There was a piece on bassfan.com last week about the new pro circuit called Major League Fishing. Reading it I thought - wow this is something different, something legit and cool. Then I thought dang if this doesn't sound like a B-n-T kickboat tournament circa 1999 :) Here's a link:

http://www.bassfan.com/news_article.asp?id=4114

Let's compare and contrast...

MLF practice: There is none
B-n-T practice: Who practiced for a B-n-T tourney in 1999? You just showed up and fished.

MLF electronics: No waypoints are allowed on your fish finder
B-n-T electronics: What? I think someone might have had a fish finder, maybe.

MLF waters: The divide the lake in to three 4-5 mile sections. You're limited to that section during your round of fishing (3 rounds per day)
B-n-T waters: If you were really gung-ho you might oar 2 miles somewhere. So the playing field for MLF is not much bigger.

MLF leaderboard: Every boat in MLF is carrying an iPad in a waterproof case that gives realtime weights for all competitors. So you know what everyone else has all day long.
B-n-T leaderboard: Just row down the wall on the far side up past the barrier and ask how everyone is doing. By noon you know who's got what :) All the MLF pros are talking about how much knarlier that makes the competition because you know if you're behind and by exactly how much. That was always part of the fun of B-n-T events for me. You had a pretty good sense where you stood mid-day and knew if you needed to step it up.

MLF format: Pro on pro. No co-anglers
B-n-T format: Similarly one on one. No co-angler to affect the outcome. It's you vs. everyone else - that's it.

You have to admit, they're getting back to a purer form of tournament fishing. One that reveals who is the most skilled on the given day in the given area. No more secret backwaters and jeboats. No more practicing with guides before the cutoff and buying waypoints. No co-anglers like FLW has to affect the outcome. I

dig it and I dig it because it reminds me of B-n-T and the way tournament fishing should be :)