Forward-facing sonar—or live-scope technology—is a relatively new type of fish finding gear that lets anglers target specific fish on a display screen with remarkable precision. The tech is so effective, in fact, that it's caused a stir in certain fishing circles, with the National Professional Fishing League banning its use in their tournaments last fall. Now, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) has organized a working group to determine how the technology should be regulated during future fishing seasons.
"The goal is to stay on top of the issue and gather information as the technology progresses," MDNR fisheries biologist Marc Bacigalupi tells Field & Stream. Bacigalupi heads up the MDNR's live-sonar working group, which was formed late last year to take closer look at the technology. "Two key parts of our discussion are: one, is this too effective? Are we over fishing? Also, is it fair chase, or is too much of an advantage for an angler?"
According to Bacigalupi, the group is made up of local musky and bass guides, biologists like himself, and other fishing industry experts who meet on a quarterly basis. "This is a place where the experts can compile data and provide recommendations to the department," he says. "We're trying to collect as much information from different states and research institutions as we can."
Bacigalupi says that forward-facing sonar gives anglers a marked advantage when fishing in deep-water, particularly ice fisherman targeting large concentrations of crappie. "In those type of scenarios you could have a higher risk of barotrauma (injuries to fish caused by a sudden change in water pressure)," he says. "On social media or YouTube, you'll see videos about deepwater crappie fishing in the winter. There are barotrauma issues with that, and live sonar is definitely a part of that story."
Muskellunge is another species that Bacigalupi and the working group are focused on in their assessment of live-scope technology. According to MDNR, muskies have lower population densities than other native fish species. "If we were suddenly catching and killing a lot more [muskies], that would be something we would be concerned about," he told a local media outlet earlier this month.
Read Next: Competitive Bass Fishing League Bans Forward-Facing Sonar
For now, forward-facing sonar will remain unregulated in Minnesota. But that could change depending on the working group's findings, Bacigalupi says, which will take time to emerge. "In Minnesota, fishing regulations are adopted after a 16-month process," he says. "We can make recommendations for certain regulation changes to DNR leadership, but even if we bring a proposal to the table, there will be a long public-input process before any changes are made."
