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KINGSTON, Okla. (Mar. 31, 2022) – The Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. Southwestern Division Presented by Outlaw Ordnance will continue its 2022 season next week in Kingston, Oklahoma, Apr. 7-9, with the Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. at Lake Texoma Presented by Outlaw Ordnance. Hosted by Discover Durant, the three-day tournament is the second event of the season for the Toyota Series Southwestern Division anglers and will feature the region’s best bass-fishing pros and Strike King co-anglers casting for a top prize of up to $75,000.
“I think this tournament is going to hit at a pretty good time,” said Bass Pro Tour pro Jeff Kriet of Ardmore, Oklahoma. “The water has really started warming up in the last week or so and there’s a good chance the fish will be moving up on to beds by next week.
“Texoma has always been a good lake, but it has greatly improved and has been fishing very well the last several years,” continued the Mercury pro. “The fish are big and healthy, and I think this will be a very good tournament with a lot of fish caught.”
Kriet said he expects this to be a shallow-water tournament on the southern Oklahoma and northern Texas fishery – that the tournament will be won in five-foot of water or less – and believes sight-fishing will be key in this event.
“A lot of fish will be spawning around marinas and behind docks, so that will be a big player,” said Kriet. “Guys should also look for rocks, stumps and pretty much any available cover, because there’s a good chance there’s going to be a bass on it when they are there.
“I expect to see a lot of fish caught flipping and pitching soft plastics, with a wacky worm, and shallow-water stuff, like ChatterBaits and spinnerbaits are definitely going to play.”
With more than 89,000 acres to fish on Lake Texoma, Kriet said the lake offers a lot of diversity for the field.
“Anglers have options – they can fish stained water further west with less boat traffic, or they can go way up the east side and have a little bit more water to themselves – but I feel like the tournament will probably be won mid-lake or on the southern end, sight-fishing.”
With the warmer weather trending, Kriet said he expects to see pretty good numbers of fish and heavy weights throughout the event.
“I figure it will take 55 pounds to win the three-day tournament,” said Kriet. “It won’t surprise me to see a 25-pound bag one day, followed by an 18-pound bag, so probably an average of 20 pounds per day to come out on top.”
Anglers will take off daily at 7:30 a.m. CT from Catfish Bay Marina in Kingston. Weigh-ins will also be held at the marina and will begin at 3:30 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.
Proud sponsors of the 2022 MLF Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. include: 4WP, 13 Fishing, Abu Garcia, AFTCO, A.R.E. Truck Caps, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Rifle Coffee, E3, Epic Baits, Favorite Fishing, Gary Yamamoto Baits, General Tire, Lew’s, Lowrance, Lucas Oil, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Outlaw Ordinance, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, Wiley X and YETI.
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 .