Lake Dardanelle to Host Toyota Series Event
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RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (Sept. 11, 2020) – The 2020 Toyota Series Plains Division will open their season with a tournament next week in Russellville, Arkansas, Sept. 17-19, with the Toyota Series at Lake Dardanelle presented by Fish-Intel. Hosted by Russellville Advertising & Promotions, the three-day tournament will feature the region’s best bass-fishing pros and co-anglers casting for a top prize of up to $65,000, plus a $35,000 bonus if the winner is a qualified Phoenix Boat owner.
“The fishing at Dardanelle might be pretty tough,” said Major League Fishing pro angler Stephen Browning of Hot Springs, Arkansas. “Being on the Arkansas River this time of year, you really need a cool front to let the water temp come down before the fish get good and active for the fall feed.”
Browning said he believes anglers who excel at shallow water fishing should have a leg up in this tournament.
“I think an angler on a junk pattern will do well – Dardanelle has some water willow, coontail moss and a little hydrilla, so I would definitely have a square-bill crankbait, a ChatterBait and a frog on the deck of my boat.
“I think a three-day total in the 44 to 46-pound range would guarantee first or second place for the tournament, this time of year.”
Anglers will take off daily at 7 a.m. CDT from the Lake Dardanelle State Park Boat Ramp. Weigh-ins will also be held at Lake Dardanelle State Park and will begin at 3 p.m. Attendance is limited to competing anglers and essential staff only. Fans are encouraged to follow the event online through the “FLW Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at FLWFishing.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 FLW PHOENIX BONUS qualified. Co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower 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 FLW PHOENIX BONUS qualified. 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 2020 Toyota Series consists of eight divisions – Central, Eastern, Northern, Plains, Southeastern, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. Anglers who fish all three qualifiers in any of the eight divisions and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning $235,000 cash, including a $35,000 FLW PHOENIX Bonus for qualified anglers. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2020 Toyota Series Championship will be held Dec. 3-5 on Lake Cumberland in Burnside, Kentucky, and is hosted by the Somerset Tourist & Convention Commission and the Burnside Tourism Commission.
For complete details and updated information visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Toyota Series on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
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