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Evers on Major League Fishing

Category: article

 Sep 28th, 2012 by OutdoorsFIRST 

Modified Sep 28th, 2012 at 12:00 AM

Hearing a seasoned bass tournament veteran like Edwin Evers being jacked up about a new fishing format is as rare as getting a straight answer from Washington, DC. However, Evers has some serious joy in his voice when he speaks about Major League Fishing (MLF).

	Edwin Evers (Photo BassFIRST)

You see, he has now completed the two events of this made-for-TV tournament show on the Outdoor Channel. With these two events under his belt Evers can’t wait for more from a concept he feels has serious legs in the sport fishing industry.

“I am so excited about the MLF format!” said Evers. “It’s so different and intense. I mean there is nothing like it out there.

“For example, in most events you catch your limit, let’s say 20 pounds, you can usually relax and start looking to upgrade. Not in this event, every keeper counts. The weight doesn’t stop counting after five fish, it just keeps adding on until the day is over.

“It’s all immediate release. We weigh the fish in front of a paid official in the boat and the fish is released. Heck, if the fish touches the carpet when you swing it in you are penalized. The only time a fish touches anything is the board when we are measuring them. And when you are penalized that means you can’t do anything. You can’t control the boat, position it, rig stuff, nothing. You just sit there until the penalty time is over!”

In addition to the endless weights that are possible, the competitors are immediately aware of what their competitors are up to via IPads.

“Another feature that really ups the intensity is the ability to know exactly how much weight your competitors have,” said Evers. “Someone can pull up in front of you and catch one. You can check your IPad and see just how much weight they have and what the weight of the fish was. The pressure is always on.”

Other shows have tried a similar format, such as Ultimate Match Fishing on the Outdoor Channel, but MLF is geared more as a tournament as opposed to a series of single day one-on-one in the boat matches that Ultimate Match Fishing features.

“There is nothing else like it,” said Evers. “I think tournament fans are gonna love it. I think this is a long-term deal. It’s very exciting. I think it has legs, iron legs.”