LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz. (April 25, 2024) – Lake Havasu City, Arizona is set to host the Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats next week, May 2-4, for the second event of the 2024 Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at Lake Havasu.
The three-day bass-fishing tournament, hosted by Go Lake Havasu, 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 $75,000 in the pro division and a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor in the co-angler division.
“Lake Havasu is a great fishery – the most diverse lake on the Colorado River chain – and I know they’re going to catch them in this one,” said Bass Pro Tour angler Dean Rojas who resides in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. “Right now it’s the end of the spawn – most of the fish are already into their postspawn patterns and the fishing has been pretty good.
“This time of year on Havasu is a lot of fun. You can catch them almost any way you want to, both smallmouth and largemouth,” Rojas continued. “I think the tournament will probably be won weighing in all largemouth, but it would not surprise me at all to see a couple of guys in the top five that have mixed bags or limits that include three or four big smallmouth.”
With the lake fishing so freely right now, Rojas expects to see a variety of different tactics in play by competitors.
“We’re going to see a wide variety. Some guys will be throwing swimbaits, others will be using drop-shot rigs. I think we’ll see some jigs. And the flipping bite has been known to be pretty good this time of the year. You can do a lot of different things there, but the key is going to be finding the right areas and fishing to your strengths.”
When the Toyota Series last visited Lake Havasu in February of 2023, San Clemente, California pro Todd Kline was the only angler to weigh more than 60 pounds over the three days of competition, and won the event with a total of 60-14. Rojas said that he thinks the early May event will be very similar weight-wise in this postspawn event.
“It took 19 pounds to win a team tournament here last weekend, so the lake is fishing strong,” Rojas said. “It’s not the best it has ever fished, but it is certainly doing well. A lot of factors depend on the water fluctuations, but I think the three-day winner next week catches between 58 to 64 pounds.”
Anglers will launch at 6 a.m. MT each day from Windsor Beach at Lake Havasu State Park, located at 699 London Bridge Road in Lake Havasu City. Weigh-ins will also be held at Windsor Beach and will begin at 2 p.m. each day. 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, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters, 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.
