Outdoor Insights: The forward-facing sonar study anglers have been waiting for is finally here

FFS STUDY. The retort regarding the effects of forward-facing sonar on fisheries consistently has been “Where’s the science?!” Well, the intrepid Maryland Department of Natural Resources just shared what it’s calling the most complete analysis of the technology to date. Thank Major League Fishing, which provided a unique data set via its 2025 bass tournament trail by restricting anglers to using live sonar during only one of three daily competition periods. That has provided a window for researchers to compare angler performance during periods of live-imaging sonar use against periods when it was not used. Maryland DNR fisheries researchers including Ryan Gary and Joseph Love examined results from 73 professional anglers across eight MLF Bass Pro Tour events in 2025. Anglers in those events caught more than 12,000 fish. Then they published the results of the study in the North American Journal of Fisheries Management last month. They found the influence of live-imaging sonar (LIS) on c