Major League Fishing (MLF) is a professional bass fishing league and sports television show that airs on Outdoor Channel, World Fishing Network and Discovery Channel. The league's headquarters are located in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The MLF was established in partnership between the Professional Bass Tour Anglers' Association (PBTAA) and Outdoor Channel as an answer to other professional fishing tournaments that the anglers compete in.[1][2] It was the top-rated show on Outdoor Channel.[3][4]
Major League Fishing is different from other professional fishing tournaments in that every bass boat has a referee on board to weigh each catch immediately and ensure quick catch and release, and all fisherman have a constant update on how fellow competitors are performing through iPads on their boats.[5] Additionally, anglers do not know where they are going before the day of the competition, as it focuses more on the anglers's personalities and struggles under competition pressure rather than purely on yields and rankings.[6] This new style of tournament fishing[7] was designed with conservation in mind, and anglers are not allowed to land fish, grab them for long, or keeping them in the boat's live well.[8][9] The shows are fished without revealing results instantly, as the results are shown when the television program airs.[10][11]
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