Major League Fishing Announces 2020 Bass Pro Tour Schedule
Tulsa, Okla. – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the 2020 Bass Pro Tour schedule and locations. A collection of eight Stages, the Bass Pro Tour 2020 season will begin Feb. 7 on Lake Eufaula in Eufaula, Ala. and conclude on Jul. 26 on Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vt.
UPDATED: December 3, 2019
| Stage | Date | Lake | City | Community Host |
| One | Feb. 7-12 | Lake Eufaula | Eufaula, Ala. | Eufaula Barbour Chamber of Commerce |
| Two | Feb. 21-26 | Lake Okeechobee | Okeechobee, Fla. | Okeechobee County Tourism Development Council |
| Three | Mar. 13-18 | Lake Fork | Emory, Texas | Lake Fork Area Chamber of Commerce |
| Four | Apr. 3-8 | Jordan Lake, Falls Lake & Shearon Harris Reservoir | Raleigh, N.C. | Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance |
| Five | Apr. 24-29 | Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees | Grove, Okla. | City of Grove |
| Heavy Hitters | May 16-20 | Kissimmee Chain | Kissimmee, Fla. | Experience Kissimmee |
| Six | Jun. 5-10 | Lake Winnebago, Lake Butte des Morts & Green Lake | Neenah, Wis. | Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau |
| Seven | Jun. 26-Jul. 1 | St. Lawrence River | Ogdensburg, N.Y. | St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce & the City of Ogdensburg |
| Eight | Jul. 21-26 | Lake Champlain | Burlington, Vt. | Experience Vermont |
“This schedule is stocked with great fisheries and destinations,” remarked Michael Mulone, Senior Director of Events of Major League Fishing. “Working with the MLF angler advisory board and these outstanding community hosts, we have built an exciting 2020 schedule that will most benefit our fans.”
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 1 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 two-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 the final 10 who will compete on that final day, the Championship Round, for the Stage title and $100,000.
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.
MLF recently announced an agreement to acquire Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), which expands their portfolio to include the largest grassroots fishing organization, including the strongest five-fish format professional bass fishing tour, the FLW Pro Circuit (formerly FLW Tour), as well as the FLW Series, FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL), and high school and college tournament circuits. For more information on the league and anglers, visit www.MajorLeagueFishing.com and follow MLF on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.