MLF has become a dink fest

[Koz]

This year's MLF format has become kind of a bore. Just turn and burn and catch as many one pounders as you can. The old format was better when they had a sudden death round where they would set a weight goal and the first X number of anglers that met that goal moved on.

 

What I'd like to see is the pros showcase more versatility by having different formats for different rounds of the tournament. Have rounds like the current format, sudden death, and keeping their top 5 fish. So some rounds are who can catch the most, some rounds who can catch them the fastest, and some rounds where it's the quality of the catch that counts.

[Bluebasser86]

I just think there needs to be some way to incorporate in incentive to target larger fish, some kind of points system maybe. 

 

I still enjoy watching, but after watching a guy catch 20 1.5 pound fish on a dropshot, it really begins to drag. Sometimes the drama still plays out if 2 or more guys are catching them at the same time, and that's what keeps people watching I imagine. 

[Happybeerbuzz]

I assume they will adjust next season once they have analyzed the data. My guess is that they will start altering the parameters for different stages of the tournament like raising the minimum for qualifying bass. They can even change it for each round or even each period. They can even use five biggest. Score tracker will still make it dramatic.  MLF would be stupid not to take full advantage of the format. 

[Tlauz]

The Chickamauga tournament and the North Carolina tournament were fantastic.  Lots of fish and big fish.  The last two they are almost catching too many fish if that is possible.  I don't mind small fish when everyone is struggling and it is a big deal just to catch a fish.  I actually enjoyed some of the select events when it seemed like nobody could catch anything. Then a one pound fish meant a lot.  I would be fine if they said everything from 1-2 pounds is worth a point. 2-4  pounds  X points, 5-6  X pts ..........  The Scoretracker and format are what makes it fun.  This would make anglers really choose a strategy.  I think the last 2 events are a product of the lakes they are fishing also.  Sidenote,  I would really like them to go to lakes that aren't the same old lakes.  I realize that those are probably the best lakes, but I do enjoy seeing pros have to figure out something totally new.  I loved the  BASS Lake Oahe event last year.  I don't think any of the anglers had ever been on that body of water.  How often can you say that in a major tournament? 

[Koz]

18 minutes ago, Tlauz said:

 I would be fine if they said everything from 1-2 pounds is worth a point. 2-4  pounds  X points, 5-6  X pts ..........  The Scoretracker and format are what makes it fun.  

 

 I realize that those are probably the best lakes, but I do enjoy seeing pros have to figure out something totally new. 

 

A points system for the size of each fish might work, but there would need to be big points for big fish or guys will still grind on the small bass.

 

Again, the old MLF format was great because the anglers had no idea where they were fishing each day. They'd get up early in the morning and an MLF official would drive them to wherever they were fishing for the day.

[Brad Reid]

The easiest thing to do? Just raise the official weight to score a bass from 1 pound to 2 pounds. Something like that.

 

Brad

 

 

[Jrob78]

They catch the fish that live in the lakes they are sent to. They've been catching spawners and fish chasing spawning shad at this one and the last one. These lakes just don't have the numbers of big ones that the first few lakes did. They can't fish FL, TX, Chickamauga and those lakes in NC during the pre-spawn and spawn all season long.

[NittyGrittyBoy]

I too was a fan of the old style MLF, same boat, electronics, no clue where they were headed. 

[punch]

3 hours ago, NittyGrittyBoy said:

I too was a fan of the old style MLF, same boat, electronics, no clue where they were headed. 

They are still using that format in the Cups. The BPT stages are different. 

[Johnbt]

"This year's MLF format has become kind of a bore. Just turn and burn and catch as many one pounders as you can."

 

I'd never watched a bass tournament on tv before and I happened to see about 30 minutes of a recent show and you are right, it was a snooze fest. They should try using some of those 1-pounders for bait. 

 

I enjoyed the Bassmaster Classics when they held them here in '88 and '89, but live is a lot different than watching on tv.

[livin2fish]

I'm still a fan of MLF.  It to me, is more interesting than most any other fishing competition on TV.  What to me is boring, is no fish being caught.  Lake Murray in SC was a surprise in that respect (maybe it got better after the only episode that I watched).  As Jrob78 said, they can't catch what isn't in the lake.  You can be sure they will make adjustments as time passes to keep it interesting.  If not, we'll be watching something else.

[jbsoonerfan]

I think they do it this way is because of the live format. If guys are targeting big fish only they are only catching 5-7 a day. Just look at the CLASSIC, on day 1 there were 18 guys who didn't even weigh in 5 fish. There may be a total of 600 - 800 fish caught on a day of MLF, there may be 200 caught on a BASS event. Hard to pitch a new format where there isn't a constant, or at least almost constant catch rate. In my opinion this is why BASS has never tried to go live, they knew the interest wouldn't be there and that is why they focus on the weigh in as their main draw.

