Why are anglers making the decision to walk away from the bass tournament scene? This is a loaded question that has many answers! But first, let’s go back in time to what many call the heyday of tournament bass fishing and see why anglers today are frustrated and angry on so many levels. Let’s look at our crystal ball and see how it used to be.

Back in the 1970s and ‘80s, bass tournaments were pretty much a bunch of guys getting together at a local boat ramp on a body of water while putting up a $20 entry fee. Depending on how many showed determined how many places would pay and, in some cases, it was a winner- take-all payout. 

Then around the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, team tournaments became the craze with several organizations creating nationwide tournament trails. These usually had a four or five tournament schedule on local bodies of water but offered the chance to advance to a regional or maybe a national championship to wrap up the season.  

Entry fees ranged anywhere from $100 to $200 per team depending on the circuit. Most of these team trails were very popular as it was normal for 200 boats or more to show up for these events. 

This lasted for over 25 years as the sport of tournament bass fishing grew to record levels up until about 2020 and the Covid outbreak. Also, along the way around 2014, the economy and gas prices soared to levels that made anglers think twice about entering a tournament. 

Between gas and travel expenses, anglers during this time period were forced to either park their boats or pony up more money. Entry fees were also raised with certain organizations which also forced anglers to decide what trails they were willing to fish. There was a time when a lot of anglers would fish several circuits each year, depending on what lakes they were on as well as the payouts. 

So, for the question of the day: Why are anglers walking away from tournaments today? I guess you could sum it up in a couple of ways with one being money! The pricetag adds up fast — the cost of entry fees, fuel for the truck and the boat, as well as the travel costs involved with food and housing. 

But then another situation really turned the tournament world upside down with three words: forward-facing sonar (FFS)! This has been the beginning of the end In regards to angler participation — especially in regards to co-anglers as they were literally put at a disadvantage by fishing out of the back of the boat while pro/boaters controlled the boat and fishing out in the wide-open lake. 

Co-anglers and some boater/pros have walked away in droves due to this one factor! They no longer want to put up their hard-earned money to fish against anglers using this new technology as they feel it’s no longer a level playing field.  

The only other thing that can make a co-angler’s experience miserable is the boater/pro sight fishing and looking for bass on beds during the spawn. But even this technique pales in comparison to how co-anglers feel about fishing with a boater/pro using forward-facing sonar.

So, after much thought and looking at where competitive fishing is today, anglers are thinking twice about entering tournaments. One thing ALL anglers want that will never change is a level playing field and forward-facing sonar has changed that. 

From an angler’s perspective with over 30 years of tournament experience, forward-facing sonar is the new technology that has forced so many boater/co-anglers to load their boats and go home. 

I personally have no opinion on whether it should be allowed or banned. I use it on a limited basis mainly because I’m a shallow water angler where forward-facing sonar is not that effective. 

What I have seen since the introduction of FFS, is anglers who win, are winning big. There’s a bigger separation in the standings; where it used to be ounces separated first from fourth, today’s margin of victory is by pounds.

Tournament organizations have failed to recognize and address this issue in a way ALL anglers will be happy. There’s one thing I know for sure about tournament bass fishermen. Once they form an opinion on a certain topic, it’s hard to change their minds and once anglers walk away like so many have, I’m not sure how tournament organizations will ever get them back.