YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (July 24, 2015) – The Major League Fishing GEICO Select series made its way this week to historic Youngstown, Ohio, where the popular television show is filming its second event of the season.

 

The Bass Pro Shops Challenge Select, presented by Ferguson, features 24 MLF anglers – a field that includes Bassmaster Classic and Forrest Wood Cup champions, Toyota Angler of the Year winners and title-holders from both the BASS Elite and the FLW Walmart series – are competing on multiple lakes in the Mahoning County, Ohio region.

 

“I can’t be any more candid than to say that I knew we were coming to a fascinating part of the country, but I didn’t know what we should expect in terms of quality fisheries. We didn’t know because this is not an area where many our professional anglers have competed,” said Major League Fishing Commissioner Don Rucks.

 

“We could not be happier. We have great partners in Youngstown and Mahoning County. And as far as the fishing goes, it has been terrific. I firmly believe the shows from Youngstown are going to be terrific. We’ve had close finishes and periods where are anglers are catching them in bunches. I can’t wait to see these episodes.”

 

The Select series is a companion to the Major League Fishing Cup series. The Selects from Youngstown will begin airing during the second quarter of 2016 on Outdoor Channel, America’s Leader in Outdoor Television.

 

Major League Fishing Select anglers include : Scott Ashmore, Bill Day, Brent Chapman, Gary Clouse, Jason Christie, Ott DeFoe, Kurt Dove, Todd Faircloth, Randy Howell, Andy Montgomery, Cliff Pace, Pete Ponds, Brandon Palaniuk, Keith Poche, Marty Robinson, Mark Rose, Fred Roumbanis, Casey Scanlon, Kevin Short, Fletcher Shryock, Scott Suggs, Gerald Swindle, James Watson and Jacob Wheeler.

 

Based on their performances in Youngstown, six anglers from the Challenge Select will earn spots in the Major League Fishing Challenge Cup, which will feature the original 24 MLF anglers.

 

As in all Major League Fishing events, competing anglers are not allowed to practice or research venues. The anglers are chauffeured by boat officials to their fishing sites and are not told the actual locations until they reach a staging area.

 

Select events utilize the innovative Major League Fishing format, in which anglers are allowed to weigh all the “scorable” bass they catch. The bass are immediately weighed after they are caught, then are released back into the water. In Major League Fishing competition, anglers know where they rank in the standings at all times via SCORETRACKER© devices in their boats. Anglers are not allowed to practice before event.