The 2020 Toyota Series Plains Division will continue with a tournament this weekend in Osage Beach, Missouri, with the Toyota Series at Lake of the Ozarks. Hosted by the Tri-County Lodging Association, 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 of the Ozarks generally fishes pretty good,” said Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit angler Casey Scanlon of Eldon, Missouri, who is looking forward to fishing his home body of water. “There was a big bass event there last weekend with a lot of big fish weighed in, so I’m expecting it to be a really good tournament.
“It’s starting to cool off a bit and the fish have started into their fall patterns, but there are a lot of bass scattered throughout the 90-mile lake, so you can really do a little bit of everything,” Scanlon continued. “Various patterns will be in play this week and that makes it one of my favorite times of the year, because you can use a lot of different tactics and be successful.”
Scanlon said the water level is about a foot and a half low – normal for this time of year – but Lake of the Ozarks is a very stable lake, so he doesn’t believe that will have a huge impact on what the fish are doing.
“I expect to see quality fish caught from 0- to 25-feet-deep,” said Scanlon. “This is a versatile fishery and I predict the top ten will be made up of guys doing a handful of different techniques in various depths.”
Scanlon said he expects a 48 to 49-pound-bag over the three-day-tournament will put anglers in the money.
“There are a lot of docks in this lake, so I expect slower-moving-baits like a Trophy Bass Company Jig or a Tackle HD Hi Def Craw – something you can fish through the cover around these docks – will be in play this weekend,” Scanlon continued. “Look for plastic worms, topwater baits, crankbaits, spinnerbaits and jigs to play a huge role in this tournament.”
Anglers will take off daily at 7 a.m. CDT from the Public Beach No. 2 Ramp in Osage Beach, Missouri. Weigh-ins will also be held at the ramp 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 FLWFLW 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.
By: CHARITY MUEHLENWEG, MLF
