No FFS, no active target, just 2D sonar and your angling talent. That is what fishing is and should always be....

PRO SECRET REVEALED! “Every tournament I have ever won has been off of Forward Facing Sonar.” 🙄 Just hurry and get to the part where the “fisherman” with the most drones in a swarm wins from locating, marking, recording and catching all the fish.

Thanks for the Video Jacob. The industry has gotten so competitive for technology It really makes it , well diff but it drives up the price. I remember when the guy in the 21 footer would show up for a Wed eve wildcat and people would kinda snicker about coming out to a wildcat "in all that", Now you need a 21 footer to get away from the blastoff without being swamped. It just seems like everyone has bought a NASCAR from Hendrick to come run Friday night short tracks.

FFS is the "bridge too far" for professional (Elite, BPT, AAA) bass fishing. I am fortunate enough to be able to afford whatever I want to purchase, but I think it destroys the tradition of fishing.

You can tell this one comes from the heart. I love active target, but was curious how far it is going and where it stops. Identifying that the optics on this are negative and addressing how you actually use it is really cool. Definitely appreciate the clarity and I don't blame you for it. If I could justify running this same set up I would bec I suck at reading side imaging well

Come on Wheeler! Well just take the extra off if you don’t need it. One unit on the front and one unit on the console is all you need. They should limit pros on what they can use. I understand technology but it is getting out of hand.

I'm going to be honest with you Jacob . I would rather watch you hands down fish with your inner intuition . It shows your true talent . FFS not so much . Tight lines !

Jacob speaking from your heart and I appreciate it and I’m sure everyone else loves it ❤👍

My extra costs for fishing are a couple slices of Casey’s bacon breakfast pizza and a crispy Coke Zero. And yes the occasional Snickers bar.

Love your channel man! I appreciate the honesty and transparency.

Go get em tomorrow Jwheels! Looking forward to watching Thursday, hope all the guys do well. 👊🏼

Loved the info, DO NOT LIKE the fact that FFS is ruining fishing!! even in the local jackpot tournaments!! if u DON'T have FFS, u have no chance of winning. Personally this tech FORCED me out of high School fishing. I LOVED taking/teaching what I knew about bass fishing to the next generation, but couldn't afford all this tech and my kids were at a definite disadvantage!! VERY SAD to this stuff forcing this sport to be SO EXPENSIVE that average/middle class folks can't compete. VERY, VERY, SAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Having all the data you can get is great. Fishing is what you do for a living. In Top Fuel Drag Racing it costs what you have in your whole boat just to compete for a weekend and that doesnt include the car, parts and rigs to haul it all. We have data recording as well to help us be fast. Just some perspective on different sports.

... Secret ??? Been out there in play for 2-3 years .....Boats rigged with 6-8 12" monitors mounted on their boats ,, $30k-$50k for electronics alone ... Tournaments have gotten to be a video game instead of an anglers skills competition ..

Well explained, excellent analysis and good reflexion on it. Good video. Food for thought…

I like pre FFS when fishing was fishing. I totally get that you have your keep up with tech and regulations to compete though. Not y’all’s fault

True - a set of good fishing skillz and water knowledge + sidescan on a good screen ❤

Love how transparent you try to be. Keep doing you brotha! Always smiling when a video drops. PS let’s get a shop tour!

I appreciate the detailed explanation as I had been wondering why the heck Pro Anglers had them at the back of the transom. It makes perfect sense after your explanation about maximizing the time idling vice trolling. Good luck at the Hollar, I'm hoping one of the Ding Squad brings home the trophy.

I started following you was back. You bring more to us than most realize. I folllow Ben Milliken as well. I appreaciate you guys showing the reality of bass fishing and the family life the both of you share. Keep it real, even if Ben's got a little on the content rated side. I remember way back when you fished againts us in a local tourney, and you were help seth davis find fish. I pulled for you in the bassfest, and the classic in K-ville. My wife which is in heaven now, pulled for Ott because she was a vol fan. You did finish 2nd. Keep it real, and you correct, no need to have all that to compete. I do it for fun and a few local derbies. Electronics is my hobby, and have met many of my friends in the Chattanooga area, offering what knowledge I have to give.

Appreciate your thoughtfulness J-Dub. Yours is one of the more balanced and reasoned voices that articulates the big picture from multiple angles. Godspeed. Good luck at Dale Hollow!

