360 to 1: How Bryan Thrift Relied on Electronics in his 2019 FLW Cup Win

If there's one thing Bryan Thrift has learned as the number two all-time leading money winner in FLW^® history, it’s that the odds are always stacked against you in tournament fishing. Fishing against the top anglers in the world means high stakes, where the difference between winning and taking home second place can often be just as much about efficiency as it is about fishing skill. 

"When you get to an event like the FLW Cup, the competition is fierce. Everyone can flat out catch them," said Thrift shortly after the win that sealed his reputation as one of the best anglers in all of competitive fishing.

"That's why I look for every advantage I can find to make my fishing time more productive. If I can make my casts more accurate and provide a better presentation than the next guy, that can be all the difference in the world." 

It's all about information and accuracy

In the FLW Cup event, held on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Thrift found that advantage in his trusted Humminbird 360 Imaging^®, connected to a technology-rich Humminbird HELIX^® 12 CHIRP MEGA SI+ GPS G3N fish finder.

"I've been running Humminbird 360 for five years. I literally can't go fishing without it. As soon as I'm in the boat, I turn it on and I rely on it every single second I'm fishing," offered Thrift. 

"The 360 Imaging technology was a key tool in winning the FLW Cup because I could see exactly what I was throwing at. I was fishing brush piles, so I'd pull up on a waypoint and immediately see the pile [on 360 Imaging] and know exactly where to cast. Without 360, it might take me four or five casts to hit my target. Instead, I'd make the perfect cast, on my first cast, every time. And that made every stop quicker and more productive and allowed me to catch more fish.” 

“I had one key spot where there were three brush piles in an area. Because the Humminbird 360 Imaging was always updating, regardless of where I pointed my trolling motor, I could see all three [brush piles] at the same time and watch how the bait was set up on them,” Thrift said confidently.

“Once I saw a pile of bait move onto a brush pile, I would make a cast to that target based on the direction and distance of that brush pile shown on the 360. This allowed me to capitalize on the spot because the bait would fire up the fish that were hanging on that spot and my casts would land right in front of those fish. Doing this, I could catch three or four quality fish real quick,” stated the FLW Cup Champion.

“Without that information from the 360, I would have would have had to grind it out a lot more instead of catching those fish as confidently and as quick as I did."

Thrift was quick to point out how important that information was in the tournament. It was a phenomenon he hadn't seen before this event, but it taught him a lot about why certain spots might fire when conditions above the water don't appear to have changed. 

"Every time I use 360, I learn something. Lots of people are used to fishing the bank, looking at the shoreline and above-water structure to identify fish-holding locations. I tell them that this technology allows you to have the same understanding of offshore structure. It is always working to give you an accurate look at what's going on around you and makes every cast count because you're not just blindly casting around the boat."

That level of productivity and knowledge can really make a difference when it comes to tournament fishing, and Thrift has learned to put it to use anytime he's on the water. By using 360 Imaging in a variety of fishing conditions, Thrift has been able to develop a deeper understanding of fish and the water better than the competition, which has helped him achieve the high level of success he has earned in his fishing career.

The only remaining question for the reigning FLW Cup champ is "what's next?" 

"Winning the FLW Cup was something I'll never forget. If anything, it has stoked my competitive fire."

"With the new Humminbird MEGA 360 Imaging™ on its way, I'm just looking forward to getting back out on the water with the best new technology on the water. Next season can't come soon enough."