March 23, 2020 (Tulsa, Okla.) — Major League Fishing (MLF) announced the league will postpone the next stop on the Bass Pro Tour originally scheduled for April 3-8, 2020 in Raleigh, North Carolina in an abundance of caution surrounding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The League will monitor the situation and follow the advice of medical and public health officials to reschedule as quickly as possible.

“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. “While our format inherently allows for social distancing and other recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control to minimize the spread of COVID-19, we feel it’s in the best interest of all involved to pause our 2020 season.”

The Berkley Stage Four Presented by Covercraft was originally scheduled to take place on Jordan Lake, Falls Lake, and Shearon Harris Reservoir hosted by the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance.

“We understand the decision by MLF to postpone the event,” commented Tori Collins, Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance Director. “These proactive measures are tough decisions but in the best interest for all involved. The Greater Raleigh area looks forward to welcoming the MLF pros and staff back to North Carolina and showcasing our region’s beautiful lakes 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 Stage Four.

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.