CLEWISTON, Fla. — The 2024 season of Major League Fishing (MLF) has started with a bass fishing tournament at Lake Okeechobee in Clewiston. It features 197 anglers hoping to snag some award-winning bass in order to take home up to $100,000 and a new boat.
The parking lots near the lake were a spectacle in themselves, with rows upon rows of boat trailers.
"This is a beautiful venue to kick off the season. We get people from all over the country, and we’ve even got anglers from Spain and Canada," said Mark McWha, the MLF Tournament Director, highlighting the diverse participation this year.
With so many people competing, McWha says it can be a challenge managing the flow of boats through the lake’s lock system.
In December 2023, Fox 4 reported on the new Herbert Hoover Dike access bridge that allows more lake access for boaters. McWha says it’s been a huge help.
“The overflow parking over there, the new bridge and all that - there are ramps outside the lock, so we asked a lot of the anglers to utilize that," McWha explained.
Once they get on the water, the anglers have until 3 p.m. to catch five bass for the weigh-in. The bass are all kept on water through the weighing process and McWha says the MLF uses live release boats to safely return the fish to the lake.
“They’re going to be running consistently to make sure we get these fish right back in the lake alive and well so we can catch them another day,” said McWha.
These events are not just about fishing; McWha said they’re great for the communities they host them in.
"Motels, restaurants, the fuel stations - everybody’s benefiting from us being here with our 400 anglers," McWha stated.
As the tournament progresses, the competition will narrow down to just 25 boats by Saturday. McWha invites everyone to witness the excitement.
"Come out here to the Roland Martin Marina, check out that weigh-in. It’s gonna' be a great week, gonna' be a lot of big fish," he said.
