You’ve no doubt heard about the new Major League Fishing that is coming up. Well, they’ve already fished one tournament, The Challenge Cup on Lake Amistad in November, but it has yet to be aired. It will be aired on the Outdoor Channel featuring two dozen of the biggest names in professional bass fishing with a new format that should be exciting. The main sponsors include Jack Link’s (still loving their Messing with Sasquatch commercials), Bass Pro Shops, Nitro and Busch Beer. The new format will include things like surprise venues with no practice (i.e. the first Bassmaster Classics), no limits on the number of fish weighed and the implementation of catch and immediate release (maybe PETA will appreciate this…No? You’re probably right). You can read more about the format on their website.
First of all, surprise venues with no practice time. Nitro Boats provided...
Z7 bass boats for this event so I’m assuming all anglers were given a plane ticket and didn’t know where they were landing until they took off? Sounds like the first six years of the Bassmaster Classic when Ray Scott packed a bunch of pros on a plane and then announced the destination. This is interesting, but how long until they eliminate this for the same reason Ray Scott did in 1977, so fans could attend? Of course, maybe that’s the point…let these guys get on a lake and fish it without having to deal with 20 boats following each angler (50 for KVD). The lack of practice is so that fans “get to witness the competitors’ intelligence and diverse personalities.”
These events are supposed to be “Made for Television” as the “group was looking for less emphasis on the fish caught, with more emphasis on personalities, the struggles, the strategies, the conflicts and the emotions of the anglers.” Also to “get to see the behind-the-scenes drama and off-the-water competitiveness…” Does that mean they’re going to have a camera on KVD as he sneaks into Aaron Martens boat and ties knots in his line and cuts the barbs off his hooks? I’m not sure I really want less emphasis on the fish caught or more of the emotions, but I would like to see more of the strategies and thoughts of the pros as they dissect the fishery and find the bass with little to no preparation. I just hope it’s not going to be one long infomercial for their sponsors.
Perhaps the most compelling of format changes will be the no limits on number of fish weighed and the implementation of the Catch and ‘Immediate’ Release Program. This means that each catch will be weighed, recorded and released all within a matter of just a few moments. As Gary Klein said, “it’s also sensible from a conservation standpoint.” The catch-and-release method that is currently used in tournament events is adequate as a conservation method, but this new program takes conservation to a whole new level. Do bass caught in one cove and released a 30 – 45 minute boat ride away survive as well? And if they do, do they return to their beds’ during the spawn? What effect does this have on the hatch and future generations of bass? The immediate release of fish at the location they were caught will not only increase their chances of survival, but that of their eggs and hatch during the spawn. Rest assured that all of the Biologists’ studies will be published within a year’s time.
The real-time leader board in each boat should also prove entertaining. Each boat will be equipped with a real-time leaderboard that will allow every angler in the field to see each catch as it’s recorded. We’ll be right there as Iaconelli learns that the one he just lost dropped him from first to fifth. I’ll be honest, I’m really hoping to be able to witness some of the same temper tantrums by these pros that I tend to exhibit from time to time on the water.
I hope this new format works out. I can’t wait to see the first event which is to be offered to the public first as “a web-based pay-per-view event in January and then on the Outdoor Channel beginning in April 2012.” The details on the pay-per-view event are to be released in December but I haven’t seen anything yet. I’m not a big PPV guy, but it may be worth the price.
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