Major League Fishing

[bigewalksalone]

Did you all hear that Mlf bought Flw yesterday. Sure did and that makes them one big
fishing tourny. They wanted the grass roots part of Flw so now they have a path for
local fishermen to fish their way into Mlf. BASS is getting left behind.

 

[JWT]

Bass has been gone

 

[basstrkr]

I like the MLF format. It's amazing how the catching ebbs and flows during the day.

 

[1996stratos]

BASS is alive and well! I fished as a Marshall last year and loved it. The five biggest fish format is much more interesting to me. Just watching guys catch and weigh little fish just doesn’t thrill me. It must appeal to someone.

 

[Mike81]

Used to really like MLF, but the more I watch the more boring it gets watching them catch dinks.

 

[Rackmaster]

Used to really like MLF, but the more I watch the more boring it gets watching them catch dinks.

MLF SUXS!
Watching them catch dinks is truly BORING!
I heard a lot have left and a new major tournament trail is starting up!

 

[bigewalksalone]

MLF SUXS!
Watching them catch dinks is truly BORING!
I heard a lot have left and a new major tournament trail is starting up!

Your right it is boring a complicated format as well.
Yea I heard about a new league starting up. A little more pricey but
bigger payouts. I think a 5 fish limit. And on MLF they act like they have a
weigh in but no fish to weigh..

 

[Rackmaster]

Your right it is boring a complicated format as well.
Yea I heard about a new league starting up. A little more pricey but
bigger payouts. I think a 5 fish limit. And on MLF they act like they have a
weigh in but no fish to weigh..

I went to the Bassmaster Classic in Birmingham (Randy Howell won) in 2014 and it was AWESOME hard to do that with MLF!

 

[brdyhll]

The bass masters classic is awesome to go to. Been to 4 or 5 and have had a blast at each one. I really liked mlf when it was just the cups and they didn’t know what lake they would be fishing but since it’s changed to telling the lake and letting guys prefish I don’t like it

 

[whchunter]

FLW could have been great but IMO they take themselves too seriously. The fish landing penalty rule is ridiculous IMO. Just one of many rules like minimum outboard go.

 

[across the river]

I went to the Bassmaster Classic in Birmingham (Randy Howell won) in 2014 and it was AWESOME hard to do that with MLF![/QU

This has been covered before on here, but MLF isn't made for live events, it is made for TV, on purpose. That is where the money is. If you want bigger pots, no entry fees, revenue sharing, etc.... then you need sponsorship. BASS pots were traditionally funded by angler's entry fees. MLF isn't. MLF has ventured into sponsorships not necessary Outdoor related in General Tire, Toyota, Sonic, Venmo, etc...., so they need to appeal to a broader audience than just the bass tournament crowd, which in the grand scheme of things, there aren't that many of, at least from a TV viewshipship standpoint. My daughter will watch MLF on TV, she won't watch BASS. There is a reason for that, and that is it is just more entertaining to the average person. BASS is at a disadvantage from a revenue standpoint, because the audience is smaller. Think of Duck Dynasty. They had videos, calls, and hunting shows and videos for twenty years or more before most people had ever heard of them. Then overnight they blew up. Why, because they had a show that appealed to a mainstream crowd and not just the "duck hunting crowd." Hunters liked the old shows with actual duck hunting in them better, but the viewship and ultimately revenue, came when they appealed to a broader audience. BASS is the old Duck Commnader shows, and MLF is Duck Commmander on A&E.

 

[Rackmaster]

This has been covered before on here, but MLF isn't made for live events, it is made for TV, on purpose. That is where the money is. If you want bigger pots, no entry fees, revenue sharing, etc.... then you need sponsorship. BASS pots were traditionally funded by angler's entry fees. MLF isn't. MLF has ventured into sponsorships not necessary Outdoor related in General Tire, Toyota, Sonic, Venmo, etc...., so they need to appeal to a broader audience than just the bass tournament crowd, which in the grand scheme of things, there aren't that many of, at least from a TV viewshipship standpoint. My daughter will watch MLF on TV, she won't watch BASS. There is a reason for that, and that is it is just more entertaining to the average person. BASS is at a disadvantage from a revenue standpoint, because the audience is smaller. Think of Duck Dynasty. They had videos, calls, and hunting shows and videos for twenty years or more before most people had ever heard of them. Then overnight they blew up. Why, because they had a show that appealed to a mainstream crowd and not just the "duck hunting crowd." Hunters liked the old shows with actual duck hunting in them better, but the viewship and ultimately revenue, came when they appealed to a broader audience. BASS is the old Duck Commnader shows, and MLF is Duck Commmander on A&E.

