Young Bass Pro Turns to Whitetail Deer for Secret Fishing Spots

Liberty Check

• Anglers are forced to rely on traditional skills after forward-facing sonar is banned
• Private initiative and observation beat government-style tech restrictions
• Young competitor proves hard work and ingenuity still win in America

Kaden Buchmann, a 22-year-old bass pro, won the first Bassmaster Elite Qualifier of the season at Norfork Lake in Arkansas without the aid of LiveScope sonar.

With forward-facing electronics banned, Buchmann turned to a time-honored method: watching the shoreline for whitetail deer.

“If I saw 15 deer in a pocket, I’d say, ‘I’m getting bit here,'” Buchmann told Bassmaster.

Deer close to the water signaled untouched pockets where other anglers had not yet run their boats.

Buchmann spotted more than 30 deer on opening day, including a 9-point buck, and used their presence to locate less-pressured areas.

“We can’t use (forward-facing sonar) this week, so you just have to fish where you think they’re gonna be,” he told Bassmaster.

His strategy paid off with a wire-to-wire victory and a 42-pound, 7-ounce total catch.

Buchmann covered miles of water by trolling motor, fishing docks and shaded shorelines with topwater and jig presentations.

“I fished the whole lake,” Buchmann said after the win. “I fished from about 3 miles from Missouri, all the way down to a pocket by the Norfork Dam.”

The win earned him $71,317 and an invitation to the 2027 Bassmaster Classic at Lake Hartwell.

Americans deserve better.