Story by Hunter Sales | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
This week, we’re taking a break from my youth fishing content to talk about my opinions on what it’s going to take to be successful in the NPFL in 2025. The ban of forward-facing sonar will certainly affect the style of fishing that you’ll see, the baits in play, and possibly the anglers at the top of the leaderboard. There are a few things, however, that won’t change, and we’ll discuss them first.
Technology will still be an important part of the game for those who are successful in 2025. Since flashers were first introduced to bass fishing, those who mastered the available technology were far more efficient than those who did not. I look for the anglers with the greatest knowledge of technology like side-scan, 360, and 2D sonar to still find ways to gain an edge over the rest of the field. Similarly, those who spend the most time on the water this offseason and in between events will continue to find themselves towards the top of the leaderboard. The ability to locate and pattern the largest fish in the lake is something that can be refined by keeping your instincts sharp. I believe you will be surprised at how quickly many anglers will adapt to fishing without FFS.
The style of fishing that you’ll likely see on live coverage will be different than other leagues and years past in the NPFL. Look for techniques such as sight fishing to dominate the early events on Santee Cooper and Lake Norman and a mixture of shallow action and slow, methodical offshore fishing to prevail during the Douglas and Eufaula events. Consistency will be more of a challenge in 2025 than in years past. There is a population of fish on all fisheries that roam open water and were susceptible to the skilled LiveScopers. Look for specialists to dominate select events but then struggle to back it up over the course of a complete season.
Perhaps one of the most exciting elements of the no forward-facing sonar season will be the variety of baits that will appear in top 10 photos. I will admit that my tackle costs were way down in 2024, as I attempted to utilize typical scope baits at each fishery, lessening the need to carry a wide arsenal of baits. I would imagine you’ll see the Carolina rig, jigs, and crankbaits make the biggest resurgence. It will be interesting to see if modern JDM products can factor into the results at all. Personally, i will keep a Z-Man Jackhammer on deck all year, as I believe it is one of the best baits to cover water and pick up bites while still searching for a special area. This differentiation in baits should improve the quality of the live production despite the likely-reduced fish catches.
Perhaps the most interesting debate of the season will be predicting the anglers at the top of the leaderboard. I will admit I’m not certain of the answer to this question. The social media consensus is that the anglers with the most experience will see resurgence and replace the younger anglers who have seen recent success. I feel that I can speak on this fairly as a 27-year-old who is a bit in between the older, more seasoned anglers and the younger “scopers.” I will acknowledge that I don’t expect to see a complete replacement of youth towards the top of the leaderboard however. Younger anglers are typically without the restraint of kids and a family, and have grown up in an age that started fishing 150+ days a year at an age much younger than what I would assume happened in the past. I am able to see these 18 to 22-year-olds through my job as a college fishing coach and can attest to the tremendous work ethic of this generation. Nevertheless, I do think it will be interesting to see if and how quickly they are able to revert to their instincts.
I am beyond excited to get the season underway. I’m currently working on getting my boat rigged and will soon be on the water nearly every day learning to slow down and ignore the urge to look into my magic box! It will certainly be a challenge for us all in 2025, and one that will be interesting to watch unfold.
What are your thoughts on how the results will look in the future?
Hunter Sales – Angler Profile
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