First two BPT groups revealed for next week's kickoff

[12poundbass]

Both groups are stacked! This is going to be very interesting!

http://www.majorleaguefishing.com/article/breaking-news-first-mlf-bass-pro-tour-competition-groups-announced/21450

[MSWV]

How many will move on from each group?  Im still confused bout this..  haha

[jbsoonerfan]

20 from each group will move on to the knockout round.

 

My just for fun picks

 

Group A

Gary Klein

Casey Ashley

Mark Davis

Ish Monroe

Jared Lintner

Fred Roumbanis

Edwin Evers

Chris Lane

Justin Lucas

David Walker

Mike McClelland

Tommy Biffle

Russ Lane

Matt Lee

Ott DeFoe

Jacob Wheele

Keith Poche

Takahiro Omori

Jordan Lee

Tim Horton

 

Group B

Aaron Martens

Jeff Kriet

Skeet Reese

Brent Chapman

Luke Clausen

Gerald Swindle

Jason Christie

Todd Faircloth

Greg Hackney

Paul Elias

Cliff Crochet

Brent Ehrler

Anthony Gagliardi

Kevin VanDam

Bobby Lane

Mike Iaconelli

Fletcher Shryock

Mark Rose

Brandon Palaniuk

 

[EWREX]

I'm still so up in the air about the format. I feel like the standard 5 bass limit format is so superior MLF's format. They also have a bunch of weird rules like penalties if a fish touches the deck of your boat. Having a hard time jumping on board with MLF right now.

[TnRiver46]

2 hours ago, EWREX said:

I'm still so up in the air about the format. I feel like the standard 5 bass limit format is so superior MLF's format. They also have a bunch of weird rules like penalties if a fish touches the deck of your boat. Having a hard time jumping on board with MLF right now.

Yeah it’s a little weird 

[Tlauz]

I love watching MLF.  I think the live score tracker has made it very interesting.  It seems like in most shows someone is always knocked out in the last 15 minutes.  I love how the score tracker affects guys and makes them change what they are doing.  I love watching BASS as well, but MLF has added a new element I really enjoy. 

[jbsoonerfan]

I like the MLF format better. To me, it's all about who can find a pattern and catch fish. For me, that's what fishing is all about, catching fish. Catching 5 big fish is sometimes about luck. Catching 20 fish that weigh in at 40lbs and winning is more impressive to me. The guys that usually win when scores are low are the guys that luck into a 6lber, that's why I like to see the 40-50lb days where guys are weighing 20 or more fish.

 

Also, the live score tracker has to be an intimidating thing when you are not catching them.

[TnRiver46]

Well I at least found out I have the outdoor channel on directv

[BoatSquirrel]

I like how on MLF an angler catches a fish, weighs it, and releases it as opposed to running it all over the lake in a livewell.  I would love to see more tournaments go to this format, even if it is for the best 5 fish.

[Troy85]

With the BPT, they do get two practice days.  That should give them time to locate some areas that hold bigger fish, as opposed to the MLF cup events where they show up with no info or time to practice.

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, BoatSquirrel said:

I like how on MLF an angler catches a fish, weighs it, and releases it as opposed to running it all over the lake in a livewell.  I would love to see more tournaments go to this format, even if it is for the best 5 fish.

Some of the best 5 fish tournaments weighed and released all but their biggest keeper. Watch lake Travis 2018 bass elite

[Hawkeye21]

On 1/24/2019 at 2:24 PM, MSWV said:

How many will move on from each group?  Im still confused bout this..  haha

Day 1  Group A of 40 fish.

Day 2  Group B of 40 fish.

Day 3  Group A of 40 fish again.  Top 20 advance.

Day 4  Group B of 40 fish again.  Top 20 advance.

Day 5  The top 20 from group A and B fish.  The top 10 advance.

Day 6  Final day with just the top 10.

23 hours ago, EWREX said:

I'm still so up in the air about the format. I feel like the standard 5 bass limit format is so superior MLF's format. They also have a bunch of weird rules like penalties if a fish touches the deck of your boat. Having a hard time jumping on board with MLF right now.

