How To Qualify For Mlf 2025
CDMeyer reply :
Does anybody know how the qualification system goes for Major League Fishing? I have looked everywhere and can not see it..... so if anybody could help I would love it!!!!!
Brian Needham reply :
they are probably chosen
aavery2 reply :
I would say that a pre requisite would be to fish and finish high in an Elite series event, although Byron Velvick does fish in MLF. 
J Francho reply :
MLF is a television product, so I imagine they are contracted to fish.
iabass8 reply :
I think I remember reading it's invite only.
VAHunter reply :
I agree, invitations only. While I like it, I don't believe it's the future of competitive bass fishing as it's been called. Anybody ever hear what they win? I sure haven't. As noted earlier, clearly a television product for sponsors.
Jrob78 reply :
I've always wondered what they win also. My guess is it isn't much. I do know that the next "season" will have all new anglers.
Team9nine reply :
There is no qualification system to get in. It is a "made for television" tournament show. The anglers are all basically part owners in the final product, as is the cable TV company (Outdoor Channel). Basically a 50/50 split as I understand it. No entry fees and no tournament winning payouts. Instead, it is a revenue sharing arrangement with the Outdoor Channel. Consider them all stockholders if you will. Each of the 24 put up their own money to help initially fund and create the venture. As such, no one is ever "eliminated" unless they choose to sell out their ownership stake in the company. Nobody has yet.
The newest anglers you heard about (MLF Select) is their first attempt at bringing in some "new blood" to the group and slowly expanding. These guys were by invite only, and all had to pay a "buy-in" fee to accept the invite. They will not be replacing any of the original 24, but instead will actually be competing against themselves in groups for a chance to be added to the permanent line-up of guys as I understand it. A few will get in, most won't. They wil have their own televised tourney shows, though, as part of the deal, while they compete to advance for that chance. This will all be in addition to the regular scheduled events of the founding 24 MLF guys.
-T9
A-Jay reply :
On 5/16/2014 at 12:56 AM, Team9nine said:There is no qualification system to get in. It is a "made for television" tournament show. The anglers are all basically part owners in the final product, as is the cable TV company (Outdoor Channel). Basically a 50/50 split as I understand it. No entry fees and no tournament winning payouts. Instead, it is a revenue sharing arrangement with the Outdoor Channel. Consider them all stockholders if you will. Each of the 24 put up their own money to help initially fund and create the venture. As such, no one is ever "eliminated" unless they choose to sell out their ownership stake in the company. Nobody has yet.
The newest anglers you heard about (MLF Select) is their first attempt at bringing in some "new blood" to the group and slowly expanding. These guys were by invite only, and all had to pay a "buy-in" fee to accept the invite. They will not be replacing any of the original 24, but instead will actually be competing against themselves in groups for a chance to be added to the permanent line-up of guys as I understand it. A few will get in, most won't. They wil have their own televised tourney shows, though, as part of the deal, while they compete to advance for that chance. This will all be in addition to the regular scheduled events of the founding 24 MLF guys.
-T9
Very interesting stuff.
How or Where did you happen across this information ?
A-Jay
Team9nine reply :
A-Jay:
Some of it, MLF has given out to the public in past press releases and posts (other forums). The rest I know because I'm a close personal friend of one of the contestants. Obviously I can't give out exact (tiny) details as much of that is kept under (his) contract confidentiality, which I completely respect, but did want to give the general details of the basic arrangement for clarification (as I understand them).
-T9
A-Jay reply :
On 5/16/2014 at 1:15 AM, Team9nine said:A-Jay:
Some of it, MLF has given out to the public in past press releases and posts (other forums). The rest I know because I'm a close personal friend of one of the contestants. Obviously I can't give out exact (tiny) details as much of that is kept under (his) contract confidentiality, which I completely respect, but did want to give the general details of the basic arrangement for clarification (as I understand them).
-T9
Thank you.
Personally, I like the show. Although it is a "contest", I do understand that it's first & fore most a made for entertainment (TV & Internet) show. As it stands now, it seems mostly like a contest. My hope is that the "Entertainment" side of the show doesn't take over.
A-Jay
MarkH024 reply :
They asked me. I declined to keep the competition level equal. 
hoosierbass07 reply :
And since it is a made for TV event, you must always question if it is a true honest competition. They might be following a script. With TV you can never trust them unless they clearly state it is an honest competition but even then you can't believe them because TV is all made up. If they stood in front of a judge or Senate hearing and answered "Yes, our competition is completely legit" then I might believe them. Until then I question and so should everyone else.
J Francho reply :
Speaking to Boyd Duckett personally about MLF, I got the impression that the competition is real, not scripted.
