Major League Fishing

[Lucky Craft Man]

You know, with each Major League Fishing series, I find myself more and more into this format. If I have a Bassmasters or FLW tournament DVRed and there is a new MLF episode there as well, I watch that one before the other two.

Do any of you find yourself preferring the MLF episodes over other Bass Tournement episodes?

[Bluebasser86]

It's a cool format to watch, I wouldn't want to fish in one though. I guess it's more impressive to me when someone can get the biggest 5 instead of the most over 12". 

[HoosierHawgs]

I like the no practice, small boat, specific area format. I wish they did all Pro Tournaments w/out practice to make it more interesting...

[Hi Salenity]

I Iove watching it! It's funny though listening to them call a fish a giant that won't go 3 pounds.

[Lucky Craft Man]

I Iove watching it! It's funny though listening to them call a fish a giant that won't go 3 pounds.

Haha...I agree. Mike Icconelli is the worst at this. He screams out, "It's a Giant!" and it doesn't even tip the scales at 2 pounds.

[A-Jay]

 I've watched them all and I'm a fan of the format. 

 

It's always interesting to see which competitor will come out on top ~ the angler who get onto a "numbers or keeper" bite or the angler who might get into some larger fish.   

 

I think the Numbers side has had the edge so far.

 

A-Jay

[Tim Kelly]

Ish was getting impressive sized fish and definitely would have had had the best five, but if they were after the best five everyone else would have fished differently I expect. It's a great format and great coverage, but I tend to think that the FLW and Bassmasters coverage were better they could be as entertaining to watch.

[HoosierHawgs]

Ish was getting impressive sized fish and definitely would have had had the best five, but if they were after the best five everyone else would have fished differently I expect. It's a great format and great coverage, but I tend to think that the FLW and Bassmasters coverage were better they could be as entertaining to watch.

What do you mean by that?

[Tim Kelly]

Somehow the coverage of their shows isn't as engaging. I don't think you see enough of the pros actually fishing and they don't explain what they're doing, which is understandable I suppose, but it makes for a much more interesting show.

 

The live score tracker is a great way of messing with their minds in the MLF though and would be hard to replicate in the other formats, though they do have a weight guesstimate going all the time on the BASS shows, though it's rarely accurate. If the pros were aware of the approximate placings as they were going along it would probably help get the excitement up. 

[J Francho]

It's a television product, not a tournament. I like it, and it's cool to see how the pros react. Better than many of the cookie cutter fishing shows out there it's no Lunkerville, though.

[Lucky Craft Man]

It's a television product, not a tournament.

What distinguishes between the two?

Tournament - (noun) (in a sport or game) a series of contests between a number of competitors, who compete for an overall prize.

[J Francho]

There is no prize in MLF.

[Lucky Craft Man]

There is no prize in MLF.

I thought the winner received $50,000 (at least that's what I remember from the first one they had). They also receive a big @ss trophy.

[Bluebasser86]

Haha...I agree. Mike Icconelli is the worst at this. He screams out, "It's a Giant!" and it doesn't even tip the scales at 2 pounds.

When Ike had his City Limits fishing show, there was actually an episode where he hooks a fish and says "It's a giant! It's giant! It's a 2 pounder! It's a giant!" I had to rewind it a few times to make sure I heard it right. It's become somewhat of an inside joke with a couple of my fishing buddies to repeat that line when fighting a small fish to the boat. 

 

Then he had another episode he catches a 5 pounder and doesn't say a word while he's fighting it 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

It's a television product, not a tournament. I like it, and it's cool to see how the pros react. Better than many of the cookie cutter fishing shows out there it's no Lunkerville, though.

Ya I'm pretty sure they're all compensated for participating. I like the Marshal/Referee/Weighmaster position and the fish handling penalties. IMO the Bassmaster Tournies on ESPN etc are painful to watch on TV. Condensed down to a half hour review I could tolerate it. I enjoy more of the what where when and how, which they all lie about anyway, so... 

[J Francho]

From Duckett himself:

Prize money is an aspect that's yet to be determined. For now, there isn't any.

"That's the last thing to get worked on and we're not certain how that'll play out," Duckett said. "It'll depend on sponsorship, viewership and all that. This is a different deal with no entry fees, so there's no payout from entry fees. This is a business partnership and the company has to make money before any of the anglers do."

Many of the participating pros are invested in the show itself. It's a TV product, not a tournament. There are no fees, it's by invitation, and there's no purse.

[Team9nine]

From Duckett himself:

Prize money is an aspect that's yet to be determined. For now, there isn't any.

"That's the last thing to get worked on and we're not certain how that'll play out," Duckett said. "It'll depend on sponsorship, viewership and all that. This is a different deal with no entry fees, so there's no payout from entry fees. This is a business partnership and the company has to make money before any of the anglers do."

Many of the participating pros are invested in the show itself. It's a TV product, not a tournament. There are no fees, it's by invitation, and there's no purse.

 

THIS ^^^

 

It's a form of revenue sharing - kind of like all the original 24 owning stock in the "company" or product, and when the company profits, the "investors" (the pros) get a share of those profits. That said, the newer "Select" competitors had to buy their way in to be a part of the deal. They all paid a hefty price to be there and compete for the 6 slots available.

