The 2020 Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour schedule was released today and it features two trips to Florida, a stop in Texas and three repeat venues from the 2019 season.
The eight-tournament schedule, all of which will follow the same six-day format utilized during the inaugural season, lays out as follows:
> Feb. 7-12: Lake Eufaula (Eufaula, Ala.)
> Feb. 21-26: Lake Okeechobee (Okeechobee, Fla.)
> March 13-18: Lake Fork (Emory, Texas)
> April 3-8: Jordan Lake/Falls Lake/Shearon Harris Res. (Raleigh, N.C.)
> May 15-20: Kissimmee Chain of Lakes (Kissimmee, Fla.)
> June 5-10: Lake Winnebago/Lake Butte des Morts/Green Lake (Neenah, Wis.)
> June 26-July 1: St. Lawrence River (Ogdensburg, N.Y.)
> July 21-26: Lake Champlain (Burlington, VT)
“This schedule is stocked with great fisheries and destinations,” Michael Mulone, Senior Director of Events of Major League Fishing, said in a press release outlining the schedule. “Working with the MLF angler advisory board and these outstanding community hosts, we have built an exciting 2020 schedule that will most benefit our fans.”
The eight-tournament slate will play out over 5 1/2 months and will conclude with a pair of events in the northeast. Return stops are planned for Raleigh, N.C. (Jordan Lake/Falls Lake/Shearon Harris Reservoir), Kissimmee Chain of Lakes and Neenah, Wis. (Lake Winnebago/Lake Butte des Morts/Green Lake).
Details about a championship event will be released at a later time.
The tournament format will mirror the BPT format from 2019 with the Shotgun Round playing out over days 1 and 2, followed by the Elimination Round on days 3 and 4. The Knockout Round, featuring the top 20 anglers from both Groups A and B based on their cumulative Shotgun and Elimination round weights, will take place on day 5. The top 10 finishers in the Knockout Round will advance to the Championship Round on day 6, when a one-day shootout will determine the event champion.
In addition to each tournament being live-streamed on the MLF website and results being displayed via ScoreTracker, highlights from each 2020 BPT event will air on Discovery Network beginning in July 2020 and Sportsman Channel in early 2021.
“MLF offers the strongest broadcast presence in the industry to fans and sponsors,” Jim Wilburn, President and CEO of Major League Fishing, said in the release. “And with these lakes planned for this coming Bass Pro Tour, we know 2020 will be our best year yet as we continue to capture a broad audience of both longtime fishing fans and those new to the sport, thanks to our fast-paced, fan-friendly format."
