As for the equipment being updated, I will say this:
You can buy the most expensive equipment in the world, load it on your boat, put the biggest motor on it with the best electronics, it still doesn't mean you will catch the most fish, the biggest fish, or any fish for that matter.

I fish in a series where the worlds best walleye anglers come to play. Majority of the boats are backed by the BEST electronics in the industry. In some instances, we are talking 10's of thousands of dollars. Couple that with the biggest motors in the game, autopilot that keeps you on a course, and the backing of some of the industry elite when it comes to tackle and, in theory, EVERYONE should be tied for first place!

The reality isn't the case however. We have other factors involved that play a very specific role. Weather. In the form of wind, waves, high pressure, low pressure, clouds, full sun, overcast, shade, tempurature ect...
We also have fishing pressure. Simply put, you can have the best equipment in the world and you still have to find the fish!

During speaking engagements, the most often asked question is not what you would think. In fact, it is the question that most people should ask instead of what bait to use, what fish finder to buy, ect...
The most often asked question is: How do you determine where to start?

If we are in a tournament and our defined area is 100 miles by 100miles, how do you pick where to go? Well, the answer actually shocks most people. You can take the most expensive electronics in the world and they simply are NOT BIG ENOUGH! Yup, I said it. They are not big enough to give you the complete picture of an area. Whether it is 100 miles by 100 miles, or 40 acres. The area on the screen associated with your GPS isn't big enough to show you the full picture! So, if your 5k electronics don't work, what do you use? A good old fashioned MAP!

The guys in these big tournaments that arrive to a lake and rely on their electronics alone to "guide" them to the fish are usually the ones that come across the stage with their hands in their pockets. Why? They didn't have a starting point! The majority of us do a great deal of research combined with our knowledge of where the fish should be at relating to the time of year, tempurature... the weather I talked about earlier. The big picture (MAP) allows us to find those areas (starting points). From there, we can use the 10k worth of electronics to hone in on the fish. Can we make them bite? Well, that is why we compete!

Basically put, you can have all the high end gadgets in the world to help you located the fish BUT, if you cannot make the fish bite, it doesn't matter!