Pro Bass Tournaments Announce Changes to Forward-Facing Sonar Policies – On The Water
The past week has brought forward multiple headlines in the professional bass fishing world regarding forward-facing sonar. Major League Fishing, Bassmaster and the National Professional Fishing League (NPFL) are the three biggest professional tournament organizations, all of which released statements on the topic.
The NPFL has announced that starting with the 2025 season, forward-facing sonar technology will be prohibited during both official practice and competition. This decision follows extensive discussions and reflects the complexity of integrating such technology into competitive bass fishing. The 2025 NPFL Championship, however, will still follow the 2024 rules to honor the qualifications of current anglers. The NPFL’s approach continues to allow other sonar technologies, such as 2D, side imaging, and 360-degree sonar, while evaluating future innovations individually.
Bassmaster took their own approach. Anglers will be limited to one live sonar transducer, which must be mounted on the bow trolling motor. A list of approved transducers will be provided by B.A.S.S., and equipment not on the list will be prohibited. Regarding screens, anglers will be limited to a total of 55 inches of screen space on their boat, including bow and dash units. This is to address safety concerns that large screens can create blind spots.
Lastly, Major League Fishing took to a hybrid format. Only one of three daily periods will allow pros competing on the 2025 Bass Pro Tour to employ forward-facing and 360-degree sonar. Before the start of the period of their choice, anglers will specify that they employ the technology. MLF will also limit technology to two forward facing or 360-degree sonar transducers in any combination. On the other hand, semi pro level events such as Toyota Series, BFL and Abu Garcia College anglers will be allowed to use forward facing sonar during all competition days. For up-and-coming high school anglers, MLF will not allow forward facing sonar in competition to create a level playing field.
Forward-facing sonar has fundamentally changed how anglers interact with their environment and approach competition, providing unprecedented insight into fish behavior. However, this technological advance does pose some challenges to the sport’s traditional competitive balance. It will be interesting to see where the sport goes with the technology in the coming years.
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