By Steve Weisman
Outdoor Editor
One of the hottest topics in the fishing industry right now is Forward Facing Sonar (FFS). Some anglers have jumped right in and have purchased a FFS and have worked through the complexities of the unit. Others have purchased and are struggling to get a real grip on the FFS technology. Finally, there are the rest of us with lots and lots of questions.
Well, here’s an answer for you no matter your level of FFS understanding.
IGLFC Spring Seminar
That’s right. Mark your calendars for the IGLFC’s upcoming Spring Fishing Seminar at Oak Hill Outdoor on the north end of Milford on Thursday, February 5. Doors will open at 5 p.m. with meal at 6 p.m., followed by the featured seminar presented by Tom Huynh at 7 p.m.
According to Paul Daniels, IGLFC board member, “Our fishing club has secured Tom Huynh, a highly decorated walleye fisherman and pro angler as our speaker.”
The 46-year-old Huynh has been a walleye tournament angler since 2020 and is one of the hottest anglers on the National Walleye Tour (NWT), winning back-to-back NWT Championship titles in 2024 and 2025.
Huynh shared his excitement about his upcoming fishing seminar. “First off, I want to let the audience know that there is nothing to fear about FFS. I want to teach the ins and outs and how to apply the settings so that you don’t have to re-set for the rest of the year. All you have to do is just go fishing! Even if you do not own the technology, or even never plan on it, you will definitely be surprised when I show you in real time how walleyes position themselves in the water. This alone will help you catch more fish even without FFS.”
Huynh is definitely a fishing educator and is recognized as a leader in the Garmin LiveScope and other FFS technologies. He also founded a highly popular online educational platform to teach anglers advanced strategies and boat control in September of 2024. The education platform is called Tom Huynh University (THU) and offers a live virtual classroom with lectures, discussions and videos. One example is entitled “Master Forward Facing Sonar that covers installation, customized settings, practical on-the-water application, techniques and tips.
Huynh’s plan for the Spring Fishing Seminar is to share key points from his online FFS online course. During his seminar, he will show actual screen recordings to teach his own process.
An Interesting Journey to Tournament Fishing
…and what a journey it is! First off, Huynh grew up near Charlotte, Arkansas on a small cattle farm, fishing the family farm ponds for catfish, panfish and bass.
In 1999, after two years at Arkansas State, Huynh moved to the Fargo-Moorhead, North Dakota area to study computer information systems at Minnesota State University Moorhead. During that time, to help with college costs, he took a job in a nail salon. Although he earned his degree, Huynh found he had a talent with nail art, and today he operates two Polished Nail Spa locations in Fargo and has nearly 30 nail technicians. He continues to own the spas.
In 2015, he purchased his first boat, a 17’ Tracker. “I loved it, just being out on the water. We didn’t have the money when I was at home to have a boat.” So, with the Tracker, Huynh took the leap into the Bassmaster Opens, but the Pandemic of 2020 changed everything, and he had to stay closer to home.
So, he turned to local walleye tournaments, more specifically the Anglers Insight Marketing (AIM), Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC) and the National Walleye Tournament (NWT). Now, he is literally one of the hottest walleye pros in the country.
Huynh believes that his late arrival into the world of walleye fishing has been a benefit. He had no preconceived ideas. “I threw myself into the sport of fishing. I learned this on my own.” Most importantly, he is an observer and a learner, and as he has grown as a walleye angler, he has developed great skills as a problem solver. One of his staples is FFS.
He says, “FFS is the best educational tool you can have on your boat, but it’s not all about catching fish. Let me teach you how to use it. It’s all about understanding the behavior of the fish: how they react to baits, but more importantly how they don’t react to bait. We’re watching them now versus guessing as we have for years and years. With FFS, you can learn fish reaction, non-reaction and what baits to use, what not to use, what cadence they want and more importantly, where the fish are living. FFS is the most educational tool you can have in your boat.”
Speaking of boats, Huynh is in the process of breaking in his new tournament walleye rig: a Vexus DVX 22 paired with a Suzuki 350 hp outboard. The Garmin FFS is set up front along with two Garmin down scan and side scan units at the console.
Terry Thomsen, IGLFC president, believes the evening’s activities will offer something for everyone in attendance. “We think it will be both an exciting and fun evening with the excellent venue that Oak Hill Outdoor provides, along with the great food, a nice bunch of raffle and auction items, topped off with Tom Huyhn’s seminar that will offer us the chance to learn the ins and outs of FFS.”
(photos submitted)
Huynh up front using his Garmin LiveScope.
Champaign for the champ!
Tom Huynh holds the 2025 NWT championship trophy, making him the back to back winner!
Seminar flyer