Thanks for the honesty. This is why you are one on my favorites.

Great Insight from the Top Professional. Thanks for the knowledge.

Good information !Thanks for sharing!

Thank you for being honest with us the every day angler . It means a lot that you share your experience and knowledge with us on what works for us and what works for you. It is crazy how much the industry has changed and how many people think that FFS is the fix to catching fish on a regular basis. Me and my son enjoy the video content and try to put it to use on Chickamauga. Keep up the great work.

Geat video. Thanks for taking the time. Being a weekend warrior, I will have to stay away from live target. My next purchase is for topo graphs that can be seen on my electronics to help find new places within the lakes I fish. Any suggestions would be helpful . Thanks again.

$110,000 to catch a 3 lb fish, makes perfect sense to me. Good grief.

You have em both in forward and not perspective? Also, can you reverse the image for the left side so the screens are showing it from the boat out (similar to side view)?

Just use dynamite. It's way cheaper. Kidding but jeez. I personally think that the top pro tournament organizations should restrict the anglers to using using 2D sonar / side imaging. That would make it much more competitive and also help preserve the integrity of the "sport".

There is some excellent content in this video. Thanks for putting it together.

Thanks for good information. Good Luck

What gopro chest mount setup do you use? I’m tired of having to wear my gopro chesty mount.

Great video Jacob, Thanks for helping us consumers out. Good luck on Dale Hollow 😊

This is a great informative video. I never had an issue with seeing things on side imaging. However I did have a problem with targeting the things I saw on side imaging. For example I see a rock pile on my right side. How do I then mark that exact rock pile and effectively target that exact rock pile? Never figured it out. Side note I never owned a bass boat my fishing buddy did and I don’t think he ever knew how to do it either. I believe he would get close but not 100% right on target.

Thanks Jacob i felt this came from your heart brother. I pray and wish i could afford one unit lol but i still go to the lake and catch bass so you are right we don't have to have it ro go catch some biggens. Awesome video

I recently got the Lowrance S3100 module and new Lowrance 4-1 transducer and I will say that having fish reveal on side scan has helped me out tremendously. It def came with a much lower price tag than buying a "Pro" unit and two active target set ups. I do appreciate Jacob's explanation of his position on FFS and you can tell this video meant something to him. Look at what golfers spend on indoor simulators, baseball pitchers spend on similar tech....It's his profession and if the rules allow it, more power to him. Keep on rippin lips J-dub!!

JW. Big fan here. A bit off topic but I would like your advice on whether to get FFS or a spot lock motor. I came into enough money to get one or the other but not both. I only fish Parksville lake for spots. I don’t fish tournaments. I have a reliable Minkota edge with a helix 7 with lake master card and an original 360.

Thanks this video really helps with what I want to do

I make my living in IT, so I love the electronics aspect of modern fishing. One of the guys at Toledo Bend on the Elite opener this year was wearing augmented reality glasses with his FFS. It won't be long until someone ties in full virtual reality glasses to their FFS and uses the motion sensors to move their targetlock to point where they are looking. If anyone at Johnson Outdoors is reading this I would love to be in the alpha testing for it.

Great honest video ! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!!

Thanks for your info on this video. But when you have a chance to work into a video or podcast I’d sure like to hear some discussion on a couple of questions about FFS. What % of the time do you find suspended fish? Do you mainly just try to target suspended fish? If not……I’m fishing a lake that has a ton of cover, too many stunted crappie and a lot of bait fish, at the times bass are not up suspended there almost impossible to find. In a case like this do you just try to draw them out in order to get them to show themselves? Thanks for your time and Best of Luck!

Do u run that in Panoramic mode so u can have live side imaging, then over lapping with side imaging that would be 3d , 2d side imaging

Silly question. Can i take my fish finder that mounted in the rear and mount it on the front to get the same effect as foward facing

Great video JW. If you are going to fish for a living you have to have all the electronics you can get. If you are a weekend angler you can get by with a single unit something affordable.

Have you found that lower frequencies on on side have less interference?

I believe a large portion of fishing viewership involves the viewer picturing themselves being able to replicate what the pro fisherman is doing on the screen. FFS has distanced itself from the majority of those viewing. I think this will cause a backlash in popularity.

Great comments. I appreciate your insight and honesty.

