Bass Pro Tour Changing Tournament Fishing Forever

[moguy1973]

New details about the MLF Bass Pro tour

 

https://scout.com/outdoors/bass-fishing/ContentGallery/MLF-Announces-2019-Bass-Pro-Tour-Details-122294222/#122294222_1

[moguy1973]

Running list of anglers joining the Bass Pro Tour

 

https://scout.com/outdoors/bass-fishing/ContentGallery/Running-List-of-Pro-Anglers-Switching-to-MLF-122488802/#122488802_1

[Quillback]

Expected to see KVD on the list.

[moguy1973]

10 minutes ago, Quillback said:

Expected to see KVD on the list.

Word on the street is all the big name BPS/Nitro guys are switching over.  So Defoe, KVD, mcCelland etc are done with BASS. 

[abkeenan]

Only bummer to me in all of this is the Bassmaster Classic. If all these guys switch that event just won't be the same with watered down talent. Will be interested to see how they fill the voids left by the guys that qualified for the BMC and are switching over to the MLF BP Tour. Does BASS fill those spots with end of season AOY pts with whomever is staying on the Elite Tour for 2019 or do they have regional/local qualifier events to fill those spots with new blood????? What a monkey wrench for BASS.

[abkeenan]

16 hours ago, Quillback said:

Expected to see KVD on the list.

Perhaps Johnny and BPS have some type of media day event where KVD makes the announcement. Have the event held in Springfield HQ BPS and make a big hullabaloo about the new tour. Maybe he can pull a Lebron "The Decision" and say "I'm taking my talents to the MLF Bass Pro Tour" then throw on a Bass Pro Tour logo'd hat. Handshakes. Camera bulbs pop. Could see it.

[fishinwrench]

They want to milk the hype for all it's worth.  Vandam will probably be the very last one to announce what he is doing.   Of course he will go with MLF, but they will try to keep you on the edge of your seat for as long as they can.

I kinda think that them turning competitive fishing into a reality show will burn out like a short fat candle on a dinner plate, but I really REALLY hope that the evolution of the format takes hold and spreads like a wildfire.

[Seth]

13 minutes ago, fishinwrench said:

I really REALLY hope that the evolution of the format takes hold and spreads like a wildfire.

I'm with you 100% as this would be amazing for the bass that get moved around on the river tournaments that I fish. The question is how would you enforce this at lower levels though? Small bass tournaments aren't going to have a marshal to weigh fish and verify the authenticity of what that angler says they caught. I know the kayak crowd uses length, Hog Trough measuring boards and pictures to keep score, but I doubt everybody will want to go by length. Even if you took a picture of a scale, it wouldn't be hard to "add" weight to a fish and snap a picture.

[Flysmallie]

32 minutes ago, Seth said:

but I doubt everybody will want to go by length. 

Yeah it will be hard for the traditional tournament guys to ever accept length over weight but it is a better way of doing it with less chance of cheating. 

[fishinwrench]

52 minutes ago, Seth said:

I doubt everybody will want to go by length

Then those that don't want to can choose to not participate.   

Seems simple to me.   

 

Personally I'd rather fish against 10 guys and pay a 200.00 entry fee, than fish against 100 and only pay 20.00

The smaller the field the less likely that a cheater is amongst them.  The average boat ramp parking lot can't handle 100 trucks and trailers anyway.