Pro fishing: Major League Fishing’s Toyota Series returns to Massena area this week

Texas angler Spike Stoker holds aloft his trophy Sept. 23 after winning the Toyota Series Northern Division event on the St. Lawrence River. Major League Fishing photo

The Major League Fishing Toyota Series is set to visit Massena and the St. Lawrence River this week, Thursday through Saturday, for the second event in the Toyota Series Northern Division — the Toyota Series at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Rabid Baits.

The three-day tournament, hosted by the Town of Massena, will feature a roster of the region’s best bass-fishing pros and Strike King co-anglers competing for a top prize of up to $100,000 in the pro division and a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor in the co-angler division.

This event marks the seventh time in eight years that the Toyota Series Northern Division has visited the St. Lawrence River, so most competitors should be pretty familiar with the world-class fishery. The river has been fishing very well, lately, and weights are expected to be strong for this tournament — most anglers are predicting five-bass limits weighing 20 to 24 pounds a day to be a good target.

The Toyota Series Northern Division last visited Massena in September. Pro angler Spike Stoker, of Cisco, Texas, captured the event on the final day with a five-bass total of 20 poiunds, 13 ounces.

Over three days, Stoker weighed in 15 bass totaling 64-12 to win by 2 pounds, 4 ounces over North Carolina’s Todd Walters.

Last year’s tournament was the last before the 2022 Toyota Series Championship.

Drop-shot rigs are expected to be the main tactic this week, with anglers’ electronics being a crucial element to locating the bountiful smallmouth. Other smallmouth staples like Ned rigs, tubes, jerkbaits, swimbaits and hair jigs will be strong players as well.

Anglers will launch at 6 a.m. each day from the Massena Intake Boat Launch, located at 1415 State Highway 131 in Massena. Weigh-ins will also be held at the Marina and will begin at 2 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend and encouraged to follow the event online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

In Toyota Series regular-season competition, payouts are based on the number of participants competing in the event, scaling up for every 20 boats over 160 and scaling down for every boat below 160. With a 160-boat field, pros fish for a top prize of $40,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of $65,000, plus an extra $35,000 if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Strike King co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard (valued at $33,500) plus $5,000 cash.

The 2023 Toyota Series consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST 2024. The Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 2-4 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri.

Johnson Newspapers 7.1

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