Month: December 2019

Categories
The National Angler

IT’S STARTING – ANGLERS ARE PUSHING BACK AGAINST THE MLF/FLW MERGER

IT’S STARTING – ANGLERS ARE PUSHING BACK AGAINST THE MLF/FLW MERGER

Looking back at last year you could see that a lot of anglers were not happy about the new style of professional fishing. MLF went away from the norm and went for a format that is better for the fish and also the tournament anglers. MLF also took a majority of the BASS Elite Series anglers with the start of the Bass Pro Tour (BPT) and that upset some of the diehard BASS followers. The events at MLF events also took a big hit when it came to criticism, not drawing the crowds. The post day follows broadcasted live also didn’t live up to the hype and were subsequently dropped after the first couple of stages for just the final.

Change is inevitable and people just don’t like it. However, the change was welcomed by the tournament pro’s that jumped over to the BPT. No entry fees and better conditions for the fish by not having to drag them around all day in a live well. Some of the professional anglers spoke out against the fans who were not supportive of the new format and were pretty blunt when it came down to the fact, they don’t care. I thought one of the pro’s responses was a little cocky and arrogant, but that was his opinion. Opinions are like a$$holes, everyone has one. 

To top it off, the merger of MLF and FLW also upset some of the same ones that didn’t like the format. I’m not going to bore you; the article is on the home page. MLF is trying when the brought on the “Heavy Hitters” tournament and I don’t even think that was enough to calm the fans. 

Several guys put in a lot of time and money to qualify for a championship tournament that paid $10k for just showing up and the potential for a life changing 1st place prize of $300k. These guys qualified for the FLW Cup only to be told that MLF/FLW would not honor their end of the deal. These guys worked hard chasing their dream and spending money only to have the door to that dream slammed shut in their face. Sadly, a company owned by millionaires and billionaires will not honor their agreement to these anglers! These anglers should be allowed to participate in the FLW title championship on the St. Lawrence River in August since it took the place of the Cup. Help me show these companies that the grassroots fishing community is more than just a revenue stream to fill their pockets!

Making ItRight Tweet

Here is the link to the petition: http://bit.ly/2s9csoU

You make your decision, but I’m going to share one final thought on this. In the professional fishing world “WHO” is the most important person or entity? It’s the fan, not the professional anglers, not the tournaments themselves, not the companies that support or produce. It’s the FAN WHO IS THE MOST IMPORTANT in the situation. The fans are the ones spending the money to make this world work and without the fans, you have nothing. That is what everyone needs to be thinking about, what’s best for the fan?

 

Semper Fish,

 

Joe, The National Angler 

CHECK OUT THE HOTTEST SELLING TACKLE OF 2019

SHOP NOW
Categories
Major League Fishing - Bass Pro Tour/Cup Events

MAJOR LEAGUE FISHING RESPONDS TO 5 FISH FANS WITH “HEAVY HITTERS” OR DID THEY?

Major League Fishing announces an original tournament, “Heavy Hitters,” on the Kissimmee Chain Lakes in Kissimmee, Florida, May 16-20, 2020 featuring nearly three- quarters of a million dollars in event payouts. This special event, the first of its kind, extends the Bass Pro Tour to nine events. The Bass Pro Tour began in 2019 and features 80 of the best professional anglers in the world, including Kevin VanDam, Edwin Evers, Aaron Martens, Mike Iaconelli, Jordan Lee, and Skeet Reese.

To qualify for Heavy Hitters, the weight of an angler’s single largest bass from each of the first five Stages of the Bass Pro Tour will be recorded. For example, if an angler’s heaviest fish in Stage One is 7 pounds; in Stage Two, 5 pounds; in Stage Three, 9 pounds; in Stage Four 8 pounds; and in Stage Five 6 pounds, that angler’s qualifying weight will be 35 pounds. The 30 anglers from the 80-angler field of the Bass Pro Tour with the highest cumulative weight across five stages earn a spot to compete in MLF’s Heavy Hitters.

“We’re always looking for opportunities to experiment with formats so we can discover new ways to present the sport of competitive bass fishing,” remarked Jim Wilburn, President and CEO of Major League Fishing. “As a young, angler-centric league, MLF strives to take notice of what’s happening in our industry and invent entertaining events that both teach trusted techniques from the best anglers in the world and invite new fans to the sport.” 

The five-day tournament format will parallel REDCREST, featuring a 30-angler Shotgun Round (day one) and a 30-angler Elimination Round (day two). The top 20 anglers at the end of the two-day total qualify into a Knockout Round (days three and four). The top five anglers from each of days three and four will qualify into the 10-angler Championship Round (day five). Scorable bass vary each round. Shotgun and Elimination Rounds will score 1 pound or higher. For the Knockout Round, Major League Fishing will test a 2-pound minimum for scorable bass. In the Championship Round, MLF will test a t3-pound minimum on scorable bass on the Kissimmee Chain Lakes. 

The full field of 30 anglers will receive a minimum payout of $6,000 and the tournament winner will earn $100,000.  In addition to the championship purse, anglers will have the opportunity to earn a daily bonus for their biggest bass of the day based on the following graduating scale: Day One $25,000; Day Two $25,000; Day Three $50,000; Day Four $50,000; Day Five (Championship Day) $100,000. The five-day payout totals $745,000 for MLF Heavy Hitters.

Major League Fishing will live stream Heavy Hitters from Kissimmee, Fla. and produce original programming for Discovery as a part of the Bass Pro Tour television lineup. 

Stage Five moves to Grand Lake
With the addition of MLF Heavy Hitters, Stage Five of the Bass Pro Tour will move to Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees, April 24-29, 2019, launching from the Wolf Creek Boat Ramp in Grove, Okla.  Each stage of the Bass Pro Tour includes six days of competition using the Major League Fishing, catch-weigh-and-immediately-release format, where every bass over 1 pound counts toward a cumulative weight total for the day. The field of 80 anglers is divided into two groups of 40 to compete on days one and two respectively for the Shotgun Round. On days three and four, the Elimination Round culls the field based on a combined two-day total weight from each angler’s Shotgun and Elimination Round. The top 20 anglers from each group in the Elimination Round (40 total) advance to the Knockout Round on day five, which determines who will compete on that final day, the Championship Round, for the Stage title and $100,000.