MLF/BPT Moving to a 5-Fish Limit???

[Stratocat_Joe]

I was browsing the MLF website and I noticed a poll that asked fans whether the Bass Pro Tour (BPT) should adopt a 5-Fish Limit format.  Given how MLF/BPT heavily advertised it's original mission to revolutionize the sport with it's catch/weigh/release (CWR) format, I was surprised by the poll.  Personally, I find it odd that MLF/BPT has undergone so many structural changes in it's brief history Did anyone else see this?  Any thoughts on the potential change?  .  

[MN Fisher]

Given their CWR format - I can see this working...just take the top 5 they weigh as the day goes on.

 

Personally - I'm all for it...who would you rather see win - the guy who pulled in five 4# or the guy who pulled in twenty-one 1#.

[TnRiver46]

My how the tables have turned…… hahahaha

[NavyToad]

I prefer most total weight of ALL fish. I like all the jockeying on the leaderboard. Especially during the preliminaries when the guys near the cut line are within 1 fish of each other. 

[Stratocat_Joe]

4 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Given their CWR format - I can see this working...just take the top 5 they weigh as the day goes on.

 

Personally - I'm all for it...who would you rather see win - the guy who pulled in five 4# or the guy who pulled in twenty-one 1#.

I enjoyed watching both formats.  I liken it to a football game.  Sure, we all enjoy watching the teams with big yardage players (i.e. quality) but it doesn't mean we can't appreciate the team that consistently runs the ball 3-4 yards at a time (quantity) and marches down the field to score the same TD.  I was fortunate enough to Marshal for Michael Neal during a Pro Circuit event last year and I asked him which format he prefers.  He said he doesn't really fish them any different but he prefers the MLF/BPT format because each scorable fish counts.  And that's from the angler who is now the 2X AOY from the Pro Circuit, which is a 5-Fish Limit format. 

[volzfan59]

mlf/bpt following the lead of B.A.S.S.!

You know what they say, "Imitation is the sincerest from of flattery."

5 hours ago, Stratocat_Joe said:

He said he doesn't really fish them any different but he prefers the MLF/BPT format because each scorable fish counts. 

mlf/bpt is working very well for a few of their angler's. I'm sure that Jacob Wheeler, Dustin Connell (sp?) and two or three others would agree with Micheal. I find it interesting that more and more mlf/bpt angler's are trying to jump ship and requalify for the B.A.S.S. Elite Tour.

[T-Billy]

13 hours ago, NavyToad said:

I prefer most total weight of ALL fish. I like all the jockeying on the leaderboard. Especially during the preliminaries when the guys near the cut line are within 1 fish of each other. 

This. 

[Stratocat_Joe]

7 hours ago, volzfan59 said:

mlf/bpt is working very well for a few of their angler's. I'm sure that Jacob Wheeler, Dustin Connell (sp?) and two or three others would agree with Micheal. I find it interesting that more and more mlf/bpt angler's are trying to jump ship and requalify for the B.A.S.S. Elite Tour.

I think there has always been the two varying strategies.  Like those we've mentioned, some angler's approach tournaments with the strategy of catching as many fish as possible and weed through them for the 5 biggest.  This was also how some of the biggest names in BASS history were successful.  I remember hearing Rick Clunn say that the reason he was so successful early on was because he would generally focus on catching a limit (back when limits were 15 fish) instead of targeting larger fish.  At the end of the day, his 15 1lb. to 2lb. fish would often outweigh the angler's who caught 7-8 3lb. to 4lb. fish.  Of course, as limit sizes decreased, strategies had to change and with the change in strategy came a change in angling style for some.  I think those that are leaving MLF/BPT recognize that their style doesn't fit the MLF/BPT format and, in order for them to be successful and remain at the top of the game for their branding, they need to play the game that best suits their style.  Again, I wouldn't expect a top-tier wide receiver to stay with a team that is focused on running the ball.  I also wouldn't expect a guy that excels only at (sometimes) catching the 5 biggest fish to stay in a league where every fish counts.  Perhaps that is one of the reasons MLF/BPT is looking to make this change, since they've diminished the status of what used to be FLW.  A lot of those FLW angler's, who used to be considered top-tier angler's (which is important for sponsorship) are now relegated to a lower level with the only carrot in front of them being an invitation to the BPT.  That may not be enough incentive to keep those established angler's from the former FLW who are used to, and excelled at, traditional 5-fish limit tournaments.

