The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats is set to return to the Dayton Boat Dock and Dayton, Tennessee, April 25-27, for the Toyota Series at Lake Chickamauga . Hosted by Fish Dayton and the Rhea Economic & Tourism Council, the three-day tournament is the third and final regular-season event in the Toyota Series Central Division.
“As of this week, the water levels are still really down – they haven’t filled it up yet – and it’s almost like a different lake right now,” said Bass Pro Tour pro John Murray of Spring City, Tennessee. “The water is warm, and the conditions are right, but we haven’t seen that big wave of fish move up to spawn, yet. There are definitely some on beds, but the big ones wait until the water comes up to full pool, and that is going to be the biggest factor in this tournament.”
“Overall, the lake is fishing really good,” Murray continued. “My son fished a big High School tournament there last weekend, and it took 25 pounds to win. So we’re going to see plenty of mid-20-pound limits. The key is being consistent – popping one big bag, and then backing it up with some solid limits.”
Murray said that anglers should expect to see fish caught in all three phases of the spawn.
“If the lake comes up to full pool, that’ll change everything,” Murray said. “Wacky-rigged (Yamamoto) Senkos, swimbaits and a big glidebait or MagDraft-type swimbaits will be strong, and if the water stays down I also think a ChatterBait will play – covering the grass in 3- to 5-feet of water.”
After two regular-season events in the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Central Division, Trent Suratt of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, leads the Central Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 481 points, while Alan Hults of Gautier, Mississippi, leads the Strike King Co-angler Division AOY race with 508 points.
Anglers will launch each day at 7 a.m. ET from the Dayton Boat Dock, located at 175 Lakeshore Street in Dayton. Weigh-ins will also be held at the boat dock and will begin at 3 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 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 V. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2023 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 2-4 on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Missouri, and is hosted by ExploreBranson.com.
Proud sponsors of the 2023 MLF Toyota Series include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Black Rifle Coffee Company, E3, Favorite Fishing, Fox Rent a Car, General Tire, Gill, Grundéns, Lew’s, Lowrance, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Next Gen Lithium, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Wiley X 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.
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