[schplurg]

13 hours ago, Tlauz said:

The Chickamauga tournament and the North Carolina tournament were fantastic.  Lots of fish and big fish.  The last two they are almost catching too many fish if that is possible.  I don't mind small fish when everyone is struggling and it is a big deal just to catch a fish.  I actually enjoyed some of the select events when it seemed like nobody could catch anything. Then a one pound fish meant a lot.  I would be fine if they said everything from 1-2 pounds is worth a point. 2-4  pounds  X points, 5-6  X pts ..........  The Scoretracker and format are what makes it fun.  This would make anglers really choose a strategy.  I think the last 2 events are a product of the lakes they are fishing also.  Sidenote,  I would really like them to go to lakes that aren't the same old lakes.  I realize that those are probably the best lakes, but I do enjoy seeing pros have to figure out something totally new.  I loved the  BASS Lake Oahe event last year.  I don't think any of the anglers had ever been on that body of water.  How often can you say that in a major tournament? 

 

If you just go by weight then the score takes care of itself. 

 

one pound equals one pound

two pounds equal two

 

I think there are tournaments using this revolutionary scoring method right now.

[Oregon Native]

Looks like we're all looking for the perfect scenario.......

me.....I like the variety...different shows....different stuff....I Have the Power to change channels....

 

[Dirtyeggroll]

22 hours ago, Brad Reid said:

The easiest thing to do? Just raise the official weight to score a bass from 1 pound to 2 pounds. Something like that.

 

Brad

 

 

I think this might be the ticket.

 

I would bet that after you get over 2-lbs the size distribution of the fish isn’t quite so skewed toward the 1.5 lb mark. Maybe someone has some data from electrofishing or other fish sampling techniques to substantiate this.

[WRB]

I believe the single day weight record is 88 lbs 10 oz by Horton, 88 lbs by Martens followed by 82 lbs by KVD, it's not always a dink fest.

Tom

[Koz]

1 hour ago, WRB said:

I believe the single day weight record is 88 lbs 10 oz by Horton, 88 lbs by Martens followed by 82 lbs by KVD, it's not always a dink fest.

Tom

 

With just a few minutes left in today's round over 2 days Ott Defoe has caught 89 fish for 130-11 pounds, an average of 1.47 pound per fish.

 

Granted, the biggest fish for half of today's field is less than 2.5 pounds so the anglers have no choice but to turn and burn on small bass and catching 89 bass is a huge feat. I'd just like to see them used a mixed format each tournament so it showcases the versatility of the anglers.

 

It was also pretty cool when they got up at the crack of dawn and had no idea where they were fishing that day.

[Hawkeye21]

I find it entertaining.  I get bored watching guys not catch fish.  I want to see guys break a lake down and try to find the fish.  I like seeing the tension of trying to make the cut.  It's fun.

[frog]

It would be great if they have 5 bass limit with on boat weighing. When they have 1lb min limit they just need to go for numbers because it's imposible to win chasing big fish. Seems like they're using more and more spinning/finesse gear like we do in Europe due to the smaller fish. 

[scaleface]

I like to watch the strategies involved when fishing for the five largest bass . Even when its slow . Heck ,  I''ve caught tens of thousands of bass  so watching the supposedly best bass anglers in the world targeting one lbers just dont do it for me . 

[Tennessee Boy]

2 hours ago, scaleface said:

I like to watch the strategies involved when fishing for the five largest bass . 

I agree.  This year's classic was a great example.  There were a lot of small fish caught.  Under BPT rules it would have been a completely different tournament.  They no longer have the number of fish culled listed in the results but I remember Dean Rojas culled a very large number of fish on the first day and finished in 25th place with 9.4.  Ott was on larger fish and it took most of the day for him to get his 20 lb limit.  On day 2 Ott's big fish pattern was no longer working and he had to scramble.  I enjoyed watching the different strategies play out.  It didn't have the fast action of a BPT event but it was much more interesting and I think the average angler could learn a lot watching how the anglers developed their different strategies.

[Jrob78]

If you like the 5 biggest fish format watch BASS and FLW. Seems silly to complain about MLF, the format is different on purpose, don't watch it if you don't like it. ?

[Tennessee Boy]

3 minutes ago, Jrob78 said:

If you like the 5 biggest fish format watch BASS and FLW. Seems silly to complain about MLF, the format is different on purpose, don't watch it if you don't like it. ?

I enjoy watching all three and I enjoy complaining about MLF even if it is silly. ?

[Jim- Indiana]

Lots of valid points, and every person is entertained differently. My concerns or comments have to do with the anglers, and have nothing to do with being entertained, and which company or format type is better at it.  As a company ...MLF's top priority is selling a product that is most useful to advertisers, and I am worried the fishermen will play "second fiddle"

The fishermen were drawn in, with the belief of having a "voice", but IMO .... I think that is very limited. I think most anglers are figuring out .... there really no correlation, in being a great bass fisherman, and doing well in the MLF style format. The person that gets lucky on the starting spot, or is able to gamble if moving will not put him too far behind, are the ones the do best.... just look how many that do great the first two days, and no where around at the end.... I think lots of them, are about to blow their top! 

 

[Todd2]

Totally irrelevant...but it's been years since I've watched any of the shows. I know I'm the exception but I'd rather watch fishing videos on You Tube if I want to learn more about a technique.

 

Ok, now the debate can continue...lol