After B.A.S.S. came up with the Solomonic decision to split the 2026 Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series season — five tournaments with forward-facing sonar, four without it — many fans left the young guns for dead. Anyone under 30 was presumed to be a “scoper,” unable to do much of anything else.
That doesn’t bother JT Thompkins. The rising third-year Elite, on the verge of his third world championship as well, doesn’t worry about the haters.
“If you look at my record, I usually shine on the shallower waters like the Sabine and Okeechobee,” he said. “And my Open win came on the Chesapeake Bay. I’d say that last year I was probably 50/50 on fish caught with forward-facing sonar and without.”
But even if the scoreboard doesn’t get turned upside-down, it might change the way the anglers approach the tournaments. Thompkins said that in those events where forward-facing sonar is not allowed, it’ll likely change the dominant patterns and winning weights, which in turn will impact practice strategies substantially.
“I used to spend practice trying to find things that were special,” he said. “Maybe I’d follow a long creek channel or a do-nothing bank, looking for fish that nobody ever fished for.
“Now we’ll have to fish in places where the contours make more sense. We’ll focus on popular ditches and structural elements, really trying to be very specific with your timing and making sure that you hit the best spot on your first cast.”
Forward-facing sonar will be allowed at Lake Martin, the Arkansas River (Muskogee), Lake Murray, the Pasquotank River and the St. Lawrence River. It will not be allowed on Lake Guntersville, Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, Santee-Cooper Lakes or Lake Champlain.
That means we’re starting off the season at Guntersville by going back to the future.
Thompkins said that’ll change some of the dynamics, most notably by making the lake fish much smaller.
“Fifty percent of the lake won’t be usable (without forward-facing sonar),” he said. “By cutting out that much water you tighten up a lot of things. It’ll provide a major local advantage.
“Those guys who’ve been fishing Guntersville for 20 years know the places where the fish show up year after year. They pull up on the same grass stretches, ditches and hard spots. It’ll be a heavy grass pattern. Some of those guys have been trying to catch up on forward-facing sonar. Now we’ll be trying to catch up with them.”
One of those locals is 2019 Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year Scott Canterbury, who is 26 years older than Thompkins. He’s unabashed about the fact that he likes old school fishing.
“It’ll make it a little bit easier as far as practice goes. But there’s an odd feeling tugging at his rod locker,” Canterbury said.
“I’ve spent a lot of time practicing with my Lowrance ActiveTarget2,” he said. “And a lot of that time has been at Guntersville.”
Canterbury noted that he won multiple non-forward-facing tournaments on another circuit last year and is confident when the field is prohibited from using it, but would have been happy with or without it.
What may change is the number of bites a competitor will need to do well, and the weights needed to win, place or show.
“Guntersville is still fishing very good,” Canterbury said.
“At the top, the weights could be just as good, but there just won’t be as many fish caught without forward-facing sonar. When you can target them, you can land a minnow right on their nose and that makes it a lot more efficient.”
Thompkins believes with stable conditions it would’ve taken 120 or 130 pounds to win at Guntersville. Now, he said, the winner might not even break 100. Both Thompkins and Canterbury agree that even if top weights are ultra-impressive, there might be a quick drop-off on the leaderboard.
California pro Bryant Smith, whose age falls roughly in between that of Thompkins and Canterbury, will embark on his fourth Elite season by making the 3,000-mile drive across the country, his truck loaded with just about every piece of tackle imaginable. Nevertheless, much more of it will remain packed away at Guntersville.
“The rule makes it easy for me. I grew up fishing ‘conventionally,’ but I adopted forward-facing as it got increasingly popular,” Smith said. “When we have it available, you need to pick and choose what you’re going to do.
“Not having it takes a lot of variables out of the equation. Power fishing baits like a Strike King Thunder Cricket, a crankbait and trap-style lures are back in. Then again, I can’t say I won’t have a minnow or some finesse baits in the boat.”
All three pros agreed that after several years of controversy and a six-month gap in Elite events, they’re ready just to get out and start scouting.
“I just like fishing,” Thompkins said. “I don’t like any of the drama.”
“Just tell me the rules,” Smith said. “I’ll show up and go fishing.”
