Bass Fishing Event Completes Week-Long Television Shoot in Lake Murray Country with 30 Pro Anglers Competing to Win Prestigious Summit Cup Championship
Major League Fishing (MLF) and 30 of the world’s best pro anglers wrapped production Friday at the MLF Wiley X Summit Cup presented by B&W Trailer Hitches event in Columbia, South Carolina. The event, hosted by the Capital City/Lake Murray Country and filmed entirely for television broadcast, was shot over six days this week and featured anglers competing for the prestigious Summit Cup championship.
Lake Murray has played host to numerous major bass-fishing championship events, including the 2008, 2014 and 2017 FLW Cup Championships, and a 2018 MLF Challenge Select event – won by pro Keith Poche (competing in this event). The Wiley X Summit Cup presented by B&W Trailer Hitches will mark just the second time that MLF has visited the “Jewel of South Carolina.”
“Lake Murray has become a world-class fishing destination for anglers of all ages, and we are proud to once again host Major League Fishing as they return for a second time,” said Miriam Atria, president and CEO of the Capital City/Lake Murray Country Regional Tourism Board. “Time and time again, Lake Murray has delivered a competitive tournament experience for the anglers and showcased why it is one of the most productive bass fisheries in the world. We’re excited that Governor Henry McMaster was able to join us for the filming of the community segment showcasing Lake Murray Country to hundreds of thousands of outdoor recreational visitors.”
The six-episode, two-hour series features the professional anglers visiting Lake Murray to compete on different zones of Lake Murray on each day of competition. The anglers do not learn where they are competing until they arrive to the launch ramp each morning of competition, creating a reality-based television episode that showcases how the top anglers break down new and unfamiliar waters.
“A combination of the fast-paced MLF format and uncharted waters results in nerve-wracking competition for the anglers and creates incredible content for the viewer,” said Michael Mulone, Senior Director of Events and Partnerships for MLF. “Lake Murray is a fantastic fishery and once again the Lake Murray Country community truly rolled out the red carpet for us. It’s such a pleasure to come to a community that understands the positive impact MLF has on a destination’s economy. We look forward to returning later this year with the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and many more tournaments in the years to come.”
The 30 anglers competing in the Wiley X Summit Cup presented by B&W Trailer Hitches event are: Justin Atkins, Tommy Biffle, Brent Chapman, Luke Clausen, Dustin Connell, Brandon Coulter, Cliff Crochet, James Elam, Shin Fukae, Greg Hackney, Alton Jones Jr., Bobby Lane, Russ Lane, Jordan Lee, Mike McClelland, Andy Morgan, Ish Monroe, Takahiro Omori, Keith Poche, Jacob Powroznik, Skeet Reese, Marty Robinson, Bradley Roy, Fletcher Shryock, Gerald Spohrer, Jeff Sprague, Bryan Thrift, Jonathon VanDam, Kevin VanDam and Greg Vinson.
The MLF Wiley X Summit Cup presented by B&W Trailer Hitches, hosted by Capital City/Lake Murray Country, will air on the Outdoor Channel as six, two-hour original episodes each Saturday afternoon starting May 15, 2021, airing from 2 to 4 p.m. EDT. The full television schedule can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com/tv-schedule.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
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). According to Nielsen ratings, Major League Fishing remains the number one series on Outdoor Channel for five years and MLF premiered as the number one outdoor show in their time slot on Discovery in 2019.
In 2019 MLF acquired FLW, which expands their portfolio to include the world’s largest grassroots-fishing organization, including the strongest five-biggest-fish format professional bass fishing tour, the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit presented by Bad Boy Mowers, as well as the MLF Toyota Series, MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine, MLF Abu Garcia College Fishing presented by YETI, and MLF High School Fishing presented by Favorite Fishing.
