MLF discussions

[WRB]

Aaron was near the bottom at the end of the 2nd period, no one was talking about him and he was mumbling to himself about needing to change what he was doing, where he was fishing ....and he did! KVD was sure he figured it out and didn't make change.

Lanes bass was in the boat first.

Got to love this format, very competitive and entertaining for a TV bass fishing event.

Tom

[Gundog]

Wesley Strader falling apart last week after jumping out with such a big lead was amazing. And then this week to have the same thing happen to Jeff Kriet in much the same way shows you that this is the most competitive and unpredictable format in pro bass fishing and makes for some incredible tv. It really doesn't matter how you start out, it only matters how you finish. 

[Tim Kelly]

Jason Christie's struggling in the classic at the moment too. 

[OCdockskipper]

Interesting dilemma for MLF.  How can you be the "Major League" of bass fishing when the back-to-back World Champion isn't involved, even in the Selects?

 

In a Kumbaya world, MLF would extend an exemption to Jordan Lee to fish MLF this year (next years TV coverage), forgoing having him work his way through the Selects.  They could call it the "Classic winner exemption" and make it an annual thing.  Lee could be gracious & accept it.

 

In a dog-eat-dog world, Jordan Lee could ask for a large payout in order to just join & compete on MLF.  MLF could respond by saying the Classic champ is afraid to compete in this format, or work his way up through the Selects.  It could get ugly & nasty.

 

My gut is Jordan is too humble a guy to let the 2nd scenario occur, but is enough of a family guy to say that he & his brother are a package deal.

[Scott F]

1 hour ago, OCdockskipper said:

Interesting dilemma for MLF.  How can you be the "Major League" of bass fishing when the back-to-back World Champion isn't involved, even in the Selects?

 

In a Kumbaya world, MLF would extend an exemption to Jordan Lee to fish MLF this year (next years TV coverage), forgoing having him work his way through the Selects.  They could call it the "Classic winner exemption" and make it an annual thing.  Lee could be gracious & accept it.

 

In a dog-eat-dog world, Jordan Lee could ask for a large payout in order to just join & compete on MLF.  MLF could respond by saying the Classic champ is afraid to compete in this format, or work his way up through the Selects.  It could get ugly & nasty.

 

My gut is Jordan is too humble a guy to let the 2nd scenario occur, but is enough of a family guy to say that he & his brother are a package deal.

How do you know he wasn't invited? Maybe, because his sponsors are not involved, he didn't want to be filmed fishing from a Nitro boat when Ranger sponsors him. 

[OCdockskipper]

I don't know if he wasn't invited, I don't believe I wrote that he wasn't. 

 

What I did write is that MLF has a dilemma that it markets itself as the "Major Leagues" (which I agree with) and that the back-to-back World Champion is not involved.  That is like when they have home run derbies in MLB but the previous years home run leader doesn't participate.  It casts a slight issue of credibility upon the winner when all of the best don't compete.

[riverbasser]

For some reason I look at fishing differently than other sports like you are referring. Mainly because there is another x factor in this sport and that's the fish. IMO these guys are never really competing with each other. They are always competing with the fish no matter the format.

 

Also the bass master circuit and MLF are worlds apart and can't really be compared at all with regard to who is the best. Their just too different

[Gundog]

I agree with @riverbasser. Its not the same format and can't really be compared to BASS. No 5 fish limit, no practice before the event, penalties for landing violations and, on some of the tourneys, a weight that needs to be reached to advance. Does that mean that Jordan Lee gets a pass? Not in my opinion. No champ's exemption because he isn't the champ of MLF. Its completely different from BASS. 

[OCdockskipper]

1 hour ago, Gundog said:

...Its not the same format and can't really be compared to BASS...

I understand and agree with that. 

 

However, getting back to the baseball analogy, hitting home runs in a game is different than hitting home runs in a home run derby.  Yet despite that difference, if Giancarlo Stanton or Aaron Judge had not been in the 2017 home run derby, it would have made it easy to wonder if maybe the eventual winner didn't beat the best home run hitters in the world.  The fact that they were in it (and Judge won) kind of eliminates that question.  The winner of the derby was able to do so by facing the best home run hitters in Major League baseball.

