Michael Mulone has worked with and for many well-known brands but being in the fishing and outdoor industry for the past 25 years has been the most fulfilling aspect of his career.

The Gloversville, NY native started out as a sports reporter for the Leader-Herald (Gloversville NY) in the early 1990s, writing and photographing everything from high school sports to the excitement at the Saratoga Race Course. A move to Charlotte, North Carolina led to a job with Marriott hotels, which then led to a sales development role for the Charlotte tourism office, bringing sports events to the destination. There he worked with the ACC on basketball and baseball conference championships, the NCAA on a Final Four bid and a variety of youth and amateur sports.

Michael continued working in tourism and events in the early 2000s, first with the Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota and then with another Charlotte – Charlotte County, Florida, to take a similar tourism sales development role for the small destination between Sarasota and Ft. Myers. The estuary in Charlotte County – Charlotte Harbor, is a world-renowned saltwater fishery, with trophy redfish, snook, trout, and at the mouth of the Harbor, Boca Grande Pass, a legendary spot for tarpon fishing.

One of the events he secured was the Redfish Cup, which aired on ESPN. Michael organized a multi-day festival to celebrate the Redfish Cup, collaborating with two competing chambers of commerce to work together for the benefit of the community and bring thousands of fans to the event.

In 2005, Michael joined ESPN as the Director of the Great Outdoor Games, a series of events featuring sporting dogs (agility and Big Air), target (rifle, shotgun), and timber (log rolling, speed climbing, hot saw, springboard, etc). That role led to another position with ESPN at Bassmaster, where he utilized his tourism experience to lead their tournament site selection – finding locations around the country to host Bassmaster Tournaments, including the Bassmaster Classic.

From 2011 to 2018, Major League Fishing was only a made-for-TV product, highlighting anglers from different tours in a catch, weigh and immediate release format. The tournaments were aired on the Outdoor Channel. With anglers looking for bigger payouts and more exposure, the door opened for Major League Fishing to start the Bass Pro Tour, and the top anglers in the world joined the newly formed league. Michael was the first hire when the league was announced and began operation in 2019. Since then, he has worked in a variety of areas, from site selection and events to marketing, PR, and now as Vice President of Sponsorship and Business Development. Michael works with sponsors and advertisers on their MLF partnerships, plus oversees the licensing relationships for the company, with brands utilizing the MLF shield on their products.

When not working in the outdoor industry, Michael is often outdoors, saltwater fishing and golfing near his home on the Gulf Coast of Florida. He and his wife, Mary Beth, have two daughters and one dog, aptly named Fish. Come meet Mike (or come catch up with him) and learn about Major League Fishing’s upcoming events in the North East and across the country, as he returns home to Upstate New York.