LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. (Feb. 24, 2022) – The Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. Western Division will launch its 2022 season with a tournament next week in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, Mar. 3-5, with the Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at Lake Havasu. Hosted by Go Lake Havasu, the three-day tournament will feature the region’s best bass-fishing pros and Strike King co-anglers casting for a top prize of up to $65,000, plus an additional $35,000 bonus if the winner is a qualified Phoenix Boat owner.
Local pro Dean Rojas of Lake Havasu City, Arizona said the tournament is hitting the fishery at an opportune time.
“The water is warming up nicely and we’ve started to see smallmouth up on beds so I think sight fishing will play a factor in this event,” said Rojas. “I don’t know that it will be in full-blown spawn, but the end of February and the first of March is usually when you’re going to have a good chance of catching a really big bag on beds.”
Rojas said he expects to see typical finesse tactics dominate, with anglers throwing swimbaits and bladed jigs around grass, brush piles or artificial structure.
“That’s where you’re going to get your big bites, so anglers are definitely going to have to take that into consideration in their game plan,” said Rojas. “It will probably take 18-20 pounds a day to win, but the real key is going to be consistency. I don’t think guys can rely on one thing to carry them through all three days – it’s going to be a combination of 2-3 patterns. Lake Havasu doesn’t do well with that much pressure on it, so I’d expect to see the weights consistently go down every day.”
Rojas said he predicts a total of 58-63 pounds to win the three-day event.
“As a western angler, I encourage all the western anglers to support the Toyota Series. It is as close to a top-tier pro event that you will find on the west coast and is a great platform for anglers that aspire to be a bass-fishing professional and want to make the jump into the Tackle Warehouse or the Bass Pro Tour.
“That’s exactly what I did back in the early days, and it’s not too often that we have big events that allow anglers to fish in their region to qualify for the Toyota Series Championship where the top award is $200,000,” continued Rojas. “It’s a fantastic circuit that goes to excellent fisheries at great times.”
Anglers will take off daily at 7 a.m. MT from Windsor Beach at the Lake Havasu State Park in Lake Havasu City. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park and will begin at 3 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the event or follow the action 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 BIG5 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 2022 Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions and finish in the top 25 – or the top 12 from the Wild Card division – will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 cash. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2022 Toyota Series presented by A.R.E. Championship will be held Nov. 3-5 on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Alabama, and is hosted by Marshall County Tourism and Sports.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF Toyota Series on the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube .