Bait My Line

Major League Fishing – Webisode 1 Observations

2012-02-13T14:06:00.001-06:00

No spoiler alert! I’m not going to give it away like Basspastor does. If you want results go check out his blog. No, I’m not going to give it away but I am going to tell you, that was pretty cool. Not necessarily the broadcast but the format. I learned even more about the unique format by watching webisode 1 than I previously knew and will be watching the rest. Definitely worth the 3 bucks, especially with such a cool finish. And yes, the ‘Bama Rig makes an appearance.

A few observations:

First, three periods separated by a couple 30 minute breaks where all the boats have to meet at a neutral location. I’m still not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, an angler that is on the bite is not going to want to leave it for a “timeout”. On the other hand, it was nice to see a couple of the guys down the leaderboard able to regroup and come back from a break to pull in several fish in a row and move up. It was fun to watch a guy sit near the bottom for the first two periods and move into Xxx place in the third. (Come on, I said I wouldn’t give it away…again, there was a really cool finish.)

Second, the No-Limit format really changes strategies I think. It was really a matter of quantity vs quality. Do the anglers want to take the time to look for the big ones? Or, do they want to get as many in the boat as possible? Is one angler going to be able to hook enough 4 and 5 pounders to keep up with the guys that pulls in 20…25 2 pounders? Also, they’re weighing the fish in quarter-pound increments. The official has to see the next quarter-pound line in order to count it. One angler probably had at least 5 fish that were just under that next ¼ lb mark (i.e. 2 lbs, 3 oz will count as a 2 lb fish…he just lost 3 ounces; multiplied by 5 is an additional pound). Trust me, it may have made a big difference for two anglers. Also, I’d like to see what each angler’s 5-fish bag would have looked like if they were culling. I think the leaderboard would have changed. First would probably still be first, but I think you would have seen two different guys in the top four.

Lastly, a few more observations that I won’t spend much time on right now:

We saw a couple anglers assessed a one-minute penalty for breaking a line. During their penalty they can do nothing, not even retie the line. They also didn’t go into what else they can be penalized for.

The eight anglers were all confined to a specific “zone” of the lake. I think that’s where the “unknown body of water” comes in to play.

Each angler is in an 18’ boat with an official and a cameraman…a little tight if you ask me.

There’s no weigh-in suspense. When it’s over, it’s over. Each tournament official announced any leaderboard activity to his angler. That really has to chew at the guys in 6^th, 7^th and 8^th.

Marty Stone went out in a boat and interview anglers while they were fishing…no opinion.

My big question: When is the first official going to drop that leaderboard tablet in the water? I’m sure they have back-ups, but come on…that will be funny.

Yes, I will definitely be watching the rest of them on AdvanceCast. Next up: Biffle, Brauer, Evers, Faircloth, Grigsby, Iaconelli, Jones and Omori. There really wasn’t a real temper-tantrum in webisode 1, but I bet there will be at least one this time. Let me know if you watched, if you plan to watch, if you even care. See? I told you I wouldn’t give it away.

www.BaitMyLine.com

Major League Fishing PPV

2012-02-01T13:15:00.002-06:00

Okay, it's finally been set. Major League Fishing announced it's Pay-Per-View setup on the Challenge Cup held in November on Amistad. It has been broken up into a seven episode series with the first to be available on February 13th. ($2.99 for each episode or $17.94 for all 7) And yes...I've already paid. Apparently, through the PPV, they will air about double the content that will be on the Outdoor Channel.

According to the MLF site one angler weighed 58 lbs...in one day! And oh yeah,
the PPV edition is all unedited. We will get to see the anglers true reactions to their fish, their lost fish, other angler's catches and penalties. We all knew each boat would have a tournament official for recording each fish, etc., but these officials are also there to access penalties. Instant time penalties. Those are the reactions I can't wait to see. Can you imagine the first time Ike is hit with a 5 minute penalty?

Needless to say, I'm pretty excited about the new Major League Fishing and can't wait until February 13th. So, be sure to come back here to see my reaction. Especially if you aren't watching the PPV. Don't worry, I won't give anything way.

www.BaitMyLine.com

'Bama Rig Voted Down

2012-01-19T11:44:00.002-06:00

It was sure to come. The Elite Series Rules Committee ruled to allow competitors only one line, one lure during practice and competition. This doesn't, however, apply to Bassmaster Open, B.A.S.S Federation, etc. Again, it's surely only a matter of time, but why not just do it? Anglers trying to make the Elite Series by throwing a rig disallowed in that series is just doing themselves a disservice. On the other hand, if that's how the other anglers are winning...you see my point? These rigs aren't even allowed in many states...
so why should any of the tours allow it at all? There needs to be more consistency throughout the tours.

One big problem is the danger to the bass. A lot of fish tend to be foul-hooked with a rig like this. They will take a swipe at one bait only to be hooked in the gill plate by another. Besides, have you ever hooked an umbrella rig that someone lost?

In my opinion, it's just beneath any serious angler to use such a tactic. Why not compete in a bass tournament using a shrimpin' boat with those big drag nets?

FLW? Your turn.

www.BaitMyLine.com

Major League Fishing – Changing the Way We View Professional Bass Fishing

2011-12-28T23:39:00.003-06:00

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.

www.BaitMyLine.com