Major League Fishing has announced its schedule for the 2020 Bass Pro Tour, the new league’s second season of professional bass fishing.
“This schedule is stocked with great fisheries and destinations,” said 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 2020 schedule will be:
February 7–12—Lake Eufaula, Eufaula, Alabama (Hosted by the Eufaula Barbour Chamber of Commerce)
February 21–26—Lake Okeechobee, Okeechobee, Florida (Hosted by the Okeechobee County Tourism Development Council)
March 13–18—Lake Fork, Emory, Texas (Hosted by the Lake Fork Area Chamber of Commerce)
April 3–8—Jordan Lake, Falls Lake and Shearon Harris Reservoir, Raleigh, North Carolina (Hosted by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance)
May 15–20—Kissimmee Chain, Kissimmee, Florida (Hosted by Experience Kissimmee)
June 5–10—Lake Winnebago, Lake Butte des Morts and Green Lake, Neenah, Wisconsin (Hosted by the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau)
June 26–July 1—St. Lawrence River, Ogdensburg, New York (Hosted by the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce and the city of Ogdensburg)
July 21–26—Lake Champlain, Burlington, Vermont (Hosted by Experience Vermont)
The Bass Pro Tour features 80 of the world’s top professional anglers, including Kevin VanDam, Edwin Evers, Aaron Martens, Mike Iaconelli, Jordan Lee, and Skeet Reese. Each stage includes six days of competition using the league’s catch-weigh-and-immediately-release format, where every bass over 1 pound counts toward a cumulative weight total for the day.
In addition to the economic impact for host communities, Major League Fishing showcases the region through live and linear programming. Each stage is broadcast live on the Major League Fishing app, MyOutdoorTV (MOTV), and MajorLeagueFishing.com, totaling more than 325 hours of original programming. In addition, highlights from each stage 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.”
Several stops on the tour will repeat from last season, including the stop in Neenah, Wisconsin.
“We are honored to welcome back the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour to the Fox Cities in 2020,” said Matt Ten Haken, director of sports marketing for the Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau. “During the Bass Pro Tour competition in Neenah in June 2019, the world was able to see the natural beauty and abundant fishing opportunities of Lake Winnebago.”