Mercury Marine makes pro fishing history powering the first MLF REDCREST champion
The outcome of last weekend's first‑ever Major League Fishing (MLF) REDCREST Championship further reinforced Mercury Marine's status as the preeminent provider of power to competitive bass fishing's national heroes. Mercury Marine pro team member Edwin Evers ran away with the trophy on Sunday, Aug. 25, after four days of tournament bass fishing on a stretch of the upper Mississippi River near La Crosse, Wisconsin. Evers more than doubled the total catch weight of his next‑closest competitor.
Having already powered the boats of 28 out of 49 champions in the Bassmaster Classic — the annual championship tournament of counterpart professional angling league, B.A.S.S. — Mercury has now made a bold statement in backing and equipping competitors in the MLF Bass Pro Tour and its new REDCREST championship.
"We're excited about MLF's establishment of its new postseason championship tournament and even more gratified to have been a part of Edwin Evers's big win in the inaugural REDCREST," said Michelle Kilburn, senior manager of competitive angling for Mercury Marine. The second- and third‑place finishers in the REDCREST competition were also members of the Mercury Marine pro team.
"Our team of anglers includes pros in the MLF Bass Pro Tour and pros in the B.A.S.S. Bassmaster Elite Series," Kilburn said. She explained that professional anglers must choose a league and cannot participate in both pro tours. "In March of this year, Mercury pro Ott Defoe won the Bassmaster Classic, so Edwin's REDCREST win last weekend gives the Mercury team both major championship trophies in 2019," she said.
"We're pleased to see both leagues attracting a broad following of fans, which supports our goal of growing nationwide interest in boating and fishing," she added.
According to Kilburn, the sport of professional bass fishing has benefited from the growth of MLF since its inception in 2011 into a major competitive platform, now with a nationally recognized championship. "The two major leagues and their respective tours are different in many ways. They have very different tournament structures and competition rules, and offer different types of spectator experiences," she said. "These differences make room for both leagues and broaden the audience for pro bass fishing in the U.S."
Meanwhile, Evers has secured a place among pro bass fishing's greats. He demonstrated remarkable effectiveness throughout the entire 2019 MLF season and accomplished a difficult "trifecta" feat: winning an individual event (Stage 2 of the eight-stage MLF tour at Lake Conroe in Conroe, Texas), the overall series points title, and the tour championship in a professional fishing league.
About Mercury Marine
Headquartered in Fond du Lac, Wis., Mercury Marine is a world leading manufacturer of marine propulsion systems. A $3 billion division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC), Mercury designs, manufactures and distributes engines, services and parts for recreational, commercial and government marine applications, empowering boaters with products that are easy‑to‑use, extremely reliable and backed by the most dedicated customer support in the world with 10,000 service points globally. Mercury's industry‑leading brand portfolio includes Mercury outboard engines and Mercury MerCruiser sterndrive and inboard packages. Mercury's global parts and accessories offerings include: propellers; SmartCraft electronics; Power Products Integrated Solutions; MotorGuide trolling motors; Attwood, Garelick and Whale marine parts; Land 'N' Sea, BLA, Payne's Marine, Kellogg Marine and Lankhorst Taselaar marine parts distribution; and Mercury and Quicksilver parts and oils. More information is available at mercurymarine.com.