Well, a new year is upon us. Despite incredibly frigid temperatures across my home range, with the turning of the calendars always comes thoughts of bass fishing. The pro trails will soon begin, and fishing television has finally replaced relentless hours of watching some fool in a treestand trying to outwit an animal that my neighbor feeds by hand.

As I settled in to watch recorded week-1 programming, I was a little giddy as always. One show took me away to a remote Caribbean location, while Mark Zona brought me back, mashing an endless supply of 5-pound smallmouth. But what really sparked my interest was Major League Fishing.

Each year, for some reason, I feel the need to discuss my love for this programming, as well as my concern for how it may be transforming our sport. For the most part, MLF is the first major breakaway from the rigid format of the tournament industry in quite some time.

As we are all aware of by now, MLF’s premise is that all keeper fish count to be scored, there is no weigh-in, and competitors try to catch whatever bites. And, regardless that it’s second only to the umbrella-rig in the “beaten to death column” of professional bass topics, I somehow feel compelled to again bring up the quantity vs. quality debate of modern tournament fishing, and how it caters to the television viewer.

But I do so for reasons that many may not be considering.

You see, whether you like the non-traditional format or not, and whether you’re a competitor or find yourself on the mysterious “no-call list,” MLF is indeed taking its place among the pro ranks. And, while I don’t care or concern myself much with TV ratings, I’d wager that MLF's are climbing.

The MLF product seems to fit a little better with television, and I think its overall competitive model is simply more exciting to the occasional fisherman flipping through the channels. That same fisherman, or viewer, seems to be the one of greatest concern for sponsors and advertisers, as they far outnumber hardcore tourney anglers, according to what everyone claims.

But this brings up my debate for the day: Whom, exactly, should the tournament trails cater to? Those competing in the event, or those potentially viewing it?

When posed this question, many of my friends and cohorts had drastically differing opinions. Those who pony up tens of thousands of dollars in entry fees each year seem to think the fishermen should be the biggest concern for pro bass fishing’s competitive leagues. However, many on the corporate inside of fishing seem to think that the fan, or viewer, holds the golden ticket. This viewpoint places the fisherman as an athletic performer, not unlike most of America’s biggest sports. But, to be fair, performers in those other sports are guaranteed payment for their performance.

Coming back to our focus, I’m afraid the MLF model may be turning its focus away from the fishermen. It has tried to flex a bit, allowing competitors a little logo space for their own sponsors while wearing MLF title-sponsor jerseys. But competitors are pinned down in many other areas, unable to bring exposure to their sponsoring boat, motor, electronic or trolling motor companies if they differ from those used in MLF competition. In such a case, a fisherman would have to sell the idea to supporters based on MLF’s popularity and ratings alone, recognizing that any brand recognition really goes to the competitor alone as the brand. For example, Mark Davis gains recognition for Mark Davis, not Skeeter Boats.

Thus, we’re right back at square 1: the fisherman caters to the tournament trail, not the other way around, for the perceived “good of the sport” and the possibility of name recognition.

To argue further that the MLF format is more fan-driven than anything, we can go back to our original topic – quantity vs. quality. Long ago, bass tournaments were started as (I assume) a way of determining who was the best bass angler. The tournament organizations, likely driven by the opinions of their customers/competitors, settled on a system of weighing a day’s limit, not every fish a competitor caught. A fisherman who caught numbers could be beaten by an angler targeting larger fish. We’ve accepted this as a measure of skill for some time.

However, in the MLF format, even that custom is thrown out the window. The program’s first installment of 2015 was a prime example, when Kevin VanDam again lapped the field fishing for minuscule smallmouth while other competitors (most notably Scott Ashmore) caught much heavier five-fish strings of largemouth.

I understand that this was the premise all along and that smart anglers adjusted accordingly. But does this “tournament” determine who is the best bass angler? If the answer is even remotely no, than just who is the event really for?

As usual, these topics are all just fuel for the fire. As I stated right off the bat, I love MLF. I love watching it, I love the endless fish catches, I love knowing how it feels to be under the gun. And, as cruel as it may sound, I especially enjoy watching some of the best in the world crumble as they hear endless leaderboard updates.

But I’m glad I’m not a competitor trying to sell the idea to my sponsors.

As our sport continues to progress, it’s important to investigate all the options. Unlike other sports, we must constantly factor the variables of expansion, as it appears pro bass fishing still isn’t entirely comfortable in its own skin, as rules and formats still seem to change rather regularly. Conversely, golf, for example, still relies on its basic principles from when time began: hit ball with stick into hole.

But here, in the world of bass, we’re always looking for ways to grow; to finally capture the attention of the public for what we feel is America’s favorite pastime. I just hope it’s never at the expense of those who play the game.

(Joe Balog is the often outspoken owner of Millennium Promotions, Inc., an agency operating in the fishing and hunting industries. A former Bassmaster Open and EverStart Championship winner, he's best known for his big-water innovations and hardcore fishing style. He's a popular seminar speaker, product designer and author, and is considered one of the most influential smallmouth fishermen of modern times.)