TULSA, Okla. (Jan. 24, 2019) – Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today that well-known fishing brands Abu Garcia and Berkley will sponsor the 2019 MLF Bass Pro Tour that begins its eight-event tournament series January 29 on Florida’s Kissimmee Chain of Lakes.

“Abu Garcia rods and reels and Berkley baits and fishing line need no introduction … they’ve long had a presence in fishing and have always been in the forefront of the premier marketing programs in our industry, including prior involvement with MLF,” said MLF President and CEO Jim Wilburn. “We now welcome them to the Bass Pro Tour sponsor team where I know their participation will further enhance the overall experience of our participating pros and viewing audience alike.”

“We have been investing heavily in Berkley and Abu Garcia and a big part of that investment is within the world of bass fishing,” said Jon Schlosser, VP Marketing for Pure Fishing. “MLF is a great place for us to showcase our major new developments in bass fishing products and also allows us to highlight our alignment with several of the top pros in the sport.”

The Pure Fishing brands will have promotional prominence throughout the tour. They will sponsor the show’s post game programming, plus will present The Berkley Catch Count to the angler catching the most bass in each event, and also give the Berkley Big Bass award for the biggest bass per tournament.

Additionally, Abu Garcia and Berkley will have 30-second commercials and billboards on MLF television, and the Berkley Bait of the Week will be featured on the MLF NOW! live-streaming broadcast that delivers seven hours of Bass Pro Tour coverage each competition day.

Three Bass Pro Tour stops have been announced to date: Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in Florida, Jan. 29 – Feb. 3; Lake Conroe, Texas, Feb. 12 – 17; and North Carolina’s Falls Lake, Shearon Harris Reservoir and Jordan Lake, all located near Raleigh, March 26 – 31.The 2019 Bass Pro Tour will culminate with a championship event held in August.

The Bass Pro Tour will use MLF’s popular tournament format of allowing anglers to catch as many bass as possible in 7.5 hours of fishing during each competition day. “Scorable” bass will be weighed, scored and immediately released back into the water, a scenario that sets the Bass Pro Tour apart from bass fishing’s other largest tournament trails.

Each Bass Pro Tour event will be developed into a 2-hour television show to air on Discovery Channel in the fourth quarter of 2019. The shows will repeat in first and second quarters 2020 on Sportsman Channel.

MLF also has programming on Outdoor Channel, World Fishing Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network and Discovery Channel, and all episodes are available on-demand on My Outdoor TV (MOTV).

For more information about Abu Garcia, Berkley and other Pure Fishing brands, visit www.purefishing.com.

For more information about MLF and its anglers, rules and sponsors, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.