The National Professional Fishing League ownership group announced the launch of a new angler-centric tour in March of 2021 —The National Professional Fishing League. They are launching their announcement on the National Professional Fishing League Facebook page today at 5pm CST. The focus is to bring simplicity back to professional bass fishing. One lake, 125 anglers, three days of fishing with the heaviest combined three-day weight winning. The full field will compete on all three days. One in three anglers will get paid at each event.
Here are some of the details of the new trail:
- 125 angler field with a two-year contract; includes an option for a third year
- No requalification for the first three years
- Six qualifying tournaments, two spring, two summer and two fall.
- $5,000 entry fee per event
- NO ENTRY FEE National PFL Championship
- Live Stream all three days, on the water. Live in-studio commentator and live weigh-ins
- Trailered weigh-ins; pull right up to the stage showcasing your rig and sponsors
- Angler committee comprised of active anglers will liaison directly with the ownership group and the tournament director.
PAYOUTS
The goal is to make a lucrative endeavor for those professionals who also hold down full-time jobs. Anglers are encouraged to fish any other circuits as well. To the max extent possible, the schedule will not conflict with BASS Opens. Payouts have been vetted through 65 prominent anglers. At their request, the top end of the payout bracket was distributed down the field. This ensures more anglers make a profit at each event:
- Half a million dollars in payouts at each event
- One in three anglers paid at each event
- No Entry Fee Championship with a minimum of $250,000 in payout
QUALIFYING EVENTS
1st $50,000
2nd $30,000
3rd $20,000
4th $15,000
5th $14,000
6th – 25th $10,000
26th -44th $9,000
NO ENTRY FEE CHAMPIONSHIP (TOP 25 in points)
1st $50,000
2nd $30,000
3rd $20,000
4th $18,000
5th $14,000
6th $12,000
7th $10,000
8th $8,000
9th $7,000
10th $6,000
11th-25th $5,000
OWNERSHIP GROUP
- Majority Owner: Al McCulloch, Big Bass Bash /AIA / Elite Angler
- Second Majority Owner: Brad and Michele Fuller, Omega Custom Tackle
- Minority Owner: Paul Benson, Cashion Rods
“We want to emphasize that this is a starting point,” said Alan McCulloch. “We are currently in negotiations with endemic and non-endemic sponsors. Our goal is to build an enduring tour with the anglers and their families at the forefront. Our sponsorship goals go deeper than dollars. We are striving for partners that share our values and our passion for the outdoors. This strategy gives us a certain amount of freedom to put the anglers first and build a trail that gets back to what the founders of bass fishing intended it to be.”
As revenue is added, our intention is to meet the below goals:
- $100,000 to each of the qualifying event winners.
- $500,000 to the Winner of the National Championship
- $100,000 to Angler of the year (determined by points)
- Pay one out of two anglers by year three
The field will be capped at 125 anglers. They are finalizing the rules, contract and expect them to be ready in the next 5 days. If you are interested in joining the field or sponsoring a tournament or the trail or just gathering more information, you can reach out to one of the contacts listed below.
Contact Al McCulloch—314-853-0353 or Brad Fuller—850-496-3348.
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/The-National-Professional-Fishing-League-112254593532123/
