By Rachel Dubrovin - November 13, 2018
2019 will undoubtedly be a historic year for Major League Fishing, not only for the MLF pros but for fans of the sport as well. Since we announced the creation of the MLF Bass Pro Tour in September, one question has been coming up over and over again: Will fans be able to attend the events and interact with the pros?
The answer is yes. MLF co-founder Boyd Duckett says he’s looking forward to involving fans in the sport of professional bass fishing like never before.
“There will be fan interaction with the pros every day. With every pro,” said Duckett.
At every MLF Bass Pro Tour event, there will be an activation site set up somewhere in the host community, away from the competition lake. The activation site will house the Bass Pro Tour set, which is where commentators and analysts will be broadcasting live on MajorLeagueFishing.com during and after the competition.
After a day of competition, anglers will bring their boats and trucks from the competition lake to the activation site for a post-game show that fans will be able to watch in-person as well as online.
“The boat and truck of the angler becomes the stage for the post-game interview,” Duckett explained.
Right now, Duckett says he’s working closely with MLF producers to make this concept come to life. He says fans can expect drive-through post-game interviews and big screens around the activation site that will show fans highlights from that day’s competition. There will also be giveaways and engaging activities for the entire family.
“It’s going to be a fun, festive, exciting feeling,” Duckett said.
After their live interview, some of the MLF pros will pull their truck into a fan interaction area to meet their fans and sign autographs.
Each MLF Bass Pro Tour event will last six days, with the Championship Round on the final day. Those Championship Rounds will not only be live streaming on MajorLeagueFishing.com, they will also be edited into a 2-hour television show that will later air on the Discovery Channel. Duckett says fans could even play a role in the post-game interviews after the Championship Round.
“We want to have a big, interactive dynamic on that final day,” Duckett emphasized.
Fans at home will also be able to participate in the MLF Bass Pro Tour post-game shows. MLF reporters will ask for feedback from viewers, and you’ll be able to respond in real-time via social media.
MLF co-founder Gary Klein says this is just one of the ways MLF is taking the sport to the next level.
“This is such an opportunity for us to take the sport that we all love and are so passionate about, and that’s professional angling, and raise it to the next level, and create a true sport out of competitive angling, which has always been our goal since the beginning,” Klein said.
The first MLF Bass Pro Tour event will kick off on January 29, 2019. The locations of the events will be released in the coming weeks.
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