It's all about protecting the species.  Less time out of the water.  Less contact with surfaces like the carpet off the boat and shirts which can damage the slime coat on a bass.  No time sitting in a live well.  No culling systems.

 

I love it.

[EWREX]

3 minutes ago, Hawkeye21 said:

Day 1  Group A of 40 fish.

Day 2  Group B of 40 fish.

Day 3  Group A of 40 fish again.  Top 20 advance.

Day 4  Group B of 40 fish again.  Top 20 advance.

Day 5  The top 20 from group A and B fish.  The top 10 advance.

Day 6  Final day with just the top 10.

It's all about protecting the species.  Less time out of the water.  Less contact with surfaces like the carpet off the boat and shirts which can damage the slime coat on a bass.  No time sitting in a live well.  No culling systems.

 

I love it.

 

I understand that aspect of it and I am all for conservation of the species we all love. I still think the 5 bass limit prevails. You can still do catch, weigh, and release with the standard 5 bass bag rules. But also as a fan of the PRO competitive sport, going to a Bassmaster event is exciting to see the live weigh in.

 

MLF is just one of few organizations that uses the catch, weigh, and release out of the thousands of tournaments that happen yearly, professional or amatuer.

[Hawkeye21]

1 minute ago, EWREX said:

 

I understand that aspect of it and I am all for conservation of the species we all love. I still think the 5 bass limit prevails. You can still do catch, weigh, and release with the standard 5 bass bag rules. But also as a fan of the PRO competitive sport, going to a Bassmaster event is exciting to see the live weigh in.

 

MLF is just one of few organizations that uses the catch, weigh, and release out of the thousands of tournaments that happen yearly, professional or amatuer.

 

I think the weigh in will be a thing of the past eventually although it will take a while.  It makes me cringe when I see those guys holding those big bass up in the air with their jaws all jacked up then knowing they're going to most likely be dumped pretty far from where they were caught.  I get it's fun and I fish in some tourneys like that but it is really worth it?

[EWREX]

4 minutes ago, Hawkeye21 said:

 

I think the weigh in will be a thing of the past eventually although it will take a while.  It makes me cringe when I see those guys holding those big bass up in the air with their jaws all jacked up then knowing they're going to most likely be dumped pretty far from where they were caught.  I get it's fun and I fish in some tourneys like that but it is really worth it?

 

I think the live weigh in is important. It's interaction with the sport and their fans. Professional anglers care about the well being of bass just as much as you, it is how they make their living after all. The mass amount of anglers who switched to MLF didn't do it because of the format, I can tell you that much lol.

[Hawkeye21]

1 minute ago, EWREX said:

 

I think the live weigh in is important. It's interaction with the sport and their fans. Professional anglers care about the well being of bass just as much as you, it is how they make their living after all. The mass amount of anglers who switched to MLF didn't do it because of the format, I can tell you that much lol.

I know it wasn't the most important reason but they still think it's a benefit.  Better TV exposure too.  When it comes to sports, TV is more important than the live event.

[1simplemann]

On 1/24/2019 at 2:34 PM, EWREX said:

I'm still so up in the air about the format. I feel like the standard 5 bass limit format is so superior MLF's format. They also have a bunch of weird rules like penalties if a fish touches the deck of your boat. Having a hard time jumping on board with MLF right now.

IMO, There's nothing weird at about the penalties. It's all about fish care. If fact, I think the penalty should be higher for intentional boat flipping! I cringe when guys say " Get in the boat!" and then flip them in and they get slammed up against something. 1st. how would you feel if you were dropped from something that high. They can't talk but I bet they don't enjoy one bit. 2nd. It's a known fact carpet is very bad for their slime coat. It's about fish survival. if they swim off doesn't mean they are going to live. MLF should do their best to encourage the anglers to harm the fish  as little as possible. IMO, If a fish jumps off, that's a minor offense. 2 minutes. If they are intentionally flipped in, 5 minutes.  Incidental contact, 2 minutes. Every time a guy says "i don't care, it's worth the penalty" on national TV it encourages the same behavior on a recreational level. It will agree though that it's step in the right direction.