[gim]

9 hours ago, volzfan59 said:

I find it interesting that more and more mlf/bpt angler's are trying to jump ship and requalify for the B.A.S.S. Elite Tour.

I think you'll see more of that in the future too.

[volzfan59]

23 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I think you'll see more of that in the future too.

If on Monday morning, B.A.S.S. were to increase the Elite's field and welcomed all of the angler's that went to mlf/bpt back without having to requalify,  the majority of the angler's would return. Sure, the few guys that are doing well and the angler's that are in the ownership group would stay, plus some of the others, but I bet more would return to B.A.S.S. then stay.

 

@Stratocat_Joe, Clunn's strategy is still a great tournament strategy. Worry about getting a limit first, then try and upgrade. 

[Captain Phil]

I believe bass fishing would be better off reducing tournament limits, not increasing them.  Anyone can catch a boat load of small bass.  Is boating 100 of them equal to catching three 8 pounders?   Maybe it's a Florida thing, but we had to give B.A.S.S. tournament exemptions so they could weigh fish smaller than the State limit.  I would be embarrassed to weigh a 12" fish in a local tournament, much less one for $100K.  I don't want to catch more bass, I want to catch bigger bass. 

 

 

[gim]

6 minutes ago, Captain Phil said:

I don't want to catch more bass, I want to catch bigger bass. 

I think that would be the general consensus amongst all bass anglers, but not every angler on the MLF/BPT does it that way.  Some of them do actually target bigger fish.  It has the reputation of being a bit of a dinkfest sometimes though, that can't be argued.

[Captain Phil]

24 minutes ago, gimruis said:

It has the reputation of being a bit of a dinkfest sometimes though, that can't be argued.

 

The value in putting anything on TV is in the money sponsors pay when you watch.   Watching some guys crank in dinks all day is not entertaining.  Watching someone catch a big fish is.  I would rather watch no fish being caught than two hours of the same little fish coming to the boat.   If tournaments went to a big fish format, bass fishing would improve.  States would work to raise the size of their bass, tackle companies would produce more big fish lures and anglers would learn how to catch those fish. 

[GReb]

MLF was made for TV and BASS is produced for a live audience. MLF will always lack the crowd but their tournaments are much more online friendly and interesting. Everytime I turn on a Bassmaster tournament someone has run away with it and it’s not even contested by the final day. I find the MLF stages and weight resets more entertaining. 
 

As far as whether it’s total weight or 5 biggest, I don’t really care. I wouldn’t mind seeing MLF use both throughout the year. Heavy Hitters should be a 3 or 5 bag limit. However the smallmouth or ozark lakes really benefit from a total weight. 
 

It’s all about ratings and TV contracts. 

[TnRiver46]

I can’t stand the MLF format, been saying since the inception. I never watch any of their stuff, knew I didn’t like it after the first episode. It’s like watching cricket or the pro bowl 

 

I wish BASS would have patented the 5 fish weigh in so MLF couldn’t use it after all the mess they talked about 5 fish limits 

[bowhunter63]

Didn’t another tournament do that ? Oh yea Bassmasters . It is coming full circle. One thing they all are hard to watch when all they do is stare at the live scope .

[BassNJake]

To me the most exciting days are the cut days on the BPT

Heck I usually watch days 3 and 4 but rarely the final day.

 

I'm still a BASS guy though and Redcrest will never be The Classic

 

 

[gim]

24 minutes ago, bowhunter63 said:

One thing they all are hard to watch when all they do is stare at the live scope .

That's mostly the late season smallmouth tournaments up north on bigger lakes.  Its unwatchable.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

10 minutes ago, gimruis said:

That's mostly the late season smallmouth tournaments up north on bigger lakes.  Its unwatchable.