 

MLF is the equivalent of a "made for TV" movie. The competition is real, and everybody wants to win, but it's very manageable from a television standpoint to put cameras and officials in every boat due to the limited field and the nature of the bracket format. No way you could afford to do this with a normal BASS or FLW event from the beginning, which is why the first two days are usually skipped over for the most part, and detailed television coverage begins after the field is cut to 20 or whatever.

 

-T9

[Chris S]

Haha...I agree. Mike Icconelli is the worst at this. He screams out, "It's a Giant!" and it doesn't even tip the scales at 2 pounds.

I want to smack him 90% of the time!! I liked Ehler making a comeback and kicking butt!! 

[FishNFire]

I like the format it is definitely more TV friendly but I think that's what the sport needs to really grow is a more TV friendly broadcast. I think there is a real possibility of the MLF growing to be the future of the sport (later than sooner) with some small refinements maybe but I could see the potential. I could even "see a "team" aspect being beneficial if there is a way to make maybe 4 man teams with coach's kind of directing things from the "bench" just a wild thought and spin on the idea, just think of the possibilities. I know there is a lot of hurdles with TV production and the current formats but I still think that not having a well produced "live" element to the tournaments hurts. I know they have tried it before but I honestly believe that its more to do with how it is produced more than what the show is that has hurt it more than anything. Lets face it we all want to learn something from it, we want to get something out of the product that's on TV.

 

With the growing use of GoPro cameras I find it hard to believe that you couldn't televise the last 2-3 hours of the last 2 days or even just the last day of the tournaments. You could use footage from earlier in the day to fill in gaps in action the last couple hours. Then of course have good in depth features with anglers giving tips and information about how the lake is being fished or techniques being used and how to's to help fill in time as well. I know me personally I have a hard time watching the tournament footage when they try to build up drama in the show but the problem is you already know who wins because the footage airs 2 weeks after the fact. By the time it airs they are already fishing the next go round by that point its hard to be interested in my opinion.

 

I just like how the MLF format makes it a little more "sporty" trying to make it more viewer friendly and MLB, NFL, NHL like with the penalties and periods trying to add a little more major sport legitimacy to attract maybe a younger crowd and grow the sport even beyond what the high school and college fishing is doing.

[kikstand454]

MLF is the IROC of the bass fishing world. And I'm fine with that. I enjoy it ALOT more than the pro tour coverage of either tour.

I hope it expands into having a season, playoff and championship. In the current format- this would be pretty easy ( like ultimate match fishing)

[HoosierHawgs]

MLF is the IROC of the bass fishing world. And I'm fine with that. I enjoy it ALOT more than the pro tour coverage of either tour.

I hope it expands into having a season, playoff and championship. In the current format- this would be pretty easy ( like ultimate match fishing)

I really enjoyed UMF a lot.

[RSM789]

I had recorded & just watched the most recent Major League Fishing episode, they are in Maine & it was the first of the sudden death elimination rounds (where the first 3 to hit a designated weight advance).  In this episode, Brent Ehler smoked the field and Kelly Jordan was in last, never really in contention after the first period.  However, when I was looking at the statistics & having paid attention to the weights of some of the fish caught, it appears Jordan's problem was he was fishing the wrong format.

 

The last 3 fish Jordan caught weighed over 7 lbs. combined and earlier he had caught two that went just over 3 lbs. and just under 4 lbs.  So in a traditional format, Jordan would have been over 14 lbs. for his best five.  For all of the other anglers, their biggest fish were just a little over 2 lbs., so I would estimate the best totals any of them had was maybe 11 lbs. for their best five (more likely 10 something).  Now I know if it had been a different format, then the techniques would have been different & drop shotting for 13" fish wouldn't have been the go to method.  Nonetheless, it is interesting how looking like you are heads & tails above the field or way behind depends quite a bit on the format.

[hoosierbass07]

 I find the FLW broadcast to be horrible.  I don't even DVR them anymore and try to watch them.  The Bassmaster broadcasts are a little better but I still find myself fast forwarding through most of the broadcast unless I'm really board.  But MLF - that show is becoming one of my favorites.  I don't care for that new qualifying show, but the two hour MLF program, I put right up there with Hook & Look, Lunkerville, Salt Water Experience and Bill Dance as my favorite shows.  I will watch all two hours of MLF too without fast forwarding thought it.  

 

 What I like best about it - it shows the pros both being successful and struggling and catching lots of small bass like I do! 

[Chris S]

 I find the FLW broadcast to be horrible.  I don't even DVR them anymore and try to watch them.  The Bassmaster broadcasts are a little better but I still find myself fast forwarding through most of the broadcast unless I'm really board.  But MLF - that show is becoming one of my favorites.  I don't care for that new qualifying show, but the two hour MLF program, I put right up there with Hook & Look, Lunkerville, Salt Water Experience and Bill Dance as my favorite shows.  I will watch all two hours of MLF too without fast forwarding thought it.  

 

 What I like best about it - it shows the pros both being successful and struggling and catching lots of small bass like I do! 

I have really enjoyed watching Modern Fishing with Jared Jeffries  no live baits rigs!!

[EmersonFish]

I've enjoyed watching MLF. Like a lot of other people, I think I'd find it more interesting if they used the technology, but stuck to the best 5 fish format. I think there would be more opportunities for guys to make moves, and I'd be more interested in seeing how they approached the tournament if that was the case.