By Daniel Brooks — a disclosed Sonar Shield editorial pen name.
A good fishing plan gives you somewhere to start. A useful second plan gives you somewhere to go when the first one stops answering the lake. Jacob Wall's recent Bass Pro Tour record offers a timely reason to think about that distinction.
Why Wall is worth watching
In MLF's October 2 analysis by Mitchell Forde, Wall stands out for combining approaches with and without forward-facing sonar. MLF reports four Top 10 finishes over the past two seasons, compared with one Championship Round in his first two Bass Pro Tour seasons. It highlights his fifth-place Lake Hartwell finish as an example of blending strategies.
The article lists a 2025–26 average Angler of the Year finish of 19.5, compared with 37.0 previously. That is an interesting record, but not proof that a rule change caused the improvement. MLF itself notes the small sample and the shrinking field. We should keep that context when discussing the numbers.
A lesson to try on your own water
The following planning exercise is Sonar Shield's editorial advice inspired by that reporting. It is not a claim that Wall uses this exact routine, a firsthand interview or a set of settings he has endorsed.
Before your next trip, write two short sentences. The first describes the situation you expect to fish. The second describes a genuinely different situation you are prepared to try. For example, the first might be a particular offshore depth zone and presentation. The second might be a bank-related pattern with a different positioning approach. The point is to identify a second question you can test, not simply a second lure tied on for the same unproductive place.
Give each plan a fair test
Decide what evidence would make you stay or change. You might look for repeated bait activity in the expected zone, fish that respond to a presentation, or a consistent relationship to a kind of cover. Write what you actually observe. A screen full of interesting marks and a repeatable catching pattern are different pieces of information.
Keep the test focused. Changing location, lure, retrieve and target depth all at once makes it hard to know which change helped. When possible, change one meaningful part of the approach and compare what happens. This is a way of organizing your own observations, not a promise that a fixed sequence works everywhere.
Test the second option before the day feels lost
It is easy to call something a backup plan without ever giving it useful time. Pick an appropriate checkpoint during the outing to test the alternative. The checkpoint can be a change in light, a move to another area or a natural break in the day; it does not need to be an arbitrary universal number of minutes.
If the second approach produces information, record it even if you return to the first. Knowing where bait is absent, where water differs or where a presentation cannot be made comfortably can improve the next decision. A useful fishing notebook contains observations as well as catches.
Prepare equipment for both approaches
Keep the relevant rods and tackle accessible so switching plans does not require unpacking the whole boat. Know the chart and sonar views you intend to use before you need them. For your equipment between trips, browse Sonar Shield covers, visors and accessories by exact model and intended use.
That shopping link is our own product recommendation. No Sonar Shield sponsorship, product use or endorsement by Wall is claimed in this feature.
A better question at the end of the trip
Instead of only asking which lure worked, ask which observation changed your decision. Did the second plan reveal something the first did not? Did you switch because of evidence, or because you were frustrated? Those answers make the next outing's two sentences more useful.
What is the second approach you trust when your first plan stalls? Share the situation and what makes you switch—not just the name of a lure.
Reporting source: Mitchell Forde, MLF, October 2, 2026, linked above. Photograph: Rob Matsuura / Major League Fishing. Original planning discussion: Sonar Shield editorial team. This feature does not report a new tournament result today.