MLF BPT Kicks Off Friday on Lake Eufaula, Ala. – Interviews available
Category: article
Feb 3rd, 2020 by Keith Worrall
Modified Feb 3rd, 2020 at 12:14 PM
2020 MLF Bass Pro Tour Launches on Lake Eufaula
February 3, 2020 (Tulsa, Okla.) The 2020 Bass Pro Tour kicks off with B&W Hitches Stage One presented by Power-Pole on Lake Eufaula Feb. 7-12 in Eufaula, Alabama featuring 80 of the best professional anglers in the world.
Edwin Evers, 2019 Points Champion and REDCREST presented by Venmo Champion, will defend his titles against fishing legends Kevin VanDam and Mike Iaconelli, as well as 2019 Major League Fishing (MLF) World Champion Jacob Wheeler. MLF Rookies Bryan Thrift and David Dudley will make their Bass Pro Tour debut against Alabama residents Mark Daniels, Jr., Aaron Martens, Justin Lucas, Keith Poche, Greg Vinson, Russ Lane, Chris Lane, Dustin Connell, Randy Howell, Jesse Wiggins, Tim Horton, Boyd Duckett, and Justin Atkins. To see the field of 80 Pros on the Bass Pro Tour, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Credentialed members of the media are welcome to request a credential and interviews by completing this MLF Credential Request Form.
Stage One Ramp Location:
Lakepoint State Park Marina
104 Old Highway 165
Eufaula, Alabama 36027
MLF Press Room Location:
Lakepoint State Park Resort
Riverside Room (or as marked upon arrival)
Bass Pro Tour Livestream:
Fans and media can watch nine hours of action every day of competition on MLFNOW! livestream on MajorLeagueFishing.com or download the MLF App for your Apple or GooglePlay device or on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).
Stage One Event Schedule:
Credentialed members of the media are welcome to request a credential and interviews by completing this MLF Credential Request Form.
Competition Format:
Members of the media have many opportunities to interview MLF Pros throughout the tournament. The field of 80 anglers is divided into two groups (A and B) for each Stage. The Groups for Stage One are listed on the next page. To schedule an interview, please Tricia Milford, 407-928-9868.
Friday, Day One:
Qualifying Round
40 Anglers, Group A
Group B available for interview; Advance booking required
Saturday, Day Two:
Qualifying Round
40 Anglers, Group B
Group A available for interview; Advance booking required
Sunday, Day Three:
Qualifying Round
40 Anglers, Group A
Group B available for interview; Advance booking required
Monday, Day Four:
Qualifying Round
40 Anglers, Group B
Group A available for interview; Advance booking required
Tuesday, Day Five:
Knockout Round
38 Anglers, Places 2-20 from each Group A and B
NOTE: Top seed from each group automatically advances to the Championship (day six)
Winners of Group A and B available for interview; Advance booking required
Eliminated Anglers available for interview; Advance booking required
Wednesday, Day Six:
Championship Round
10 Anglers, places 1-8 from Knockout Round (day five) + Winners of Group A and B from the Qualifying Round (days one – four)
Trophy presentation to Champion, 5 p.m. CT
Credentialed members of the media are welcome to request a credential and interviews by completing this MLF Credential Request Form.
Eufaula Area Community Events
MLF Pros love meeting their fans! Accredited members of the Media are invited to cover these MLF Pro Anglers meet-n-greets / appearances at the following locations with advance coordination:
*Additional events may be added without notice; visit MajorLeagueFishing.com for a complete list of fan events.
Credentialed members of the media are welcome to request a credential and interviews by completing this MLF Credential Request Form.
About the Bass Pro Tour:
The Bass Pro Tour began in 2019 and features 80 of the best professional anglers in the world, including Kevin VanDam, Edwin Evers, Aaron Martens, Mike Iaconelli, Jordan Lee, and Skeet Reese. Each stage includes six days of competition using the Major League Fishing, catch-weigh-and-immediately-release format, where every bass over one-pound counts toward a cumulative weight total for the day. The field of 80 anglers is divided into two groups of 40 to compete on days one and two respectively for the Shotgun Round. On days three and four, the Elimination Round culls the field based on a combined 2-day total weight from each angler’s Shotgun and Elimination Round. The top 20 anglers from each group in the Elimination Round (40 total) advance to the Knockout Round on day five, which determines who will compete on that final day, the Championship Round, for the Stage title and $100,000.
Each of Eight Stages of the Bass Pro Tour have the following payout schedule: 1st $100,000; 2nd $42,000; 3rd $30,000; 4th$24,000; 5th $18,000; 6th $16,800; 7th $15,600; 8th $14,400; 9th $13,200; 10th $12,000; 11th – 40th $6,000; Big Bass Daily $1,000; Big Bass Overall $1,000.
In addition to the economic impact on a host community, Major League Fishing showcases the region through their award-winning, live and linear programming. Each Stage of the Bass Pro Tour is broadcast live on the Major League Fishing app, MyOutdoorTV (MOTV), and majorleaguefishing.com, totaling more than 325 hours of original programming. Fans can follow the fast-paced nature of the MLF format as it unfolds on the live leaderboard through “SCORETRACKER® updates.” Highlights from each Stage of the 2020 Bass Pro Tour 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,” said Jim Wilburn, President and CEO of Major League Fishing. “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,”
About Major League Fishing
Founded in 2011, Major League Fishing (MLF) brings the high-intensity sport of competitive bass fishing into America’s living rooms on Outdoor Channel, Discovery, CBS, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, Sportsman Channel, and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). The Bass Pro Tour consists of eight events and a championship streamed live on www.MajorLeagueFishing.com and MOTV.
In late 2019 MLF acquired FLW, which expands their portfolio to include the world’s largest grassroots fishing organization, including the strongest five-fish format professional bass fishing tour, the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit, as well as the Toyota Series, Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine, and Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI, and High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing.
For more information on the league and anglers, visit www.majorleaguefishing.com and follow MLF on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.