Question Bass Pro Tour Anglers Hail MLF Trailering Policy on Sturgeon Bay ---What do you think
By Tyler Brinks - July 11, 2020
STURGEON BAY, Wis. – Throughout the Bass Pro Tour’s two-year history, tournament administrators have occasionally allowed anglers to launch at the site of their choice on foul-weather days, part of a trailering policy that was first instituted at Lake Chickamauga in 2019.
That policy is an effect all week this week at the Covercraft Stage Five Presented by Abu Garcia.
Anglers can launch at any public boat launch within the massive tournament boundaries on Sturgeon Bay, Green Bay and Lake Michigan, and can also put their boat back on the trailer and drive to a different boat ramp during competition hours if they so choose.
This was part of the practice strategy for the anglers, who are overwhelmingly in favor of being able to trailer their boats to different locations. Some of the field reported launching from four or five different ramps during practice to have a plan for wind in any direction and reduce time driving their boats in rough water.
The MLF NOW! audience witnessed that policy in full effect during Qualifying Round 1 on Friday when Kevin VanDam put his Nitro on the trailer and drove to a different launch while the clock was still ticking on Period 1.

hy Trailer? Here’s Why:

Big waves are just a given part of the Great Lakes game, but assessing the wind and wave forecasts for Lake Michigan for the week, this policy may be the difference between fishing or not for a day of competition.
“I remember fishing a tournament on the Great Lakes years ago and we canceled three days in a row. Bass boats are not built for the Great Lakes, and running around all day,” said Jeff Kriet, MLF pro and avid offshore saltwater angler with a 100-ton Master Captain’s license. “I have a 40-foot offshore boat with quad 300-horsepower engines, and there are days where I wouldn’t want to be on this sucker with that boat.”
Kriet and the rest of the field have been paying close attention to the weather forecast for the week, and it has changed how they approached practice and competition-day planning.
“It would be tough to fish this event without being able to trailer because of how hard the wind is predicted to blow out of the north,” Kriet said. “Running four miles could take you an hour by boat, so I would absolutely get on the trailer and drive to a different area if I had to.”
Both of the VanDams competing (Kevin and Jonathon) have more experience on Great Lakes fisheries that most of the field, and are both ecstatic about the policy.

KVD and Kriet must have broke down while trailering, looking at their first day.

It was shocking to see how few fish some of them caught.

Wow, kvd actually struggled

helluva note to catch 71lbs of fish in two days and not make the top 20....

Who really cares if they trailer or not? It's not a big deal

Seems like a good idea on big water like this, not sure why the other tours don't allow this, maybe the have but can't ever remember a bassmaster event allowing trailering.