 

If MLF was just another fishing tournament, then not having Jordan Lee in it wouldn't matter.  But since it is billed as the "Major Leagues" and structures itself as featuring the best bass tournament pros in the world, leaving out the back-to-back World Champion allows the credibility of that marketing claim to be challenged.

 

As an aside, don't get me wrong about why I brought this up.  I truly enjoy both the MLF & the Elite series and wish them nothing but success in the future.  I just believe MLF has a little dilemma by not having Jordan Lee involved.

 

Second aside, all AOY winners since 2004 and all Classic winners since 2007 are part of MLF.

[WRB]

2018 MLF is over, the winner is ..... ..... Congratulations!

Tom

[riverbasser]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

2018 MLF is over, the winner is ..... ..... Congratulations!

Tom

Yep. I doubt its much of a spoiler as its been a week. Congrats to Skeet he was due.  This season seemed to be all about the smallmouth minus a few episodes.

[Tim Kelly]

Except for the semi final where KVD was thrown a largemouth curve ball. He had a proper bottom lip and came last. LOL

[12poundbass]

15 hours ago, riverbasser said:

Yep. I doubt its much of a spoiler as its been a week. Congrats to Skeet he was due.  This season seemed to be all about the smallmouth minus a few episodes.

It actually would've been for me which is why I didn't read the new posts until this morning. Congrats to Skeet he's been overdue for some sort of win. Since @WRB chimed in first I figured it was either Skeet or A-Mart. 

[New River Addiction]

Thank goodness it wasn't Aaron Martin. Whining when he isn't ahead of everyone and cocky as all get out when he is. Congratulations to Skeet!!! He earned it!!!

[WRB]

It was a good group of anglers if you exchange Ike for KVD. Aaron cocky? that discription should be tattooed on Ike's forehead. Try to keep in mind that Aaron has speech issues, the fact he realized his location error and couldn't recover shouldn't over shadow his fishing skills, just his poor ability to communicate.

Skeet was exceptionally humble during this MLF series and earned respect from every contestant speaks volumes.

Congtratulations Skeet! What none sponsored blade jig and trailer was Skeet using, he showed but didn't name it.

Tom

[Gundog]

I was surprised Reese won. I would have bet more on Aaron Martens. It was a great season. 

[A-Jay]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

What none sponsored blade jig and trailer was Skeet using, he showed but didn't name it.

Tom

Looked like it had a relatively small profile - especially considering the way the smallies Skeet was getting on it were choking it.  I'm going to guess it was the Z-Man/Evergreen Chatterbait Jack Hammer.

Also it seemed to have a dark perhaps painted blade which this one does.

A-Jay

[RichF]

I second @A-Jay.  Definitely think it was a Jackhammer.

[Tracker22]

14 minutes ago, RichF said:

I second @A-Jay.  Definitely think it was a Jackhammer.

Now, let’s all go out and buy ten of them!

 

[12poundbass]

51 minutes ago, Tracker22 said:

Now, let’s all go out and buy ten of them!

 

At almost $20 a pop I'll sit and wait for the fad to pass and wait for them to show up on the flea market. ?

[ohboyitsrobby]

I have one!!!!! I had my ole lady pick it up????? . I thought I lost her to sudden cardiac arrest when she got to the counter to pay for it.

[12poundbass]

2 minutes ago, ohboyitsrobby said:

I have one!!!!! I had my ole lady pick it up????? . I thought I lost her to sudden cardiac arrest when she got to the counter to pay for it.

Maybe it wasn't the price and the fact you called her your "old lady". I'd wake up a week later if I did that. ?

[ohboyitsrobby]

2 hours ago, 12poundbass said:

Maybe it wasn't the price and the fact you called her your "old lady". I'd wake up a week later if I did that. ?

She's surprisingly ok with it. Not so much the $18 chatterbaits lol

[LOZSteve]

If my ole lady got excited every time I spent $20 dollars on a bait/tackle etc. I wouldn’t have an ole lady. Point being if you want to play you gotta pay.  I told my lady don’t worry about these Gloomis NRX’s they are just for bass fishing. No different than her designer purses or jeans in my opinion.  

[KHNC]

Lake Murray! a local lake to me. Glad to see one nearby finally. just fished it this past monday in the exact same area. They had a tough day, as it can be in that section. I only fish that lower part when sight fishing. Looking forward to see how they do on future episodes in different areas of the lake. This was mid june of last year. I remember it was very tough at that time for mid lake area for me.