Thx for your sincerity

Very good content thanks

Thanks for the video Jacob in my opinion it's the best one you've done thanks again and good luck at Dale Hollow

Right now the only people competing have all this stuff. The financial side of getting into professional fishing is ridiculous

Cuddose for sharing this! 👍. Appreciate you

So I need a NASA system to catch a fish? Are the fish really getting that smart? They must be schooling all day and night now!😂

Well said Jacob!! Great video!

Is that life jacket only legal when worn? Do you have to keep regular jackets on the the boat to have enough?

There will never be a multi-day tournament won without LiveScope ever again.

While your idling couldn't you just drop the trolling motor down and use the remote and have the FFS display come to the console? Seems like you could pan around with the front trolling motor from the console without having to buy two for the back. Plus there wouldn't be interference to the side imaging.

I think the uproar isn’t as much about the back of the boat set up, it’s the tech upfront.

I have felt this way all these years I’ve been following you & DC . I dream of holding a trophy, I don’t want the money. But what y’all run, I have zero chance, it’s a dream crusher.. 🔥🛎️🔥

My man. Favorite angler by far. Strait up fish catcher boys!

Good job Jacob. i wish it would come down in pricing so more people could use it. I have it and even with my 40 yrs of experience in Bass fishing i will say one can still get skunked using FFS. It is not the end all to be all. It is just another product that provides some information when fishing.

Great explanation!

I compare ffs to deer hunting with a spotlight and a truck.. no sport in either.

My thing on this whole argument on whether you need forward facing to compete these days is this. If you take 10 guys that are good with forward facing and take the same 10 guys and don't give them forward facing and they fish 10 tournaments against eachother, you can't tell me that the 10 guys with forward facing wouldn't do better on average if not all the time. Than you have the problem of people that can afford to spend that kind of money and the ones that can't. Than you have guys that are not as good of fisherman beating guys that are better only because they have the sonar.

Jacob, I am friends with Adrian and I got to practice with you for a few day at Lake Eire now a long time ago. Again thank you for that, and it was a few days I will never forget. However, I have a question for you about your HDS Pro unit. Do you have your ping synchronization wires connected?or I guess a easier way to ask this is, do you connect the blue wire to the yellow wire from the AT2 plug to the power plug of the HDS Pro unit or are you just connecting the two yellow wires on both the AT2 plug and the HDS Pro power plug. Thanks in advance , Vince

That's why most are not trying or can't afford to get started in fishing tournaments , I gave it up for the cost was to high to be competitive

If you have active target on your trolling motor, why not put your trolling motor in the water, point it to the right and idle? View it on your console graph.

Thanks for sharing. It is too expensive for me and my family at this time.

I've had a few guys ask about this and my first question is "How much time have you spent learning your console unit and your live sonar on the bow?" If they have no clue as to how any of it works I recommend spending time with someone for training before moving on. I feel like they would be better off spending the money on training instead of on more tech they are never going to learn.

Honestly, your setup is the next evolution of Side imaging. A manufacture that incorporates the FFS tech as part of side imaging, incorporating a vertical and horizontal view within the transducer utilizing AI technology, will create a game changing device...and the next big controversy.

Wheeeeeeeler , I got these new jack flipping hooks , do a video on rigging soft plastics please I saw peeps have the hook bar at the top or ...

Jacob, in a future video could you go in-depth on side imageing. I think it would be sooo helpful. Thank you

Jacob, love your channel. Could you interview the Japanese like Taku Ito, and Fujita. Also other FFS hammers like Robertson and Milikin. We Wannabees want the best, cash means nothing. I am working on a program that will look at all your graphs at one time and immediately notify where the fish are and switch to that monitor. Take care.

I'm still trying to figure out side imaging. Now I don't have to get the live target saved me money 😊

Thanks for the throw down.

Well said and put. Absolutely agree Weidas Marine is the best!

How much do you think the fish hear the transducer noise??? Do you think it can spoke the fish??

Looks like Center Hill Lake...

Being a golfer and a bass fisherman, I sort of equate FFS to having a range finder. It helps me zero in on the pin and see how far I am away, which helps me choose the correct club, but it sure as hell doesn't mean that I'm going to suck one back to within 3ft every iron shot I hit. I have FFS and it's not as easy as it looks. Does it help, absolutely, but the tech still doesn't make it "easy". I only dream I could be as talented as Tiger Woods and Jacob Wheeler lol

is FFS good for fishing boat docks?

