PHOTO BY MATT PACE |
PHOTO BY PHOENIX MOORE |
PHOTO BY MATT BROWN |
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8 . TOYOTA SERIES PRESENTED BY PHOENIX BOATS PLAINS DIVISION
Kentucky-Barkley Lakes April 20 – 22
Kentucky pro Jake Lawrence led wire to wire on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes in late April , posting his second Toyota Series win on his home waters ( but his first since 2018 ). Lawrence posted the biggest Day 1 weight ( 19-3 ) and chipped away for a three-day total of 57-5 to claim the victory over Adam Bartusek ( 55-15 ).
Lawrence targeted spawning smallmouth on the north end of the lake , fishing so far north that the familiar fishery looked like a brandnew lake to him . Locking in with his Garmin LiveScope in 4 to 7 feet of water , Lawrence used a tube and a swimbait to catch spawning smallmouth and a 6-pound largemouth kicker . Lawrence shortened his practice time on Kentucky Lake to simulate what his practice length would be on a professional circuit , a sure sign that he has a berth on the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals in his sights .
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9 . GENERAL TIRE HEAVY HITTERS PRESENTED BY BASS PRO SHOPS Caney Creek Reservoir , Bussey Brake April 24 – 29
If the Bass Pro Tour only fished big-fish events like Heavy Hitters , we get a feeling that Alton Jones Jr . would be first in line to sign up . One year after racking up $ 150,000 in big-fish bonuses at General Tire Heavy Hitters 2022 on Lake Palestine in Texas , Jones was at it again at Heavy Hitters 2023 in northern Louisiana . Jones blew away the competition in the Championship Round on Bussey Brake , piling up 81-15 of largemouth to win the $ 100,000 top prize by nearly 60 pounds !
While the rest of the final-day field was flipping and pitching at Bussey Brake , Jones pulled out a 1 / 2- ounce spinnerbait with a Geecrack Bellows Shad trailer and went to work . He finished the day with 19 scorable fish – the other nine anglers in the field accounted for 21 altogether – and one of the largest margins of victory in MLF history .
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10 . TOYOTA SERIES PRESENTED BY PHOENIX BOATS CENTRAL DIVISION
Lake Chickamauga April 25 – 27
Powered by a 29-7 bag on Day 2 , 26-year-old Brody Campbell won on Lake Chickamauga by an impressive 11-11 margin to earn the fourth MLF win of his young career . With the rain falling in Eastern Tennessee , Campbell hoisted his first Toyota Series champion ’ s trophy and a check worth $ 52,300 , by far his biggest win yet .
Campbell worked his way through community holes he had knowledge of in the Chester Frost area of the lake , but really keyed in on isolated pieces of cover with a drop-shot and a morning dawn-colored Roboworm Straight Tail Worm . His key focal points were individual stumps on a pair of humps near Chester Frost and an isolated grass patch on the end of an offshore bar . Those areas provided him two 7- pounders and a 9-pounder in his astounding Day 2 bag , helping him cruise to a win .
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11 . TACKLE WAREHOUSE INVITATIONALS PHOENIX BOATS STOP 4 PRESENTED BY MYSTIK LUBRICANTS Lake of the Ozarks
May 4 – 6
John Cox held off a surging Keith Carson by 1-1 on the final day at Lake of the Ozarks to claim his latest MLF win with a three-day total of 55-14 . Carson – Cox ’ s longtime friend – finished second with 54-13 but with one less fish than Cox ; one more keeper would have been the difference and given Carson the win instead .
Fishing in the clear water near the dam , Cox roamed the pockets on the south side of Lake of the Ozarks , sight-fishing for bedding fish . The Florida pro staked his tournament on fish that seemed to be less pressured , which paid off in a big way for him as he opened the tournament with 20-1 on the first day . A Berkley PowerBait MaxScent The General and a Berkley PowerBait Jerk Shad were Cox ’ s winning baits ( and his tickets to REDCREST 2024 ).
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