Coming from a background of a lifetime of fishing I remember all I had was a fishing rod I stuck in the water to see how deep it is.
If I couldn't touch the bottom I was too deep.
Flashers were "cheating" when they came out.
They are all tools.
You have to consider the correct "tool" for the job.
Humans will always progress in ways to do things better.
I have down and side imaging, I have not taken the plunge to forward-facing, mainly because of cost, as usual.
SRitchey has a good point about the things most of us do "pre-planning."
Most of us do not realize we do this, it's subconscious. But if we make an effort to do these things we will be better fishermen.
Over 60 + years of Bass fishing, including tournament trails, things change, you must be willing to do so.
We dislike two things, the way things are and change.
Some of you will be around when you will be able to see what is down there in a hologram crystal clear, cast an artificial lure that has a heartbeat with precision by pointing a finger.
You will be able to do this because of progress while watching a bank fisherman with a cane pole snatch that fish from you.
I also would turn off my electronics on tournament day to avoid being distracted...LOL

working on the laptop and watching the BASS mid day recap. Doesnt look like everyone is using FFS. Hackney looks like hes doing hackney things and looks like lots of people are shallow. I think there is a LOT of self serving exaggeration with a lot of this authors main points 🤷‍♂️

After I logged off I started thinking about a Crappie fishing trip my dad and I went on @ Caney Lake in Louisiana back in late 80's not soon after it was opened to fishing. I'd just bought about a 5 inch Bottomline Sonar and installed it on my first Ranger with the transducer mounted to the transom and the sonar unit at the console. They were the first company to come out with sonar that was actually real time, at that point I believe the rest had delay by a few seconds or so the best I can remember. They cost quite a bit more than HB's or Lowrance as well but for back in the day well worth the investment.
My dad and I had a crappie hole in the upper end of the lake where a pipeline and an old road intersected near a creek with some timber present and it was always stacked with crappie. We'd pull up and tie up to some trees on the edge of the creek and wear them out; or at least my dad would. He was sitting on the back deck with that Bottomline turned on, and wouldn't even have his jig or minnow in the water most of the time. He'd just watch the screen on the sonar and when one swam into the screen he'd drop his jig down and usually hook up as soon as he reached the depth of the fish. I'm sitting on the other end fishing my butt off and he's probably putting 5 or 6 fish in the boat to my 1. Even back then you could get the results of forward facing sonar looking down. For you young guys Bottomline was and extremely advance sonar company that made their products in the USA but eventually caved to a bigger financial bottom-line and started producing their products in China and it killed them literally. Everything they were getting from across the pond shipped over was junk and would usually die as soon as it was installed. I think they were eventually bought up by HB and then dissolved.

Bottom Line was bought by Johnson Outdoors and along with it all their patents. One of which Bottom Line called "side finder", which is likely the precursor to side imaging.

I have been saving this bit of technology since 1973.
It will always advance/change.
Not sure I ever used it, a gift from JC Penny.

I am for keeping the sport the same size not growing it. There is only so much water put there. Get your kids involved in the outdoors.

Forward facing is just another thing that prices up the game. Every year it gets more expensive to be competitive at the mid to higher levels. The amount you spend on a top level tournament rigged boat is ridiculous. There is always complaining when new things are added.

If it was so unpopular you would see mid to lower levels where sonar sponsor dollars mean nothing limit it.

Not many things get banned.

To think it eliminates sixth sense things such as reading the water, bird activity, etc is ridiculous.