Are you hungry for a brand new Humminbird or possibly a Power-Pole Charge like myself, well then you may be asking whose got the chips?
A worldwide chip shortage is hindering production and distribution chains all over. With bass fishing becoming a sport more and more dependent on electronic technology, it’s no surprise that many anglers are left wondering “What do I do now?”. From sport cameras, marine electronics, battery chargers, to boat control pads this could be a huge problem for the sport we’ve grown to love. Will this kill the sport? It may as we currently know it but this sport was founded without electronics and can surely go back if need be.
I myself am waiting on my 2022 boat that is a month past the completion due date. This has me wondering is it a chip or something else holding up production? I also know of several pros anxiously waiting for lifted backorders on certain products to be able to get their hands on their boats. You may have noticed pros like David Dudley wearing jerseys for a new boat all while competing out of his old boat. Examples of such are all around if you look close enough.
If you do a basic google search you will find a multitude of articles advising people to buy while you can. TVs being such an example. If you have your heart set on watching the upcoming Major League Fishing RedCrest event on a new big screen TV but you are waiting for a proverbial sale, then you better stop waiting. Buy now before it’s completely out of stock and back ordered until 2032.
Toyota having slashed its worldwide production target by 40% due to the chip shortage in the fall of 2021 is a sure sign we have a problem. Just another effect of the pandemic. I know I personally can walk through my house and count over fifty things that rely on chips to operate. Our dependency to need smarter devices may not be quite the same level as the movie I, Robot starring Will Smith, but our perplexity to go without these things will be hard for most Americans. That simple understanding will fuel panic and as history has shown us that’s never the best for the consumer. So, buyer beware.
This obviously will also affect the used product market in fishing. We’ve already seen the major increase in used car pricing due to low inventory. This will most certainly start to affect everything “used” in the fishing industry if it hasn’t already. That antique fish finder you have in your shed might go for a premium on EBay right now. Even those lures with computer chips in them may be hard to come by in the near future. The ripples are endless, but it will be interesting to see what companies adjust. What company will be the first to advertise a Chip Free Trolling Motor or Chip Free Fish Finder? Only time will tell.