45lb NJ Musky - Sonar War - Opener Controversy
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Sonar War Heats Up (Again)
While anglers continue debating the ethics and potential regulation of forward-facing sonar, the electronics companies clearly aren’t hitting the brakes.
Garmin just dropped a new sonar system built around the GT360UHD transducer and Spy™ Pole, and it looks like the electronics arms race just found another gear.
The setup combines a new 360-degree sonar system (OneVü™) with a motorized pole that lets anglers control LiveScope™ independently from their trolling motor.
In other words… more visibility, more control, and probably a few more arguments at the boat ramp about where the technology line should be drawn.
360° OneVü™ Sonar
The GT360UHD transducer unlocks Garmin’s new OneVü™ sonar, which provides a bird’s-eye sonar view around the boat in both 2D and 3D.
A few key details:
• 360-degree sonar imaging around the boat
• 2D and 3D views available
• Can scan and store an area roughly the size of a football field
• True Motion technology keeps sonar returns locked to real GPS position as the boat moves
The idea is that anglers can scan an area once, build a full sonar picture around the boat, and then move around structure without constantly rescanning.
Spy™ Pole
The other big piece of the system is the Spy™ Pole itself.
Instead of mounting your LiveScope transducer on the trolling motor, the sonar sits on its own independent motorized pole.
That means anglers can rotate the sonar beam without turning the trolling motor or repositioning the boat.
Spy™ Pole can be controlled several different ways:
• Wireless foot control
• Rod-mounted gesture remote
• Controls directly through a Garmin chartplotter
The gesture remote is pretty interesting. Twist your wrist or move your rod slightly and the sonar beam rotates in the same direction.
Spy™ Pole can mount to Force® or Force Pro trolling motors, or be installed separately on the boat using a gunnel mount.
New Control Modes
Garmin also introduced several control features with Spy™ Pole.
SpyLock™
Locks your LiveScope™ sonar on a specific waypoint or target so you can move around it and cast from different angles.
SpyScan™
Automatically sweeps the sonar beam back and forth at adjustable speeds and angles to help search for fish.
SpyLink™
Connects Spy™ Pole with a Force Pro trolling motor so the sonar can be controlled from the trolling motor foot pedal. Even when the motor is in anchor lock, anglers can still rotate the sonar beam.
At this point the front deck of some fishing boats is starting to look less like a casting platform and more like the cockpit of a small airplane.
LiveScope™ Integration
When paired with LiveScope™, the system adds a new 3D sonar perspective and overlays the LiveScope beam direction on top of the 360 sonar image.
That makes it easier to see exactly where your live sonar is pointing within the larger 360 view around the boat.
Setup Details
Spy™ Pole is available in 42-inch and 49-inch lengths and can run on 12V, 16V, 24V or 36V systems.
Transducer cables can be routed inside the pole shaft, which keeps the setup cleaner and helps protect wiring.
Price
As expected, none of this comes cheap.
Garmin lists the GT360UHD + Spy™ Pole bundle at:
• $3,199.98 (49”)
Spy™ Pole by itself:
• $1,999.99 (42”)
• $2,199.99 (49”)
But judging by the number of graphs and ducers we’re seeing on boats these days, it probably won’t make any tech-hoarding anglers hit the pause button.
The Big Picture
Garmin plans to debut the new system at the 2026 Bassmaster Classic (March 13–15 in Knoxville, Tennessee), with availability starting March 13.
Whether this ends up being a real leap forward or just another twist in the sonar arms race remains to be seen.
One thing is pretty clear though.
The electronics race in fishing isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
And whether that’s good for the sport or not is a debate that seems to be heating up just as fast as the technology itself… something we’ll dive into more in a future issue.
New State Record in New Jersey?
Big fish don’t just shake up a lake. Sometimes they shake up the rulebook too.
On February 24th, Warwick, NY angler and business owner Victor Gelman iced a massive 45.02-pound musky on Greenwood Lake. The fish measured a little over 51 inches with a 27-inch girth and came through a 10-inch ice hole after eight long hours of watching tip-ups in brutal winter conditions.
One bite all day
One flag.
And it just happened to be the kind most anglers spend a lifetime chasing.
📸 Photo courtesy of Victor Gelman
Amazing fish. Absolute giant.
But also a bit of a bummer she isn’t swimmin’ anymore… especially a fish of this caliber.
The fish was reportedly donated to biologists for examination, which at least allows some valuable data to come from the catch.
If certified, this fish would surpass a New Jersey record that has stood since 1997. That benchmark belonged to angler Bob Neal, whose 42-pound 13-ounce musky came from Monksville Reservoir.
📸 Courtesy of Victor Gelman
Nearly three decades at the top is no small thing. Modern anglers have better electronics, better mapping, refined release tools and more shared knowledge than ever before. For a record to stand that long says something about how rare true top-end fish really are in the state of New Jersey.
Greenwood Lake straddles the New York/New Jersey border.
However, muskies in this system are stocked and managed by New Jersey Fish and Wildlife. They are not native to the lake. They are not stocked by New York State. The system is not connected to other established New York musky waters.
In simple terms, the fish was produced and supported by New Jersey’s stocking and management program, but it was physically caught across the state line on a border water.
That distinction has sparked some debate in the musky community.
Or to the state in whose water column it was hooked?
From a fisheries perspective, this catch reflects long-term management success.
