there is no way that it cant impact catch rates. if it didnt why they banning it in some tourneys? study probably bias.
watch a few tv shows now days. its getting as bad as baiting deer, on hunting shows. thats all you see is a fisherman glued to a screen casting at "the big one over there". what skill does it take to do that? not much IMO
I look at it as if you are sight fishing a flat, you can see the fish even sometimes pick one out of a school to cast to, but that does not mean you will catch it...
To me, putting in artificial fish structures and marking them on GPS, then running around the lake or resi, just fishing them is like baiting deer.
thats only possible in shallow clear waters though. im not fan of gill bed raping either, like you speak of. unfortunately, my state deems it ethical/legal still. they pick off the big breeders before they get the job done for next the generation.
LOL... just another device that lets you know the fish are laughing at you! an expensive one at that!
I think folks that can't or haven't used the tech will suggest its an unfair advantage and maybe its because they havent had days of a full screen of fish and no bites or days of just empty screen. You have to be a well rounded angler to make use of that tech.