A recent column highlighting how forward-facing sonar technology has changed the game in crappie and bass fishing arenas struck a cord with my old friend, Gary Paris.
For those who may not know, FFS is all the rage with fishermen these days. It works using a special transducer that mounts to the trolling motor or an independent pole. Anglers can slip quietly along as the transducer scans the water column well ahead of the boat. High resolution imagery relays to the electronics screen and allows anglers to see fish finning around in real time. You can even see your bait as it moves through the water column One of the main benefits of FFS is it helps anglers make precise bait presentations to fish and see how they react to baits. It also allows for moving with the fish and keeping a lure in their face 100 percent of the time.
Paris is a veteran Lake Fork fishing guide and a self-proclaimed forward-sonar junkie himself. As useful as the technology has been in helping anglers step up their games, some critics believe it could potentially do harm to some of the state’s top-tier crappie fisheries.
