All In Favor ...

For weekend tournament anglers across the country, nothing matches the BFL. Officially coined the Phoenix Bass Fishing League, this working-man’s format has existed for decades, evolving from the legendary Red Man Tournament Trail of the 1980s. Numerous professional anglers launched their careers here, while other hometown heroes came and stayed, collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in the process. 

The BFL started as a draw format, where boat owners often flipped a coin for daily control, later evolving into the co-angler format we know today. High performers qualify for BFL Regionals. The best there are invited to the BLF All-American, where grand prizes often eclipse six figures.

After recent changes and a decline in participation, Major League Fishing announced a refined BFL format for 2026. A few changes take us back to the good ol’ days, while others attempt to solve modern conflicts associated with the “F-word.”

For starters, entry fees are being reduced while payouts at the top and bottom are being increased. Impossible, you say? I thought so, too, prompting a call to Major League Fishing co-founder Boyd Duckett. 

“Our payout has been restructured,” Duckett said. “We’ve reduced the number of Regionals by two, and the money from those (eliminated) Regionals is now going to increased payout at the ramp.”

Duckett was sure to point out that increasing participation is the goal. As fans of the sport already know, many anglers have moved away from organized competition due to the impact of our personal F-word (Forward Facing Sonar, or FFS). Co-anglers, especially, have all but quit the game thanks to the boredom associated with fishing behind a screen-obsessed boater trolling around the middle of the lake.

The new BFL format takes that into consideration. Regional events are now more localized and shorter, meaning anglers qualify to fish on waterbodies close to home, avoiding week-long trips. Costs are therefore reduced. 

Just as important, BFL co-anglers now utilize a three-fish limit. Boaters still fish for five. The lessened number for back-seaters makes things more competitive, while reducing the impacts of FFS.

Also consider the payout breakdown. Increasing the top prize gets the attention, while increasing the lower prizes retains participants. Overall, most BFL anglers aren’t paying their mortgages with tournament earnings. But it’s nice to cut down costs when getting a check. Crankbaits ain’t getting any cheaper. 

The biggest news regarding the BFL format change, however, includes FFS governance:

“All BFL events will include restricted use of forward-facing and 360-degree sonar technology – limited to three hours of continuous use per day.

This really got my wheels spinning. How in the world, I thought, will such a rule be enforced at the grass-roots level? Remember, there are no boat officials in BFL events. And who dreamed this up in the first place?

“Two years ago, it became evident that we needed to include Forward-Facing Sonar in our rule considerations” Duckett noted. “To me, it’s more about avoiding single-dimensional fishing, no matter what that is. We don’t want to make it (competition) where other techniques don’t compete.

“In the BPT, we accomplished this by limiting FFS to one-third of the competitive day. There, it’s one period. The anglers loved it and the fans love it. That’s what looks like a really good baseline for FFS (the 1/3 rule).”

Based on the success of the BPT FFS format, Duckett said “we’re pulling that down to all levels. The BFLs, Toyota Series and Pro Circuit.”

The major circuits now have lock-box technology that makes it impossible to use Forward-Facing Sonar outside of the designated timeline. Those locking devices now have timers, to boot. 

Such regulation is not being incorporated at the BFL level, though, making me wonder how this will all hash out. 

"The boaters will announce their dedicated three-hour block, and it will start on the hour (and run for the next three hours),” Duckett said. 

Announce to who? Co-anglers.

It makes all the sense in the world, now that I can see it. 

“Our strongest governance has always been the co-angler,” Duckett assured. 

Sure there are rules and polygraphs, but co-anglers have always been the eyes of the game. It’s been the answer to no live bait, no hole sitting, no fish in a basket. Blown speed zones and culling dead fish. And, in the case of FFS, there’s even more incentive for co-anglers to regulate the game. 

“That co-angler is greatly motivated that you (the boater) limit your forward-facing use,” Duckett assured. And he’s right. 

Could these changes bring co-angler interest back to the sport? Quite possibly. Major League Fishing is gambling that participation will surge, as 2026 BFL events require a co-angler be placed with each boater. Holding back the flood waters associated with FFS is no easy feat, but the impacts continue to be addressed. 

“We believe in our co-anglers, and always have,” Duckett concluded. “It’s a big part of our business and an even bigger part of introducing people to the sport of bass fishing.” 

Joe Balog is the Executive Director of Mighty River Recovery, a nonprofit organization working to restore Florida’s St. Johns River. A former national tournament angler, product designer, seminar speaker and guide, Balog has worn just about every hat available to a professional angler. Today, he enjoys rehashing his experiences and adding veteran insight through his weekly Bass Wars column.

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