MLF Inks a New Deal with Johnson Outdoors

Minn Kota® and Humminbird® to Be Showcased Across Multiple MLF Media Platforms

TULSA, Okla. (Feb. 3, 2022) – Major League Fishing (MLF), the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, announced today that Johnson Outdoors, a leading global outdoor recreation company that designs, manufactures and markets a portfolio of winning, consumer-preferred brands, has signed on as an Official Sponsor of Major League Fishing’s Bass Pro Tour and named the Presenting Sponsor of the Bass Pro Tour Stage Seven event on Mille Lacs Lake in Onamia, Minnesota.

For more than 50 years, Johnson Outdoors has made it their mission to inspire more people to experience the awe of the great outdoors by creating innovative, top-quality products across four major categories: Watercraft, Fishing, Diving and Camping. Their breakthrough technology product lines include Minn Kota®, the world’s leading manufacturer of one of the toughest, most innovative trolling motors and the fastest, deepest-reaching shallow water anchors and Humminbird®, a leading global innovator and manufacturer of marine electronics products including sonar fish-finders and accessories, providing anglers with amazing detail and crystal clarity to the world beneath their boat.

“As leaders in the fishing industry, our core mission at Minn Kota® and Humminbird® has been to help anglers get the most out of their time on the water,” said Joe Brown, Senior Director of Brand Management at Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics, Inc. “This new partnership with Major League Fishing gives us one more tool to help demonstrate how the One-Boat Network can help real anglers find, stay on and catch more fish.” 

Johnson Outdoors’ sponsorship includes commercials and graphic billboards in Bass Pro Tour television programming and a strong brand presence within the tour’s in-show and on-site opportunities, as well as MLF NOW! livestream exposure and Stage Seven event logo, graphics, bumpers and voiceovers throughout all event coverage.

“We are thrilled to bring the enthusiastic outdoorsmen and women at Johnson Outdoors into the Major League Fishing family,” said Randy Gerstenblatt, MLF Senior Vice President of Sponsorship and Media Sales. “Major League Fishing began with the desire to elevate the sport of bass fishing and bring people together in the outdoors – an endeavor that Johnson Outdoors is extremely passionate about. Combining their consumer insights and emerging technologies with MLF’s action-packed tournament coverage and premiere television programming sets us up for great synergy with both brands as we move forward into 2022.”

The 2022 MLF Bass Pro Tour regular season will begin next month, with Stage One of the Bass Pro Tour in Monroe and West Monroe, Louisiana, Feb. 5-10 and conclude with Stage Seven Presented by Johnson Outdoors in Onamia, Minnesota, Sep. 10-15. The 2022 Bass Pro Tour will air on the Discovery Channel beginning in July 2022 and the Outdoor Channel in early 2023.

For more information on Johnson Outdoors, visit JohnsonOutdoors.com. For complete details and updated information on Major League Fishing, its tournaments and sponsors, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and  YouTube.

About Johnson Outdoors

Johnson Outdoors is a family of core brands preferred by consumers for creating the best possible outdoor experiences, earning the company industry awards, customer loyalty, and above all, consumer trust through innovative, top-quality products. Built on the passion, ingenuity, and expertise of their employees, Johnson Outdoors values creativity and encourages innovation with a commitment to collaboration and teamwork.

Johnson Outdoors Fishing is comprised of the Minn Kota®, Humminbird® and  Cannon® brands. Minn Kota is the world’s leading manufacturer of electric trolling motors, as well as a complete line of shallow water anchors, battery chargers and marine accessories. Humminbird is a leading global innovator and manufacturer of marine electronics products including fish finders, multifunction displays, autopilots, ice flashers and premium cartography products. Cannon is the leader in controlled-depth fishing and includes a full line of downrigger products and accessories.

About Major League Fishing

Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, the Discovery Channel, the Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, the World Fishing Network, and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with offices in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 13 countries.

In 2019, MLF expanded its portfolio of catch, weigh, and immediately release events to include the sport’s strongest five-biggest-fish format tournament circuits. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement, and fish care.

Major League Fishing – WE ARE Bass Fishing™