[print_link]
Major League Fishing stage 3 in Raleigh, North Carolina put on a show while on the water. Packed full of quality fish, last minute catches, and adverse condition. I truly feel the product they put on screen tops all, but the post tournament set up lacks from what most of us are used to.
The Bass Pro Shop in Cary, North Carolina had a great set up to get fishing fans close to anglers and the action. In my opinion the set up is good but lacks the surprise and anticipation we’ve grown to love. The coverage from 10:00 am until 3:30 is top notch, but knowing the standings before the angers ever gets off the water takes away from the post tournament coverage.
I’m not downing MLF at all, I love the coverage and the structure of the actual tournament. I just feel it’s meant for home viewing. If your not in it for autographs and angler inter action, you can get the same experience form your own couch. All the excitement happens on the water not on the stage.
If you’re like me you cant look away from the screen Tuesday through Sunday, but after 3:30 each day you already have all the stats and standings. You don’t have the surprises on the weigh-in stage we are used to from following BASS and FLW all these years.
Being able to hear from the top names in the sport after the events is the best part of the post tournament stage. MFL is really striving to give fans every bit of information on and off the water. I think that’s what has must of us hooked, the constant knowing of what our favorite anglers are doing while on the water. Which is what we haven’t been able to get from other tournament trail in the past. At the same time it also takes away from the events that take place off the water.
MLF has really given us the ability to feel like we are in the boats of the competitors. Being able to see the anglers in their setting, what they’re throwing, how they fish certain baits to draw a bite, and how they handle their selves when the score tracker goes off. It really gives us a first hand look of what we’ve missed in the past. The product they’re putting on screen can’t be matched in my opinion.
If you want to get close to the anglers and get autographs they have a great set up to get fans close. When the competitors get to the stage set up there is only a fence between fans and anglers. I feel this is great especially for kids growing up in the sport, they get to meet and take pictures with the guys they look up to and dream about being one day. The interaction you get with these guys is awesome.
In all they are putting out something fresh and new that the sport has needed to get fans involved. You get to see way more than we ever have seen before. They are taking the sport in a new direction in a good way with conservation, and fish care. They have got it figured out on how to keep us fans drawn into the coverage. Just don’t expect a show on the stage. What you know at 3:30 in the afternoon when lines are out is the same information you’ll know at 6:00 that evening when they walk across the stage.