This is now the second New Jersey state record musky caught through the ice.
Ice fishing for muskies is definitely not common practice in most musky waters, and in many places it is either illegal or discouraged. But the season was open in this case and the catch was legal.
And historically, winter conditions can absolutely produce giants.
Midwest guides have known for decades that late fall and winter windows often produce some of the heaviest fish of the entire year.
And apparently, when the stars line up, one well-placed sucker under a tip-up can outperform a hundred casts.
Beyond jurisdiction and the record books, the bigger takeaway is simple.
Greenwood Lake just proved it can grow a legit 45-pound musky.
And as this catch reminds us once again…
Wisconsin Opener Debate
One of the most heated debates in the musky world right now is Wisconsin’s new statewide May 2 musky opener and whether opening the northern zone earlier could hurt spawning success.
The change takes effect in 2026 and will unify the musky opener statewide for most inland waters.
To dig into the science behind the change, Musky Therapy host Chas Martin recently sat down with longtime Wisconsin fisheries biologist Jordan Weeks, who has spent nearly two decades working on musky management issues for the DNR.
One thing Weeks made very clear right away is that the original split season created back in 1984 was not designed specifically to protect spawning muskies the way many anglers assume.
According to Weeks, the main goal at that time was to reduce harvest.
Back then muskies were still being killed regularly. Harvest estimates were believed to exceed 65,000 fish per year statewide.
Fast forward to today and the situation looks completely different.
The DNR now estimates only around 200 muskies per year are harvested across roughly 700 musky lakes in Wisconsin. As most of us know, with a few exceptions muskies have essentially become a catch and release species.
That shift is a big reason the department felt comfortable reevaluating the old regulation.
When the DNR reviewed the proposal to move to a unified opener, Weeks said they looked at several different pieces of information.
First, they looked at waters where muskies are already exposed to fishing during the spawning period.
One example is Escanaba Lake, a research lake in northern Wisconsin that has been open to musky fishing year round since the 1940s. The population there still persists and naturally reproduces.
They also looked at other musky fisheries with continuous seasons, including places like Virginia’s James River, where muskies reproduce naturally despite year round fishing pressure.
Because there is no peer reviewed study specifically testing musky angling during the spawn, the DNR also examined related research on northern pike. In that study, fish were repeatedly caught and released during spawning and researchers found no measurable reduction in reproductive success.
Another interesting point Weeks mentioned is that Wisconsin hatcheries often finish collecting musky eggs before the first Saturday in May, suggesting many fish have already spawned or are finishing up by the time the new opener arrives.
So what does all that add up to?
Weeks’ conclusion was that catch and release angling during this period is unlikely to cause population level problems, especially considering extremely low harvest and the cold water conditions that help fish recover quickly.
He also emphasized that the DNR will continue monitoring the situation.
If harvest or population trends change significantly, regulations can always be revisited.
Some anglers have suggested leaving a few “control lakes” closed longer so the DNR could monitor the season change in a more controlled scientific way.
Whether you agree with the earlier opener or not, one thing is clear. This change did not come out of nowhere. It came through years of Conservation Congress votes, advisory questions, and review by fisheries staff.
That does not mean every angler has to love it.
But it does mean the conversation is more nuanced than simply saying the DNR decided to open the season during the spawn willy-nilly.
If anything, this situation should remind us that good fish handling and responsible angling matter more than ever, especially during warm water periods. With the earlier opener, the early part of the season may now deserve similar attention.
You can listen to the full discussion right here.
This Week's Mashup:
Mashup time!
#1 – Headshakes and heartbreak. One of those fish you’ll replay about a thousand times… she was a biggie. Livin’ rent free in the brain courtesy of Angling Anarchy. 😳
#2 – This Burnin Eights clip might be a little late for the Olympics, but this musky could still take home gold in the Big Air event.
#3 – After months of waiting, Ezoko just received a fresh batch of D-Flow swimbaits straight from South Korea. The one everyone’s been buzzing about is the Orosi 210. Clockwise from top left: Pink, Wood White, Woodgreen, Bone. Each bait is 100% handcrafted with some pretty unique paint patterns.
#4 – Found this gem at the Duluth Sport Show by Charming Farm Creations out of New Auburn, WI. A musky shaped shadowbox with a Northwoods scene tucked inside. Super cool piece. 😎
QUICK HITTERS:
– Green Bay Muskies (video) w/ Keyes Outdoors Musky Hunting Adventures
– Becoming a Musky Angler: 4 Days on the Shield (FILM) (video) w/ Net Buddy
– Rod Ramsell’s Musky Legacy | From 60-Inch History to Eagle Lake Success (VLOG 5) (video) w/ Beyond the 8
– 40 MUSKY MEGA TRIP (video) w/ Smith’s Fishing Outdoors
– Hunting Muskie in Sunset Country (video) w/ The New Fly Fisher
This Week's Monster Muskies:
Big smiles, bigger fish! Shazana Amanda with a beauty of a Tiger. 🐅
Jake Jageman shows off this sporty one he caught on a DK Harp on his last trip of the year.
Brent Lenke sent in this Lake of the Woods fatty from last November. She came trolling and was part of an unreal four fish day. Not a bad shift up on LOTW.
No time wasted for Brady Martz, getting back in the groove after a busy show season. He kicked off his year on the Upper Allegheny with this absolute tank of a 49.5” that’s built like a brick.
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