TULSA, Okla. – When seven-time B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year and four-time Bassmaster Classic champ Kevin VanDam competes for the Major League Fishing title, something about his competitive look will be familiar. He will be bass fishing in a Nitro boat.
“I’ve had a great relationship with Bass Pro Shops and Nitro. And I’m happy they’re on board as we begin Major League Fishing, which I see as one of the most creative and challenging ventures that our industry has ever seen,” said VanDam. “I think it’s a perfect fit to have Bass Pro Shops as part of Major League Fishing.”
Major League Fishing’s first event, the Challenge Cup, took place November 6-11 on Lake Amistad near Del Rio, Texas.
The Lake Amistad event debuted the league’s innovative format that allows anglers to compete with no limit on the number of legal fish they can catch and weigh. Competitors were not allowed to begin competition with stored, user-generated GPS waypoints, and were not allowed any practice time. The anglers also were equipped with real-time leader boards in their boats, which showed where they ranked in the standings at all times.
Bass Pro Shops and Nitro provided No. 1-selling Z7 bass boats for the first event.
“We are thankful for the opportunity for our company to be a part of Major League Fishing and this exciting new concept in competitive bass fishing,” stated Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Marine founder Johnny Morris. “I’m looking forward to watching the competition.”
Major League Fishing Commissioner Don Rucks said he is delighted to welcome “perhaps the largest, single most influential brand name in the fishing industry” to the league.
“Bass Pro Shops is an outstanding company, and it is an honor to bring their vast resources and good name to Major League Fishing,” Rucks said. “We believe we have a great product to offer, and nothing could please us more than knowing that we have a partner like Bass Pro Shops that supports and help us deliver our product to sports fans across the country.”
The Challenge Cup will be offered to the public via a web-based pay-per-view broadcast early in 2012, and will be aired on Outdoor Channel beginning in April 2012. Details of pay-per-view programming will be announced in December.