I don't watch MLF.
I like the Alabama Bass Trail and the Texas Team Trail.

I heard a lot of the anglers are leaving MLF.

 

[across the river]

I don't watch MLF.
I like the Alabama Bass Trail and the Texas Team Trail.

I heard a lot of the anglers are leaving MLF.

I don't care if you watch it or not. I'm not pushing MLF. I will watch either one if it is on, it is raining outside, or I have nothing else to do, but I don't "follow" either one. I wasn't making a one is better than the other argument, I was explaining why it is set up like it is. It is owned by Outdoor Sportsman Group, who owns The Outdoor Channel, The Sportsman Channel, World Fishing Network, and MOTV. So guess what they taylor MLF to, thats right TV. A die hard golfer may watch a tournament when someone is up 20 strokes and a Nascar fan may watch the whole race on Sunday. However, your average Jane or Joe will only watch if there is some drama with 5 holes to play or the last 10 laps of a race if it is close. It is all about the drama. You can create that, and better TV, with people catching a bunch of "dinks" on nearly episode, but often can't with the BASS format. That is why MLF is aired more and ranks better. They aren't making it for BASS fisherman, they make it for ratings and ultimately sponsorship.

As far as the anglers go, there are people that are fishing or were fishing in MLF that don't like and/or thrive in that format. Van Dam is terrible at it, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him go back. Palaniuk, Swidle, and I'm sure some others went back, but go look at where they were finishing in MLF before they left. Then you have someone like Jacob Wheeler or Evers who is good at adjusting on the fly and thrives at that format. To each his own. Do what makes you the most money, I would. It doesn't change the fact that MLF has surpassed BASS and it is called sponsorship and revenue. Doesn't matter if they catch "drinks" or not, it is obviously working.

 

[Rackmaster]

I don't care if you watch it or not. I'm not pushing MLF. I will watch either one if it is on, it is raining outside, or I have nothing else to do, but I don't "follow" either one. I wasn't making a one is better than the other argument, I was explaining why it is set up like it is. It is owned by Outdoor Sportsman Group, who owns The Outdoor Channel, The Sportsman Channel, World Fishing Network, and MOTV. So guess what they taylor MLF to, thats right TV. A die hard golfer may watch a tournament when someone is up 20 strokes and a Nascar fan may watch the whole race on Sunday. However, your average Jane or Joe will only watch if there is some drama with 5 holes to play or the last 10 laps of a race if it is close. It is all about the drama. You can create that, and better TV, with people catching a bunch of "dinks" on nearly episode, but often can't with the BASS format. That is why MLF is aired more and ranks better. They aren't making it for BASS fisherman, they make it for ratings and ultimately sponsorship.

As far as the anglers go, there are people that are fishing or were fishing in MLF that don't like and/or thrive in that format. Van Dam is terrible at it, so I wouldn't be surprised to see him go back. Palaniuk, Swidle, and I'm sure some others went back, but go look at where they were finishing in MLF before they left. Then you have someone like Jacob Wheeler or Evers who is good at adjusting on the fly and thrives at that format. To each his own. Do what makes you the most money, I would. It doesn't change the fact that MLF has surpassed BASS and it is called sponsorship and revenue. Doesn't matter if they catch "drinks" or not, it is obviously working.

Jacob Wheeler & Edwin Evers are great fishermen.
I heard there was a new BASS like platform starting next year.

I always have liked Gerald Swindle.

I like the Team Tournaments like the ones I stated if you haven't watched it The Alabama Bass Trail It is good.
I used to like Skeeter Bass Champs.