The buyout is a done deal

Here's the release. Congrats to everyone involved.

http://anglerschannel.com/major-league-fishing-to-acquire-fishing-league-worldwide/

BassFan has a deeper dive into the details here http://bassfan.com/news.asp

Sad day from my perspective. Hope things work out for all of the anglers involved.

BASS needs to offer invites to top FLW Pros who have been downgraded to the farm system by MLF. Bryan Thrift, Scott Martin, David Dudley, John Cox, Andrew Upshaw, Brian Latimer, Casey Scanlon, and expand their field to 100. I don’t see why they wouldn’t go, most if not all have fished the opens in the past few years.

I hate MLF. Now I hate it even more after reading the BassFan article. I hope all of FLW top guys qualify and move to BASS.

Does this qualify as growing the sport?

Haters gonna hate. I think this is great news for the industry! Better get used to it. There will be many more changes to come.

It sounds like the grass roots tournaments from BFL to Costa to even the High School and College fishing will probably be better off after this merger. However, the format of the FLW tour events seems like a screwed up mess for 2020. Merging the two formats in the same tournament seems like a really odd way of doing things. I do not think that will be a hit with anyone involved. I don't suspect that format will last past 2020. I do feel sorry for the top guys in FLW. Many of them, by all accounts, were begged and even compensated to stay with FLW in 2019. I bet they regret that decision now. Looks like they will get to spend at least a year in the "minor leagues".

It's odd to mix the format for the flw pro tour. My thought is that if they are trying to qualify for the bass pro tour, then they need to have exposure to their format.

Mixing the formats? Children driving the tractor.

I’m just here for the haters.

I think a lot of the top pros will have the option to leave if they want to and can, let the dink fest began lol.

That's fine by me Chris. I'm dang sure a hater. Heck everyone that I fish with cant stand MLF either. And I'm one of the "young"ones they are trying to target. Just doesnt fit what tournament fishing is to me. But that's ok I dont have to get used to it. I'm not the one watching or fishing these tournaments. It doesn't direct impact most of our lives so no sweat off my back.