reality is 9 out of 10 FFS will be on boats owned by guys that are lucky to fish once a month.

Agree with everything posted here GOP.

Like, I'm not a huge fan of live sonar.  I have it, it was gifted to me.  I do use it a little bit, but overall I can do without it easily.
I've seen boards and television shows, ruin lakes and spots faster than FFS will ever ruin them.

I've got more issue with Go Pro/YouTube fishing heroes than I do FFS.  Combine them?  Worst of both worlds.  They bring way too much pressure to a lake or spot.

Would agree that a lot of guys/women who own one, gets out when they can, which isn’t much in some cases. My Buddy has one but hasn’t done much fishing so far this year. He hit it heavy last fall though. 
You had me laughing talkin about the Snoopy Pole! 😂🎣

Wright, "They don’t care to learn, just want it to happen.  I’d venture most of these Millennial and Gen Z guides/Youtubers have no clue why a fish is in a certain spot positioned a certain way."

That's straight out of a get off my lawn stereotype playbook. Just a heads-up: most millennials are in their 40s now and have families.  Are you around Gen Zers at all, I'm around them everyday, yes 20% of them fit the stereotype but most are really good kids want to work, learn and make a difference.  Hunting and fishing is dying sport for a bunch of reasons,  1. Kids sports are year round and expensive, parents are chasing the college scholarship dream and spending piles of cash and time chasing that dream and not exposing kids to hunting and fishing like our generation, so they arent into it. 2. Cost, fishing is expensive, factor in a lost lure, bait, truck gas, boat gas etc and its more than a round of golf.  Heck a snoopy pole cost 30 bucks The list goes on and yes kids are different today but I have yet to take a kid fishing that didnt love it, its not the kids.  Things are just different, not sure how to change it.  I remember when flashers and simple depth finders were going to destroy fishing, alabama rigs, then down and side imagining.  Etc.  The reality is 9 out of 10 FFS will be on boats owned by guys that ​are lucky to fish once a month.

Lac Du Flambeau banned it.  It’s a start

Technology is a bugger. It’s just going to keep getting better. It’s here to stay. Some will accept it, some won’t. If you don’t accept it, you’ll have to get a very large group of fishermen on board with you and go to the Legislature. What have they done about the lake water left in Wake Boats? My Lake Association has banned Wake Boats through the Township  Specifically for our lake. Don’t know if they banned all lakes in Township. 
If they brought Banning FFS to Town Board, I do not think they would be successful at this point in time. Heck, I was going to buy one, but fixing broken body parts for last 20 months, so did not purchase. 
Im not against the Sportsman that are against it. That’s why we have a free country. Honest debate is great! If you’re smart enough, You can prove to Legislators how devastating (Don’t know that myself in #’s) it is to the fishery. Lock ur guns with proof and go to State Legislature. Good luck 👍 

And why do you think the sport is dying?  We’ve had FFS for 11 years.  It should be growing!

It’s all about instant gratification.  Young adults and youth are more entitled than ever.  They don’t care to learn, just want it to happen.  I’d venture most of these Millennial and Gen Z guides/Youtubers have no clue why a fish is in a certain spot positioned a certain way.  Same thing applies to a 6 year old shooting a deer.  They have no clue why they are where they are or why the deer is there.  They need to be taught correctly and it teaches skills and patience.  Also becomes more gratifying when effort is involved.  I can’t imagine thinking it would be fun for someone to say “cast 60’ that way.  Start reeling, oh he’s coming reel faster, jerk it, jerk it again!  You got it!”  All while making about 25 casts in a day.  

Junkie is right it is a dying sport. Every category of fishing license sales is in decline except for senior licenses.  

Really?  You don’t think flashers had an impact?  50 to 25 to 10 to 5 panfish limits in many places.

There is a definite impact from people sharpshooting Muskies.  Especially in the hot months we’re seeing more floating Muskies as a direct result of pulling fish off the thermocline in hot water.  Most sink so….

Also, like was mentioned.  Fish are being harassed when resting/digesting.  

I remember when flashers were the death toll to fisheries, then it was LCD units, Chirp, down imaging, side imaging, now live imaging.
It will not end. Get it, don't get it, like it, don't like it.
You still have to get the fish to bite. ​
I equate it to sight fishing the shallows.

Attached is one tournament bass angler's current position on FFS, which he says has changed over the years as he's seen the impact.   A tournament bass angler's view on FFS 

For me personally, I don't like seeing it used for the larger predator fish.  Today, it is not uncommon to see guide boats just driving around the lake looking for a musky or a large walleye cruising the basin and then having their clients drops soft plastics on top of it trying to get it to bite (aka..."sharp shooting").  One evening a year ago, my son and I came back to the boat launch after having decent luck musky fishing.  There was a guide boat out on the lake with us, driving around in the dark with 3 clients in the boat.  They showed up to the landing just after we did, so I asked one of the clients how it went.  "3 fish caught tonight, the guide caught a 41" and we caught two 35"s."  How did he go about fishing with you guys?, I asked.  "He just drove around with live scope in the water looking for a fish to target.  Then he handed us a rod with a large soft plastic on it, and we dropped it down in front of the fish to see if it would bite it.  After a couple of minutes, if it didn't bite, he'd go look for another one."  And you guys paid $500+ to fish muskies like that, I asked?  The client seemed kind of embarrassed.  IMHO, that is lazy and totally disrespectful to the sport.  My view comes from the era I grew up when I learned where and how fish would stage without having electronics in the beginning....and improved to the point my average northern WI musky was 42+" and a fish on average every 3-4 hours (150-200 casts).  I can work that hard for a fish.  Plus, I like the element of surprise....the surprise that makes your knees quiver when you hook up with a good one or miss a big one.  The surprising thing to me was prior to "live scope", many wouldn't even try the methods that I was successful catching fish with for 3+ decades, because they couldn't wrap their head around fishing the abyss.  Now, when you can drive right up and locate them precisely, it's all ok (they became "open water experts" now)....kind of like shooting fish in a barrel.

Update:  I have noticed the impact on the fisheries that I frequent.  Fish just don't get a break in places they could go for refuge in the past where 99% of the anglers would not target them.  One knucklehead up north even has the audacity to cut the top lip extension off every musky that he catches out on the basin, to permanently "mark" the fish he's caught.  Totally disfigures the fish. 

So how long until FFS destroys the fisheries then? Because it's already been around for over a decade and I haven't noticed any difference in the fisheries I fish. I guess I'll just keep waiting.

Ya'll just like to complain. Get over the FFS, it's not going anywhere and like it or not, it's keeping the younger kids engaged in a dying sport. My kid has been ice fishing without my help using livecope since he has been 5 years old. Besides a tablet, what else is going to keep a 5 year old engaged for 2 straight hours in the cold? Nothing. And I contribute his love for the sport 100% to that. 

FFS has helped the fishing community more than it has hurt the fisheries. 

Tournaments are dumb to begin with, ban them in tournaments if it makes people happy.

Yeah I don't think there's any ways Fisheries can sustain today is electronics. They may not be wiped out but Lakes will see a definite decline. The argument of if it's legal it's okay , always bothers me. No respect for the resource. The guys that argue that are probably the ones that find fishing equipment at the Landing, throw it in their truck and drive home. It's not stealing they would say🤣🤣

Biggest question is will the fisheries sustain it.  More fish caught means more handled and more dying.

G5,
I agree, good guides used to understand cold blooded biology, fish movement and patterns.  It’s just driving around now.  Similar to shining deer.

And no, it’s not illegal but have we crossed an ethical boundary?  Probably so.