I'm one of the crybabies who hate FFS, I love fishing and I love to watch you fish Jacob using your talent and your knowledge. Watching FFS fishing is boring I don't even watch tournaments using it anymore

Thank you Jacob

Show the screens as you describe what you are seeing. Good video!!!

I think some regulation could be a great idea but it can still be a lot. Say 60" of total screen and 4 total transducers. Maybe a limit on total weight of batteries also. I think there are plenty of efficient setups that could be made within regulation. I think all the added weight and lack of visibility is unsafe beyond that. I don't really care about the money like everyone says. The pros should have all the best I'll get what I want and what I can afford.

You better make the knockout round. Lol I’m driving up Saturday to follow you around it’s 2 hours from my house. We got second last weekend in our “fishers of men” team tournament. I never powered the two units on the bow of my boat. All bed fishes and it was a freaking blast. Had 15.07 and got beat by 4 smallies weighing 19.19. They locked through to the river and had 30 minutes to fish. 🤦 FOM Tennessee central division.

Good video explaining the reality of the use and frequency of use of FFS. I'm a 70-year-old multi species fisherman and remember at 5 years old when I started bass fishing there were no electric motors, no sonar, and backlash control was called a thumb. I remember old guys saying electric motors, sonar, high tech reels and line and lures were each going to ruin bass fishing and destroy our fisheries. One thing I've learned after 70 years is advancements in technology and most products is a non-stoppable force. I take advantage and enjoy all these advancements. I think the nay sayers on FFS are experiencing over reaction Monday.

Hey Jacob the fans want you to go back to a cane pole and a bobber, no boat, just fish under a bridge, use an old truck with no power steering or ac and a leaky oil pan. But I'm sure someone would complain about how unprofessional a bobber is. Bring back 1967. SMDH

your the best out there right now. DC right behind ya. Do you really need this?

So why not have the Active Target 2 transducers set up on the back so you can get 180 view? Then you don't have to have the screen split on the 16, it would just be one screen.

you could cut glass with them things

Thank you!

Thank you Mr. Wheeler. You presented an authentic discussion. Bottom line; another tool.

Totally agree with gregbrenyo6518. You would not expect boxers to use electronics. Fishing should be mano y mano. Yes, 2D Sonar, your Brain, and your Gut hunches. Stay fit so you can battle the entire tourney...let the best, most capable, and with a little bit of luck....You bring home the Trophy. FFS works the fish too hard, nowhere to hide. Us good ol' boys mostly ain't got the money for that equipment nor the time to become able to tune it and use it. I subscribed....you're fun to watch. Back to Basics.

Lake fishing kicked my ass the first yr or so beating the banks, with AT2 we catch fish every time and I know the lake better. Fishing costs too much to get zeroed on a trip.

Wheels... take it another step. What type of plug-in charging system are you using to charge all of those batteries ?

Absolutely terrible for the future of fishing. Insane technology that needs to be reined in.

Bass fishing has turned into drag racing. How fast can afford to go? How much can you spend to be competitive. I appreciate the honesty but there’s a reason you have it. Your a once in a generation fisherman honestly & can win with or without FFS but you have it for a reason.

Maybe it's 10% for you because you were good before it, but for the young bucks on tour, they've always had it and use it every second that they can.

I love and own forward facing sonor, I don’t agree with live transducer all around the boat it’s a joke , put 1 on the front and roll with it !

For you j dub you don’t need it, you are a legend, a great great angler that will go down with the kvd’s of the sport, you are probably the only one who can compete in the top 10 with out ffs, but all the younger guys and 70% of the guys or looking down on a screen all day long during these tournaments, I watched redcrest and dc was looking down all day on it, it’s definitely taking the sport in another direction, all the Ike’s and kvd’s, and hackneys are going to be obsolete, there whole lives were living this shit, and learning about fish, and movement’s etc, all that work and days and years of learning is all out the window, some young 20 year old kid with money can come along that gets the technology and is in top 10, take that technology away from tournaments and there lost. I don’t like where the sport is going, look at all time you have in practice and learning bass behavior Jacob, with out this on your boat as an angler today you are not in any chance of winning, I miss the days of trolling up the bank pitching, flipping, punching, not dropping a ned or minnow on there heads popping it a few tims and o her it comes he going to take it….. got em!!!! We need to bring back real fishing again!!