Toyota Series to Host Event on Lake Seminole
BAINBRIDGE, Ga. – The 2020 Toyota Series Southern Division will finish its season with a tournament next week in Bainbridge, Georgia, Nov. 5-7, with the Toyota Series at Lake Seminole. Hosted by the Bainbridge Convention and Visitors Bureau, 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.
“Lake Seminole has plenty of grass and matted hydrilla, which produces extremely healthy bass,” said Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit angler J Todd Tucker of Moultrie, Georgia. “The rivers have been muddy due to rain from the hurricanes, but that has cleared up and they are currently fishing better than they were in recent months.
“We’ve seen a lot of shad and schooling fish on Lake Seminole,” Tucker continued. “The best bet is to throw a buzzbait in the morning, then spend the rest of the day flipping and punching the matted hydrilla with creature baits, or anything that will flip through the grass easily.”
Tucker said anglers can expect to flip mats in 12 to 13 feet in Spring Creek and in 7 to 8 feet on the river.
“It can be difficult to catch a five-fish-limit this time of year,” said Tucker. The rivers fish better than the lake, due to the current, but anglers fishing the lake will catch larger fish overall. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see this tournament won without catching a limit every day. An angler could easily win this tournament with 12 or 13 fish, if they catch the right fish and get on the right pattern.”
Tucker said historically, tournaments on Lake Seminole yield consistent weights in the fall, but anglers should definitely expect to fish for fewer bites and target quality fish.
“I predict it will take an average of 18 pounds per day and 54 pounds total to win this tournament,” continued Tucker. “I would advise anglers to try to get two or three keepers first thing in the morning, then spend the rest of the day trying to get two or three more bites. Seven or eight bites per day would be a pretty good pattern for this tournament.”
Anglers will take off daily at 7 a.m. ET from the Bainbridge Earle May Boat Basin in Bainbridge. Weigh-ins will also be held at the basin 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.
About FLW
FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, FLW and its partners conduct more than 290 bass-fishing tournaments annually around the world, including the United States, Canada, China, Italy, South Korea, Mexico, Namibia, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and Zimbabwe.
FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show while Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. Acquired by Major League Fishing in late 2019, FLW is expanding its programming in 2020 to the Outdoor Channel and the Sportsman Channel as well as on-demand at MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).
For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
# # #