|
PHOTO BY GARRICK DIXON
PHOTO BY KORY SAVAGE
PHOTO BY ERIK GAFFRON
|
|||||
|
12 . TOYOTA SERIES PRESENTED BY PHOENIX BOATS SOUTHERN DIVISION
Lake Eufaula Presented by Chewalla Creek Marina May 11 – 13
Bass Pro Tour pro Justin Lucas is no stranger to hoisting MLF trophies , having claimed the champion ’ s hardware at multiple levels on multiple pro circuits throughout his career . The Alabama pro ’ s May win at Lake Eufaula , however , was his first Toyota Series title fishing as a pro ( he racked up four FLW Tour Series wins as a co-angler in 2008-2009 ).
Lucas totaled 51-13 for three days on Eufaula , bringing 17-12 and 18-13 to the scales the first two days by taking advantage of a good shad-spawn bite with a Berkley Power Blade spinnerbait . That bite dissipated on the final day , however , prompting Lucas
|
to focus on postspawn transition spots with a drop-shot and a 5-inch Berkley PowerBait Power Hawg . The result : 15-4 , enough to hold off Bobby Bakewell by 5 pounds and claim a $ 79,000 payday that included a $ 35,000 Phoenix Boats contingency bonus .
13 . TOYOTA SERIES PRESENTED BY PHOENIX BOATS SOUTHWESTERN DIVISION
Sam Rayburn Reservoir May 18 – 20
As far as Toyota Series first-tournament splashes go , it ’ s impossible to imagine anyone making a louder , more noticeable wave than that of New York angler Alec Morrison . Fishing his first-ever Toyota Series event on a fishery he had never competed on before – Texas ’ massive Sam Rayburn Reservoir –
|
Morrison ‘ scoped his way to a 73-5 in three days on Big Sam to post an MLF-record 24-pound win .
Working his way around a series of deep brush piles with a handful of basic plastic worms on a drop-shot and Texas rig , Morrison plunked 27-9 on the scales on Day 1 and then backed that up with 29-9 on Day 2 and 16-3 on the final day to crush an experienced field of pros and pick up a $ 70,000 payday ( made possible with the sweet $ 35,000 Phoenix Boats contingency bonus ).
14 . TORO STAGE FOUR PRESENTED BY BASS CAT Lake Guntersville
May 16 – 21
It felt like it was only a matter of time before defending Bally Bet Angler of the Year Jacob Wheeler hoisted a Bass Pro Tour trophy and
|
$ 100,000 winner ’ s check , and sure enough , Wheeler claimed the trappings of a BPT champion ( for the sixth time !) on a river system which he ’ s proven to be the master .
Wheeler put 54-15 of Lake Guntersville largemouth on SCORE- TRACKER ® in the Knockout and Championship Rounds to earn his first BPT win since he won back-to-back events in 2021 , beating local resident Jacob Wall by 9-7 . And he did it all offshore , connecting with postspawn fish hovering around Guntersville ’ s famed ledges thanks to a new softplastic bait – the Freeloader – that will be released at ICAST .
Wheeler quietly worked his way through the first two days of his Qualifying Round , catching 20-15 and 22-8 , but then put the hammer down in the Knockout Round to the tune of 29-9 before finishing out with 25-6 on the final day .
|