Story by Todd Goade | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
We’re about three weeks away from our first event at Santee Cooper and I’m excited to get there! We’re going to have a strong field again this year and the schedule should make for great storylines and be a great product for the fans to watch.
This season will be different in that the NPFL has prohibited the use of forward-facing sonar. As everyone that follows bass fishing has seen, there are keyboard warriors on each side of the issue that blow up social media daily. As an angler in the League, I’ll be interested to see the viewership numbers after each event and see if what I have been hearing from other anglers, friends, and fans resonates with what the League is trying to do.
The League is not anti-technology, it’s just trying to return our sport to the way it has been since its inception—angler instincts, time of year, seasonal patterns, and several ways to catch them. I applaud and respect the League for making the bold move. It takes guts to go against the grain, which I have done a lot in my own working career, and more times than not it has worked out.
I’m not anti-technology either. This is in no way bragging but I’m really good with using forward-facing sonar. Winning Progressive Angler of the Year in 2023, three of the six events I relied on the technology heavily and the other three were shallow water instinctual tournaments. One of them was Santee, where I finished second to Patrick Walters. I never turned the unit on that week. The last event at Lanier I was casting at fish 100 feet away from the boat for most of the event.
Santee will be a true test of angler instincts and decisions as March can be one of the most volatile months of the year. Pre-spawn conditions will exist, but we could have 75-degree weather or 35-degree weather, it could be calm or the wind could be gassing. We could see a lot of rain that could muddy up things in certain areas, or it could be perfect weather, and they’ll be a bass on every tree and grass line. That will be the beauty of this first event—facing the conditions and breaking down what’s going on. It’s the way bass fishing used to be before FFS.
I think fans are in for a treat as they watch the “mannerless” live coverage, watching anglers crack them on a big rod, casting at targets, covering water, and just figuring it all out. It reminds me of when I was in college watching “The Bassmasters” on TNN. I can still hear “I’m Bob Cobb” in my head to this day and Larry Nixon saying, “Oh my gosh look at the size of that bass!” at Megabucks.
I’m fired up about this season, being an elder statesman on paper but still feeling 25 at heart. I’m excited to fish this way again. I have been preparing in the off season for fishing this way. This year will bring a lot of techniques back to light that I have shelved the last few years. The best part is that somebody is going to win $100,000 at each event, someone is going to win AOY, and the top 40 will qualify for the Championship. I hope as fans you all come along for the ride this season and give us all your honest feedback as we move from event to event.
Let’s go!