Jrob78 reply :
On 5/18/2014 at 2:49 AM, hoosierbass07 said:And since it is a made for TV event, you must always question if it is a true honest competition. They might be following a script. With TV you can never trust them unless they clearly state it is an honest competition but even then you can't believe them because TV is all made up. If they stood in front of a judge or Senate hearing and answered "Yes, our competition is completely legit" then I might believe them. Until then I question and so should everyone else.
Why would they script it? What would be the benefit of that and how would that somehow be easier or better than allowing the real thing to happen naturally? It doesn't even make sense, nor would it be logistically possible.
VAHunter reply :
On 5/18/2014 at 10:12 AM, Jrob78 said:Why would they script it? What would be the benefit of that and how would that somehow be easier or better than allowing the real thing to happen naturally? It doesn't even make sense, nor would it be logistically possible.
Agreed. I don't think it's scripted. Too many type "A" personalities thrown in there.
iabass8 reply :
On 5/18/2014 at 2:49 AM, hoosierbass07 said:And since it is a made for TV event, you must always question if it is a true honest competition. They might be following a script. With TV you can never trust them unless they clearly state it is an honest competition but even then you can't believe them because TV is all made up. If they stood in front of a judge or Senate hearing and answered "Yes, our competition is completely legit" then I might believe them. Until then I question and so should everyone else.
I bet they are using those top secret baits, rods, and reels that look just like the readily available product but are clearly just high end lookalike customs. don't forget the line spun from zeus' pet spider they all use too.
I think you can take your tin foil hate off for this one...it's a fishing show.....
I wouldn't even understand how scripting something like this would even be logistically possible when you can even go on the extended casts and see them making just about every cast....
Megastink reply :
I guess nobody connected the dots:
MLF=owned by Boyd Duckett, who also owns Duckett Rods. Most of the Duckett pros fish MLF.
hoosierbass07 reply :
I'm not saying it is scripted. I'm simply saying you should not 100% trust that it is a real competition. It might be 100% fair and honest. I assume it is. I sort of enjoy the program myself and probably enjoy it more than Bass Master Elite tournaments on TV. Right now TV is full of cheap crappy reality TV and none of it is real reality. So when you get a made for TV fishing competition don't blindly trust that it is 100% fair.
iabass8 reply :
On 5/23/2014 at 12:38 PM, hoosierbass07 said:I'm not saying it is scripted. I'm simply saying you should not 100% trust that it is a real competition. It might be 100% fair and honest. I assume it is. I sort of enjoy the program myself and probably enjoy it more than Bass Master Elite tournaments on TV. Right now TV is full of cheap crappy reality TV and none of it is real reality. So when you get a made for TV fishing competition don't blindly trust that it is 100% fair.
Of curiosity what would make this particular fishing competition fair or unfair towards the anglers.
Megastink reply :
I believe it is 1,000% fair and honest.
gripnrip reply :
Of course it is a competition. Because it is invite only doesn't mean it isn't a competition. I like it and I think it is 100% real. What makes the show is the pressure that the live leader board put on the competitors. You know it is nerve racking!
The technique show on the other hand is questionable. Ike for instance pimping the Molix over the vibrating jig he was using. But that is nothing different than any other pro pushing their product.
jtharris3 reply :
They asked me to join but they wouldn't allow me to take my dog on the boat during filming so I declined! 
Jd_Phillips_Fishin reply :
On 5/23/2014 at 10:48 AM, Megastink said:I guess nobody connected the dots:
MLF=owned by Boyd Duckett, who also owns Duckett Rods. Most of the Duckett pros fish MLF.
Im not saying your wrong but how come most of them dont use Triton boats or Vicious line? Those are Duckett's main sponsors.
gripnrip reply :
On 5/30/2014 at 5:22 AM, carolina bassin said:Im not saying your wrong but how come most of them dont use Triton boats or Vicious line? Those are Duckett's main sponsors.
He isn't wrong. If Triton or Vicious want to pony up money to be official sponsors of MLF they can. It doesn't have anything to do with Boyd's sponsors. Triton and Vicious pay Boyd. They don't pay MLF.
oufaninks reply :
Spoonplugers comments about how MLF works is correct. To select the players, they took the top standings of the Elite Series and made the offer. When one declined they went to the next on the list.
As far as scripting, the producers wanted some conjecture on the lake, the guys said no. We don't do that in our real life and we are not going to do that in the show.
Everything is honest and equitable. I have personally watched and assisted in their tournaments.
I think its an acceptable format, just not sure about the successfulness of it.
Not sure how Byron Velvic got invited. I do know they stayed at his motel/lodge during the first MLF event. Maybe he worked something out with Duckett. Not sure.
Bass Pro furnishes the boats including moving them to the next location. Obviously they only have a couple other sponsors and I am sure they need more. It is very expensive to pay the lady and gentlemen, plus the film and support crews to film these. Studio editing on top of that with that many cameras and film shot is challenging as well.
Hats off to Duckett for a great idea and guts enough to try it. For all those who are involved, I hope it works. A bunch of great people to be around.
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