Like it or not, forward-facing sonar is here to stay.

Story and photography by Matt Williams

Anyone who spends much time fishing these days is sure to have an opinion on forward-facing sonar. Like it or not, the technology is here to stay — at least until something better comes along. It has given fishermen eyes beneath the water like none they have ever had before.
It would be reaching to say modern anglers would be lost without their Garmin Panoptix LiveScope, Lowrance ActiveTarget Live and Humminbird MEGA Live Imaging units, but many might feel handicapped if their toys were suddenly taken away.
They may not catch near as many fish, either. At least not in the places, with the ease and in the manner that forward-facing sonar has made possible. It has truly changed the face of fishing, particularly in bass and crappie arenas.
For those who may not know, FFS is way different from traditional sonar 2D, SideScan and DownScan. It operates using a special transducer, usually mounted to the trolling motor shaft. The transducer records real-time imagery of what is going on in the water column around the boat. The data transmits to the electronics screen for display in super crisp detail.
The technology doesn’t come cheap, but plenty of anglers have taken the financial leap.
One of the many benefits FFS junkies always chatter about is it helps them to see cover and fish — suspended or on bottom — from a considerable distance. Another is it helps them make precise bait presentations to fish and more importantly, see how they react as a bait moves through the water column.
Gone the days of blind casting to potential sweet spots to see if any one is at home. FFS usually leaves little question as to whether or not fish are present. If the fish move, anglers can quickly adjust and hound them with different baits until they bite.

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