100%....said this a few times now in different threads....if Livescope gets banned in Bass fishing, it will be because it's just too boring to watch the Northern Smallmouth events where every angler is doing the same thing, staring at the same pod of big offshore Smallies on the scope.   Top 10 brings in a 20lb bag each day.    

 

ETA:  Merged replies/separate reply 

 

I grew up going to Bassmaster Classic weigh ins at the Birimingham BJCC.....it was epic at least in my memory, always sold old, big dog and pony show. 

 

They'd wheel those beautiful Comanches around the court and then stop at the weigh in stage.    It was very professional.    Very cool as a kid to watch those things.  

[gim]

3 minutes ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

if Livescope gets banned in Bass fishing

I don't think it will get banned.  There is really an easier solution to this.  How about just having some of those northern smallmouth events in the spring time or early summer before the fish are bunched up off shore?  Heck, I fish a specific big smallmouth lake here but I purposefully fish it in the spring during pre-spawn when I can target them on jerk baits.

 

I realize they aren't going to have an event in March up here, but it seems like its July every year before they do it.  They could easily have an event in May or June here.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Just now, gimruis said:

I don't think it will get banned.  There is really an easier solution to this.  How about just having some of those northern smallmouth events in the spring time or early summer before the fish are bunched up off shore?  Heck, I fish a specific big smallmouth lake here but I purposefully target it in the spring during pre-spawn when I can target them on jerk baits.

 

I realize they aren't going to have an event in March up here, but it seems like its July every year before they do it.  They could easily have an event in May or June here.

Yeah I don't either, and I don't think it should be banned on this level.....however at some of the smaller levels where every angler can't afford 10k in electronics, I think it should be banned just to level the playing field in small events.

[gim]

1 minute ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Yeah I don't either, and I don't think it should be banned on this level.....however at some of the smaller levels where every angler can't afford 10k in electronics, I think it should be banned just to level the playing field in small events.

They banned it midseason on the PMT (Professional Muskie Tour) because a team mounted 8 units on their rig at an event in Eagle River, WI.  I have a feeling that rule is going to be re-visited this off season and they will do something like permit one live unit per boat or something like that.

[AlabamaSpothunter]

1 minute ago, gimruis said:

They banned it midseason on the PMT (Professional Muskie Tour) because a team mounted 8 units on their rig at an event in Eagle River, WI.  I have a feeling that rule is going to be re-visited this off season and they will do something like permit one live unit per boat or something like that.

I can see tech in 10 years being borderline uncompetitive, but at the moment Livescope isn't some magic ju ju.    Pros are paying lots of money to folks in order to learn how to best use this tech.   It's anything but an underwater camera as some think it essentially is.   

 

I love the intersection of tech and fishing, and my dream is to make a device like Google Glasses that projects your waypoints and marked structure across the area of lake you are looking at (something I've been dreaming of for years).    Think about if your fishing area had red buoy markers over your marked structure, that only you can see, and never needs to be picked up.   Absolute gamechanger.   

 

[WRB]

B.A.S.S. started by using whatever the State they fished in by using that States legal bag limit. Alabama when B.A.S.S. started had a 15 bass limit and anglers used stringers to keep the bass limit on. The 5 bass limit was adopted when 15 gallon livewells became popular in the mid 70’s as I recall.

I can’t see B.A.S.S. changing their staged weigh in format requiring livewells to display 5 bass limits.

I can’t see MLF giving on C & R format but can see going to a 5 bass weight format, clubs are doing that now in California.

When you add money to the derbies you also need a blind draw partner or independent Marshall for each contestant.

Tom

[GReb]

MLF will never have the Classic and that will forever be an obstacle to overcome. They seem to be open to creative ways to curb that such as heavy hitters. I think it’d be really cool if they had an old school derby each year. Pick a southern, shallow lake with lots of cover and fish a 3 day tournament with no graphs. Sponsorships would never let it happen but the fans would love it.