THE LATEST NEWS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    MLF Postpones Stage Five of the Bass Pro Tour, Originally Scheduled for late April 2020  April 1, 2020 (Tulsa, Okla.) Major League Fishing (MLF) announced the league will postpone Stage Five of the Bass Pro Tour originally scheduled for April 24-30, 2020 on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees. This decision is a result of recommendations by federal, state, and local officials to minimize the transmission of COVID-19. The League will monitor the situation and follow the advice of medical and Public Health officials to reschedule as quickly as possible.  “While we’re disappointed that we can’t move forward with the Bass Pro Tour in April, the safety and health of our anglers, volunteers, staff, and host community are our primary concern,” said Jim Wilburn, Major League Fishing President and CEO. “Our format inherently allows for social distancing and other recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control to minimize the spread of novel coronavirus, but this unprecedented global pandemic cannot be taken likely and we must follow the advice of medical and government officials.”  The Phoenix Boats Stage Five presented by Mercury was scheduled to launch from the Wolf Creek Park Boat Ramp and is hosted by the City of Grove.  “While it saddens us, we fully understand the decision by MLF to postpone the event,” commented Donnie Crain, Director of the Grove Convention & Tourism Bureau. “These proactive, preventative measures are tough decisions but in the best interest for all involved. Grove and Grand Lake look forward to welcoming the MLF Pros and staff back to Northeastern Oklahoma and showcasing our beautiful lake and its great fishing in the future.” Major League Fishing will continue to assess the impact of COVID-19 and take the advice and mandates set forth by local, state, and national medical and Public Health officials to address the potential impact on future events and potential dates for rescheduling Stages Four and Five. MLF strongly encourages everyone to follow the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on everyday prevention of viral infection, which include:

• Clean your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Avoid close contact with sick persons
• Practice social distancing among your community
• Stay home if you’re sick
• Cover the nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing
• Routinely clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects
• Consult a healthcare provider as needed
• For more information about the novel coronavirus, visit cdc.gov.

MLF fans can tune into the Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel to see original airings of the MLF Cup events including the Premiere of the 2020 Patriot Cup on Saturday, April 4, 2020. MLF Cup events feature 30 Pros from the Bass Pro Tour filmed exclusively to premiere on Outdoor Channel. 2020 MLF Cup events were filmed in late 2019.  For a complete listing of the MLF television schedule, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com/tv-schedule.    About Major League Fishing:    Founded in 2011, Major League Fishing (MLF) brings the high-intensity sport of competitive bass fishing into America’s living rooms on Outdoor Channel, Discovery, CBS, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network, Sportsman Channel, and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). The Bass Pro Tour consists of eight events and a championship streamed live on www.MajorLeagueFishing.com and MOTV.  In late 2019 MLF acquired FLW, which expands their portfolio to include the world’s largest grassroots fishing organization, including the strongest five-fish format professional bass fishing tour, the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit, as well as the Toyota Series, Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine, and Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI, and High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing.  For more information on the league and anglers, visit www.MajorLeagueFishing.com and follow MLF on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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Carhartt pro Caleb Sumrall was really looking forward to pitching lures around the thousands of flooded cypress trees at the Bassmaster Elite Series event on Santee Cooper, SC this month. Instead, he’s passing the time as a responsible American by fishing the cypress trees five minutes from his Southern Louisiana home with family.

“Oh man, I was really looking forward to the Bassmaster Elite Series on Santee this month, because let me tell ya, not every cypress tree is created equal, and having grown up fishing them most of my life in Southern Louisiana, my confidence was super high about my ability to fish them really effectively and do well on Santee,” says the former petroleum industry supply yard worker.

The good news is, there’s a small waterway five minutes from Sumrall’s home that allows him to #FishSmart in the treasured company of bride Jacie, sweet daughter, Clelie Rose (named for her French Cajun great grandmother) — and highly animated 2 year old son, Axel.

“Clelie likes to fish, but she’s just as happy when deer season gets here, and Axel loves to be in “daddy’s boat”, but he’s only two years old, so he’d rather play with the fish I put in the livewell, rather than focus on catching them himself,” says Sumrall, who notched six impressive Top 30 finishes in 2019.

