The 2020 Toyota Series Western Division will finish out their season with a tournament next week in Clearlake, California, Sept. 24-26, with the Toyota Series at Clear Lake. 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.
“There will be stellar competition at Clear Lake, which will make for an exciting tournament,” said Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit TITLE Champion Rusty Salewske of Alpine, California, who has two top-10 finishes on Clear Lake in Toyota Series competition. “The locals fishing in this event have spent a lot of time in different levels of bass fishing, from FLW to Bassmaster to Major League Fishing and back.
“This time of year frees up a lot of anglers – MLF pros Jared Lintner and Brett Hite will be there – I’ve heard rumors that MLF pros Brent Ehrler and Ish Monroe may be competing as well. There will be a lot of hammers and some amazing anglers so it will be a very tough competition.”
Salewske said fall tournaments on Clear Lake have been won both on topwater and in 20 feet of water, so the big bites could come anywhere, making it exciting this time of year.
“I’m looking forward to the possibility of a 30-pound stringer every time I go out on the water,” Salewske continued. “I predict 17 pounds per day will win this tournament. It could be as high as 25 per day, but a three-day bag of 51 pounds should do it.”
Anglers will take off daily at 7 a.m. PT from the Redbud Park Boat Ramp, located at 14655 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake. Weigh-ins will also be held at the Redbud Park Boat 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 atFacebook, 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
