Massena Readies for MLF Toyota Series at St. Lawrence River

After an exciting week on the St. Lawrence River, the Bass Pro Tour has moved out, clearing the way for the next wave of MLF tournament anglers to test their skills on the fishery. The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats is set to visit Massena, New York, next week, Aug. 22-24, for the Toyota Series at St. Lawrence River Presented by FX Custom Rods.


The three-day tournament is the third and final event of the year for Northern Division anglers and is hosted by the Town of Massena. The event 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 outboard motor plus $5,000 in the co-angler division.


Local angler Ethan Carr of Massena, New York, won a Phoenix Bass Fishing League event on the St. Lawrence River last month, and said he is looking forward to a great tournament.


“The St. Lawrence River is unlike any other fishery in the world,” said Carr. “I had the opportunity to grow up around that body of water and I really enjoy targeting the biggest fish that live in a fishery. Obviously sometimes that burns you, but there’s no better place than the St. Lawrence to do that.


“The amount of 5- and 6-pound fish on the St. Lawrence River is absolutely outstanding,” Carr continued. “It’s been a really good training ground to be able to really learn what those giant fish like to do and where they like to be.”


Carr said the fishery has had a lot of pressure with the recent Bass Pro Tour competition, but he feels like the river can definitely hold up to it.


“It’s been fishing really good and has been kicking out a lot of really big weights,” Carr said. “Despite the recent pressure, I expect it’ll take 22 to 24 pounds per day to be able to win the tournament.”


Carr said he thinks there will be a lot more shallow fish in play this year than has been normal in the past.


“Even at the Bass Pro Tour event last week, a lot of guys caught a boatload of fish up shallow,” Carr said. “I’ve seen more big fish up shallow this year than ever, but you can’t count out the deep fish. There’s probably going to be a mix of both in the top 10. There are a lot of big fish, it’s just a little harder to find them this time of year.”


Carr said he expects to see classic St. Lawrence River baits in play throughout the event – drop-shot rigs, Ned rigs, tubes and Carolina rigs.


Anglers will launch at 6:30 a.m. ET each day from the Massena Intake Boat Launch, located at 1415 State Highway 131 in Massena. Weigh-ins will also be held at that location and will begin at 2:30 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 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, Simms, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and 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.