[12poundbass]

5 minutes ago, 1simplemann said:

I cringe when guys say " Get in the boat!" and then flip them in and they get slammed up against something. 1st. how would you feel if you were dropped from something that high. They can't talk but I bet they don't enjoy one bit.

What about when you set the hook and the hook pierces their mouth or when all three treble hooks pierce their body? 

 

Don't get me wrong I'm more conscious about my fish care and I make sure to keep them off from the carpet. Just wondering your take on the hooks. 

[A-Jay]

37 minutes ago, 1simplemann said:

IMO, There's nothing weird at about the penalties. It's all about fish care. If fact, I think the penalty should be higher for intentional boat flipping! I cringe when guys say " Get in the boat!" and then flip them in and they get slammed up against something. 1st. how would you feel if you were dropped from something that high. They can't talk but I bet they don't enjoy one bit. 2nd. It's a known fact carpet is very bad for their slime coat. It's about fish survival. if they swim off doesn't mean they are going to live. MLF should do their best to encourage the anglers to harm the fish  as little as possible. IMO, If a fish jumps off, that's a minor offense. 2 minutes. If they are intentionally flipped in, 5 minutes.  Incidental contact, 2 minutes. Every time a guy says "i don't care, it's worth the penalty" on national TV it encourages the same behavior on a recreational level. It will agree though that it's step in the right direction.

 

26 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

What about when you set the hook and the hook pierces their mouth or when all three treble hooks pierce their body? 

 

Don't get me wrong I'm more conscious about my fish care and I make sure to keep them off from the carpet. Just wondering your take on the hooks. 

I can see both sides of the coin here.

 And I am all about fish care.  And while I'll always handle the fish I catch with respect and do try to offer them the best chance to recover & survive, years of doing this has show that not all will and sometimes there's nothing I can do about it.  I do not see the need however, to overly complicate the process with rough handling; and you can define that however you want. 

    NO doubt the actual act of setting the hook, depending on the type of bait, can & often does do some pretty serious damage.  And the boat flip which ends up ricocheting off the console and the subsequent flopping on the deck for some time until the angler can get a hold of it, may not display the highest level of fish care either.

  Question is, can there be a happy medium ?  If we are willing to accept whatever internal (or even brain damage) a 6/0 Trokar Mag worm hook (which is like a gaff) does when a 200 lb man steps back to set it with all his might into the roof of the basses mouth (right between the eyes), then we may also have to accept whatever happens next.  

 

  Post catch 'fish care' in many instances may be like putting a Band-Aid on a gun shot wound but it's really all we can do.

A-Jay

 

[TnRiver46]

37 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

What about when you set the hook and the hook pierces their mouth or when all three treble hooks pierce their body? 

 

Don't get me wrong I'm more conscious about my fish care and I make sure to keep them off from the carpet. Just wondering your take on the hooks. 

What about when we call fish girls when they are actually males? That has to hurt ......

[12poundbass]

20 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

 

I can see both sides of the coin here.

 And I am all about fish care.  And while I'll always handle the fish I catch with respect and do try to offer them the best chance to recover & survive, years of doing this has show that not all will and sometimes there's nothing I can do about it.  I do not see the need however, to overly complicate the process with rough handling; and you can define that however you want. 

    NO doubt the actual act of setting the hook, depending on the type of bait, can & often does do some pretty serious damage.  And the boat flip which ends up ricocheting off the console and the subsequent flopping on the deck for some time until the angler can get a hold of it, may not display the highest level of fish care either.

  Question is, can there be a happy medium ?  If we are willing to accept whatever internal (or even brain damage) a 6/0 Trokar Mag worm hook (which is like a gaff) does when a 200 lb man steps back to set it with all his might into the roof of the basses mouth (right between the eyes), then we may also have to accept whatever happens next.  

 

  Post catch 'fish care' in many instances may be like putting a Band-Aid on a gun shot wound but it's really all we can do.

