The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats is set to open the 2024 Northern Division with the first event of the season next week, June 5-7, in Marbury, Maryland – the Toyota Series at the Potomac River.
The three-day bass-fishing tournament, hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners, will feature a number of the west coast’s best bass-fishing pros and Strike King co-anglers competing for a top prize of up to $75,000 in the pro division and a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor in the co-angler division.
“This is going to be a really good tournament,” said Toyota Series pro Todd Langford of Great Falls, Virginia, who has eight career top-10 finishes and one victory on the Potomac River in MLF competition. “Guys are going to catch them everywhere. The fish are all postspawn, and they’re biting a little bit better than they were a few weeks ago.
“I don’t expect to see a ton of big fish – 5+ pounders – but numbers are good right now,” Langford continued. “There is more grass than ever. Maybe the big ones are just hiding better. But lately it’s been taking around 16 pounds a day to win some local tournaments, and in May that is a little bit off.”
Langford said that he doesn’t expect forward-facing sonar to play much of a role in this tournament, but that anglers will likely be catching them on a variety of baits, including frogs, swimbaits, ChatterBaits and (Yamamoto) Senkos.
“The fish a biting pretty good, and everything is going to work,” Langford said. “The key is going to be finding something to yourself. All of the creeks will be in play, and it’s going to be so important to find the little areas that people may have overlooked, so you’re only sharing the areas with a couple of guys as opposed to 40 others.”
Langford went on to predict that the winner would likely have a three-day total right around 50 pounds.
“It’s very tough to duplicate the big bags right now,” Langford said. “I expect the winner will have one big day – around 20 pounds, and then back it up with a couple of 15-pound days. Weights are going to be tight.”
Anglers will launch at 6 a.m. ET each day from Smallwood State Park, located at 2750 Sweden Point Road in Marbury. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park and will begin at 2 p.m. each day. 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 up to $75,000, 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 or Suzuki outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of up to $100,000, 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 or Suzuki outboard plus $5,000 cash.
The 2024 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – 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 2025. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2024 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 7-9 on Wheeler Lake in Huntsville, Alabama, and is hosted by the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Madison County Commission, and the Huntsville Sports Commission.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Toyota Series include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, FX Custom Rods, General Tire, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, REDCON1, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters, YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
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