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Forward facing sonar is helping Minnesota anglers, but is it too effective?

New sonar technology has Minnesota DNR worried about muskie population
New sonar technology has Minnesota DNR worried about muskie population 02:15

LAKE MINNETONKA, Minn. — Ice conditions have been great for anglers this winter, and a new type of technology is helping them catch more fish. 

It's called forward facing sonar. It allows anglers to see below water in all directions. But the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is concerned that the technology may be too effective. 

"I've got that perch right below me. See that guy?" fishing guide Dan Jasper said.

For Jasper, this winter has been far better than last winter. The ice conditions on Lake Minnetonka are nearly perfect and so is the technology. 

"People are finding fish suspended in the middle of nowhere that they never thought existed. Out there, that far, away from shore," said Jasper of Jasper Guide Services. 

He's talking about forward facing sonar. It came out in 2018 and unlike old sonars where anglers could only see down and about 6 feet out, FFS has been a game-changer. 

The Garmin sonar Jasper is using can effectively see up to 150 feet away from his fish house. 

"I'm using it because it does help me in my business. It helps people catch more fish," said Jasper. 

But the DNR is concerned it may be too good. 

"I think the biggest thing is that you are seeing a picture that's being updated, constantly refreshed," said Marc Bacigalupi.

Bacigalupi is a fisheries manager with the DNR. He said right now they are talking with anglers who use the technology, and those who don't, to compare differences in catch rates. 

"We want to continue to track populations as we always have and set, if we need to, change a limit or a season or something like that," said Bacigalupi. 

He said they are mostly concerned about over-fishing muskies, whose population is lower than other fish and may be most vulnerable to forward facing sonar. But Bacigalupi isn't anticipating immediate changes and there may be some encouraging news. He believes fish aren't all that's being lured by this technology. 

"On the other hand if people are out there enjoying fishing and we can do it sustainably, and it's attracting anglers or young anglers, that's a good thing as long as fishing is sustainable," said Bacigalupi. 

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