“Truthfully, I’m kinda glad Axel isn’t into worms and bobbers yet, because that would probably require trips to a large retail store by our house to get fresh night crawlers, and right now we’re trying to be smart and avoid trips to places like that where people congregate,” he adds.

The longtime Toyota Bonus Bucks member adds that by fishing so close to home, he’s made roughly five trips to the lake with the family on just one tank of gas in their Tundra. “I’m super careful at the gas pump about safeguarding against the virus. I place a napkin between my skin and the pump handle, and then use hand sanitizer too,” he says.

Sumrall has also committed to better personal health through a passionate jogging routine of at least 5-miles per day. He’s jogged 420 total miles since the end of the 2019 Elite Series Season at Lake St. Clair last fall. It’s a fitness routine that’s peeled away 25 pounds of body fat the past six months.

Still, Sumrall would prefer to be 13 hours from home two weeks from now, running a row of flooded cypress trees in his Xpress boat on Santee Cooper — pitching a Texas-rigged black and blue Missile Baits D Bomb to their flooded root systems.

But with life and the Bassmaster Elite Series season being paused a bit right now, he’s making a concerted mental effort not to give into fear. And instead, absorb every simple great moment of family time in the outdoors near home.

The post Sumrall: No worms, a Little Truck Gas and a Lot of Family appeared first on Bass365.com.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Public boat ramp closures in South Carolina and Kentucky, as well as extended federal guidelines limiting social gatherings to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, have prompted B.A.S.S. to postpone four additional upcoming tournaments.

The Bassmaster Elite at Santee Cooper Lakes in Clarendon County, S.C., Carhartt Bassmaster College Series at Lake Cumberland presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series at Lake Cumberland presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors and Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster Junior Series at Lake Cumberland, all three to be held in Jamestown, Ky., are being rescheduled for later in the year, B.A.S.S. officials announced today.

“B.A.S.S. believes it is imperative to heed the advice not only of the CDC but of our elected officials as our country navigates this national crisis,” said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. “We are encouraging our anglers, staff and fans to live smart and fish smart, practicing responsible social distancing measures and doing their part to help limit the spread of this disease.”

B.A.S.S. has postponed eight events originally scheduled between March and May and is evaluating upcoming tournaments based on precautions and advice from the CDC and public officials as well as local mandates regarding public spaces and events.

“Although we are disappointed to postpone the Bassmaster Elite Series event previously scheduled for April 16-19, the health and safety of event organizers, the anglers and our community is our top priority,” said Tiffany Myers, Director of Tourism for the Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce. “We are continuing to work with the B.A.S.S. organization to reschedule the event at a later date.”

While the national State of Emergency is in place, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has closed boat ramps and landings on the state’s lakes, rivers and waterways. Additionally, he has ordered anyone arriving into South Carolina from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut or New Orleans to self-quarantine for two weeks.

As more states adopt “shelter in place” recommendations and continue to limit operation of nonessential businesses, B.A.S.S is also considering the impact that potential logistical issues and travel restrictions, including Canadian border closures, may have on anglers’ ability to travel to tournaments.

During this national crisis and uncertain time, B.A.S.S. is encouraging people, where possible, to use this unexpected time to enjoy the outdoors and recreational fishing in a safe and responsible way with their new “Live Smart, Fish Smart” campaign.

B.A.S.S. is also producing stories and videos designed to ensure those staying inside can still connect to the sport, and people, they love. This includes upcoming content covering topics such as teaching fishing skills to kids and bank fishing basics.

Fans of fishing and the Bassmaster Elite Series anglers can find live Q/A videos, inspiring stories, helpful tips and more at Bassmaster.com. B.A.S.S. is also encouraging outdoor enthusiasts and tournament anglers alike to share photos with the hashtags: #livesmart #fishsmart #bassmaster.

About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 515,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2 and The Pursuit Channel), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Basspro.com Bassmaster Opens Series, TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Series, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Mossy Oak Fishing Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Bassmaster Team Championship, new Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Academy Sports + Outdoors Bassmaster Classic presented by Huk.

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