A-Jay

 

Since learning about the possible long term negative effects of fish laying on carpet, dirt, and any foreign (to them) objects I've made it a point to take care of them the best I can. Accidents do happen like you said, but safe handling, the occasional photo, weight taken, and immediate release is about all I can do. 

[A-Jay]

12 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

Since learning about the possible long term negative effects of fish laying on carpet, dirt, and any foreign (to them) objects I've made it a point to take care of them the best I can. Accidents do happen like you said, but safe handling, the occasional photo, weight taken, and immediate release is about all I can do. 

Yup.

A-Jay 

[1simplemann]

1 hour ago, 12poundbass said:

What about when you set the hook and the hook pierces their mouth or when all three treble hooks pierce their body? 

 

Don't get me wrong I'm more conscious about my fish care and I make sure to keep them off from the carpet. Just wondering your take on the hooks. 

My take on hooks is that  it's part of the game and can't be helped. With that being said, I don't advocate snagging fish either. ( They do this here in MT for paddlefish. Different subject but I hope you get my point) What can be helped is throwing a fish in boat that the angler intends on releasing anyway. MLF says they are protecting the species. If so then then they should protect them. IMO The 2 minute penalty doesn't go far enough. It's a good start though. Fish care is getting better. How many times have you seen a dink fall off and bounce around all over? I just watched MLF the other day and some of the guys were hanging the dinks off the edge so they wouldn't fall in the boat if they fell off. For me, I just hate it when I see intentional boat flipping on the various circuits on TV. It just encourages bad fish care. Also I don't care to see anglers hanging a fish vertically to show it off for the camera. I've done it myself so I'm a bad example. I'm trying to get better and try to encourage other's in my boat to do the same. However,  I'm one man, in one boat but I try to do my part to encourage better fish care. MLF has a national audience. Their impact on fish care could go a long ways. If a guy's favorite angler (KVD or whoever) isn't boat flipping them them most likely he won't either on a recreational or competitive level.

19 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

Since learning about the possible long term negative effects of fish laying on carpet, dirt, and any foreign (to them) objects I've made it a point to take care of them the best I can. Accidents do happen like you said, but safe handling, the occasional photo, weight taken, and immediate release is about all I can do. 

You pretty much summed up how I try to treat the fish. I'm trying to get better.

[Team9nine]

My take on the penalties is that they are there primarily to convey that this MLF is a "sport" just like most any other you would watch on TV, with penalties for certain rules violations. It's what people are used to seeing/watching, and having "refs" and penalties suggests this format/event/sport is on the same level or playing field as other sports. Fish handling just happens to be an easy thing to target with the side benefit of appearing to be better for the fish.

 

As for the carpet thing, there is recent research that suggests specifically for bass, the concern/danger might be overblown. That said, I personally still like the penalty being assessed.

[1simplemann]

26 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

My take on the penalties is that they are there primarily to convey that this MLF is a "sport" just like most any other you would watch on TV, with penalties for certain rules violations. It's what people are used to seeing/watching, and having "refs" and penalties suggests this format/event/sport is on the same level or playing field as other sports. Fish handling just happens to be an easy thing to target with the side benefit of appearing to be better for the fish.

 

As for the carpet thing, there is recent research that suggests specifically for bass, the concern/danger might be overblown. That said, I personally still like the penalty being assessed.

Have you seen MLF's recent commercial? They are promoting better fish care. I don't think it's side benefit at all. True it might make for better TV but I think they truly trying to help the species.  As for this recent research, can you provide it? I'd like to read it. From what I've read, the opposite is true. I also like the idea of fish not bouncing around in a livewell all day. I've witnessed this 1st hand as a marshal and let me tell you they don't look pretty! My guy came in early just to have them weighed before they died because there was no way they were going to make it. It was business decision, not a fish care decision. MLF takes that decision away from the angler and helps the survival rate. I also like the penalty but IMO varying degrees of bad fish care should carry varying degrees of a  penalty. Other sports do the same. Major and minor penalties in hockey. Football has varying degrees penalties for the same infraction. If the MLF anglers set a good example on TV then there will be a trickle down effect to anglers in general. Ray Scott helped start it when he changed to rules years ago. MLF can do the same.