I can understand peoples concern with FFS. I am not going to bash their opinion or the desire to get rid of it. That’s your passion, then go for it.
Now saying that, what I do find is what I believe people may be wrong in pushing here. That is that it will kill bass fishing in X number of years. That I do not see happening and here is why.
Back in the beginnings of BASS, those anglers caught bass, then it was a 10 fish limit. Back then the live wells were pretty much non-existent. Then at weigh in they hooked them through the lips carried them in to weigh…. wonder what the survival rate was back then? I would say maybe 10% at the highest. Wonder what it is now? Maybe 90%?
Even the weekend anglers, they just threw them in a 5-gallon bucket or punctured them in the mouth, threw them to the side of the boat until they were finished fishing. Wonder what the survival rate was for them? Plus, most guys then took them home to eat or give them to someone to eat. Survival rate was at 0%.
BUT…. The fishing went on, the fish reproduced over and over again. Then in the 70’s BASS promoted catch and release. Bass boat manufacturers built new good reliable live wells. The professional tournament groups out outlaw puncture clips that tore the fish's mouths. We have live-well chemicals that soften the stress of the fish. All these things are a very big positive for fishing. These things keep fish alive.
Those fish caught by FFS, guess what they are released back into the waters with a good chance of surviving another day. Now tell me once again where in 10, 20,50 or more years where this modern sonar is going to kill fish or the fishing industry. It sure is much better than the old timers having a cull kill rate of 90% where today’s anglers cull rate kill is less than 5%.
The only reason to dislike FFS is you hate watching people fish now. Then do not watch, just go fish, there are more fish alive out there than ever before.
But to keep hammering this so-called nonsense FFS is killing fish and will kill the fishing industry is ludicrous. It's not, in fact Technolgy will come up with something newer, better and give an angler an even better chance to enjoy the feel of reeling in a fish.
I know Randy is a leading person trying to convince everyone that FFS is terrible and will ruin fishing for everyone. I disagree with all his talk of this. I do agree it is boring to watch them fish on TV now but guess what...I do not watch it on TV all that much anymore. The plus side is I get to fish more then.
But to frame FFS as a bass killing product is flat out wrong.

There that is my take on FFS, and maybe you have an opinion, most everyone that fishes does these days.

The buffalo were no match for the westward expansion, rifles, and shotguns.

It won’t be FFS, but it’ll be underwater drones with big bass ID technology target locked and synched with artificial lures better than the real thing.

Human beings can’t help themselves from pursuing short term gratification while creating an inevitable detriment to their near future.

It may well be, I suspect Humminbird to be announcing a Mega Live 360 soon. It just seems the next step in that progress of hunting fish.
Personally, I think through it all, fish will survive any onslaught as what is developed on down the road.

I think the biggest harm fish have now been the huge amount of people fishing. Will that cycle turn to a downward swing in the years ahead? I can go to my home lake Logan Martin, and it is a river lake, not wide at all, but from March to October, you will have at least three 200+ boat tournaments on Saturday. Every day of the week, from morning, retire people tournaments to evening tournaments it is every day of the week.
Logan martin is not even the most crowded lake in this state either, Lake Guntersville or Lake Martin takes those honors. Guntersville is large enough to handle it, Martin has its own problems.

When I first started bass fishing in the 70’s you could go to Cedar Creek or any other N. Texas lake on a Saturday and there would be a few other boats but not crowded. A few tournaments back then but nothing like today. I think the combination of so many more anglers, tournaments, and ever increasing technology are not a great combination for bass fishing long term.

tldr

I agree to those assertions you have mentioned. I just think this FFS bashing and telling people it’s the end of bass fishing as we know it is a wee bit of hype here. How many tournaments do you see that take their fish home with them.?
It’s not like these guys are catching them and killing them. They want their fish to stay alive and they do take care of them while in the boat.
I hear, read and talk to people saying they hate to watch a tournament on TV because of it….then don’t watch, it’s that easy to solve that in your life. I hear the young guys do not know how to really fish. Well I find young people cannot drive a straight shift car or truck either.
I hear it a video game type fishing. No it’s not, far from it really. I have the Mega live and too be very honest here, I do not even know what I’m looking at 80% of the time. I’m sure I will get better at it but it takes time and effort, it not a plug and play game tool.
I am over 60 and I stopped tournament fishing two years ago for one simple reason. I just do not have the commitment to do what it takes to stay near the top. Plus my competitive urges have waned to the point it’s just not as fun as it use to be. I have not lost the fun of fishing, in fact I enjoy it more now. I am way more relaxed fishing than worrying about when or if I will catch enough to get a check or not.
Nothing wrong in losing that edge at all. I find more enjoyment fishing for 5 hours and coming home not worn out. I still fish with friends in other boats but when we come back in we talk about how much fun we had instead of why we didn’t do this or that during the day and the frustration that seems to always be there.
FFS, I hope allows me to find more fish to catch and enjoy reeling them in. It sure beats not catching anything.

What does that mean?

Too expensive didn't buy

Bass are pretty prolific, really tough to get rid of them. So much depends on habitat. I agree that there are just too many of us out there and it does put a lot of pressure on the fish. Hever have understood the "grow the sport" thing unless it is coming from someone that is in the bass fishing "industry".

FFS is just another tool , they don't catch fish , they catch fisherman's

It’s going to put a hurt on the Crappie population for sure. They might not realize it for a while as you can catch fish that weren’t typically caught without it. The total crappie out there will go down. They will need a serious stocking program.

Conroe has always gone on cycles. Eat ‘Em cycle, can’t catch ‘Em cycle, stocking cycle……repeat.

It is fun watching sand bass on there , you got 7 or 8 following the fish you caught

The worst thing about FFS is that it spawned Randy.

FFS was the best thing that ever happened for BlueCat.

FFS has been a thing in the crappie world for 10 years now.