I've been a fan of professional bass fishing for a long time. Knowing what is going on with the other competitors as it is happening is what makes MLF an actual sport as opposed to simply a competition. There is action and reaction. Strategy based upon real-time information.
As a side note, the MLF model is beyond better than the livewell and weigh-in model from a conservation perspective, especially during spawn and nesting.
Seems like to me that the pros in the traditional 5-fish format have a sixth sense, so to speak, that tells them they do or do not have enough. Seems like they just know somehow most of the time. Seeing the decisions they make on intuition and being right most of the time is more fascinating to me than knowing for sure what everybody has. I think that's good in the every-fish-counts format, but I don't want it in the 5-fish format.
RE: Balog on streaming coverage – Great read, Joe.
I watched the BPT for the first time on Sunday and after an hour called it quits. I enjoy the edited TV show, but as a live tournament found it dull. I watch most of the B.A.S.S. and FLW weigh-ins because I get off work at 3. I tuned in Saturday and was surprised I was so disappointed. That being said, congrats to E2 for winning, I just hope they tweak the format in the future.
Just got back from watching the Elite Series weigh-in live in Union Springs, N.Y. The big bass are really the star attraction of bass fishing. Hate to admit this, but it didn't bother me one bit that a lot of my favorite pros weren't there. What got the crowd excited was seeing numerous catches of gorgeous big bass. It ain't about the pros - it's all about the bass!
I'm gradually getting familiar with the new pros and I'm sure I'll have some new favorites, but seeing big bass caught on my home lake was what it was all about.
BassFan says: Gaulke operates the Finger Lakes Angling Zone Guide Service.
After almost a year, I find the MFL/BPT boring and too long and drawn out.
RE: Balog on Thrift – Spot on. The man's a machine.
I like Joe Balog and agree with many of his stances. I also think Thrift is a good fisherman, but to say he’s hands-down the best in the business currently is a bit of a reach. The FLW tour is 95% weekend anglers with a jersey and checkbook. Thrift has no more than five peers in that field. I can’t wait for wait Thrift, Martin and Dudley to join up with BPT and solidify them as the premier tour everyone knows they are. I think FLW would be a perfect feeder tour for the BPT – I hope the rumors are true.
I've been following professional bass fishing since the early '70's and Bryan Thrift is one of the guys who impresses me the most. He brings a real honest, downhome personality and demeanor along with tremendous fishing skills. He also offers a dose of true credibility to the sport, not jumping from tour to tour or switching sponsors all the time. He stands out from many of the other anglers who have turned themselves into reality TV stars more than fishermen.
RE: Redcrest format – What happens if the first-place angler in Group B has less weight than the 11th-place angler in Group A? Shouldn't the final for the Redcrest be made up of the 20 anglers who landed the most weight, not the top 10 from each group if one group truly outdistanced the other?
BassFan says: The most likely reason for one group truly outdistancing the other would be the fishing conditions being much better on the day that the dominant group fished. In our view, pitting anlgers only against others who fished on the same day is the fairest possible format.
I was looking for Kyle Walters info on your site and never found him. He placed 2nd in the FLW Cup and when he stood next to 5'7" Brian Thrift on the stage it looked like David vs. Goliath. Thrift looked like a kid. I was going to see how tall he is but he's not listed.
BassFan says: Walters isn't listed among the angler profiles because he's never been a full-time tour pro. At 6'7", he's exactly a foot taller than Thrift.
Four-plus hours post FLW Cup weigh-in and not a peep from BassFan? Coverage gets worse by the week. Time for me to remove BassFan From my favorites and daily read.
BassFan says: Circumstances occasionally arise in this business, like in any other, that cause brief delays in the delivery of the product. Nonetheless, BassFan has never failed to deliver same-day coverage of a tour-level competition day since its inception in 2001.
Anyone can catch 12-inch fish. Give me five that weigh something.
I'm kind of surprised how quickly my interest as a fan of my favorite pros who went BPT/MLF has waned. I used to follow certain pros, but now I've even stopped subscribing to some of their YouTube channels. I still watch for 10 minutes here and there, but I really don't care who wins or who makes the cut. Maybe because it seems more like watching a fishing show than a tournament anymore.
RE: Balog reminisces – Absolutely awesome article! Reminds me of some of the adventures of my younger years growing up in southern Mississippi fishing oxbows, gravel pits and such with family and friends.
By MLF Communications Staff
EUFAULA, Okla. – The MLF Bass Pro Tour is set to visit Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Okla. this week for the fourth event of the
By John Johnson BassFan Senior Editor
A look at the ages of the anglers who comprise the current Top 10 on the Bassmaster Opens Elite Qualifiers Division
By Dustin Wilks Special to BassFan
(Editor's note: "Catching Bass with Dustin Wilks" airs four times per week on the Sportsman Channel – 6
