Major League Fishing (MLF) and FLW announced today the 2021 Toyota Series schedule, highlighted by a smaller Championship field while continuing to offer a $200,000 first-place payout and $10,000 bonuses to the highest-finishing pro from each division.
Anglers who finish in the Top 25 in each division’s Angler of the Year (AOY) standings will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning $200,000 cash, plus lucrative contingency bonuses like the $35,000 FLW Phoenix bonus offered this season. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat (or comparable model) with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The win-and-you’re-in format guarantees that anglers are never out of contention to qualify for the Championship – if they win a Toyota Series tournament, they will be on their way to the Championship along with the top 25 pros and co-anglers from each division.
“We’re really excited about the schedule for our Toyota Series anglers. We truly feel we’ve offered an exceptional lineup of fisheries at optimal times for competitive events with big fish,” said Kathy Fennel, FLW executive VP and GM.
The 2021 Toyota Series will feature six divisions, which is down from eight in 2020 but up from five in 2019.
“Last year we aggressively expanded the Toyota Series from five divisions to eight based on demand from anglers and sponsors,” Fennel said. “Coming off a difficult 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will run six divisions in 2021 to ensure substantial and sustainable opportunities for anglers nationwide.”
The 2021 Toyota Series Championship field will be smaller due to the reduction in divisions, but the event will still feature $10,000 bonuses for the highest-finishing pro from each of the six U.S. Toyota Series divisions and the International division.
Toyota Series entry fees will remain the same at $1,700 (pro) and $550 (co-angler) per tournament and top payouts in each event remain $75,000 for pros, including a $35,000 FLW Phoenix Bonus, and a Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat (or comparable model) with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard for co-anglers. As field sizes increase, so do payouts, with top awards reaching $100,000, including a $35,000 FLW Phoenix Bonus, for pros and a Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat (or comparable model) with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard plus $5,000 for co-anglers at 260 boats, with awards extending through 65th place. The Strike King Angler of the Year in each division receives $5,000 and the Co-Angler of the Year in each division earns $2,000.
Registration for the 2021 Toyota Series will open in early November. Rules and registration dates will be announced soon.
2021 TOYOTA SERIES SCHEDULE
Central Division
> Feb. 16-18* -- Lake Guntersville (Guntersville, Ala.)
> March 31-April 2 -- Dale Hollow Lake (Byrdstown, Tenn.)
> May 20-22 -- Lake Chickamauga (Dayton, Tenn.)
Northern Division
> July 15-17 -- Lake Champlain (Plattsburgh, N.Y.)
> Aug. 26-28 -- St. Lawrence River (Massena, N.Y.)
> Sept. 16-18 -- Potomac River (Marbury, Md.)
Plains Division
> March 4-6 -- Lake of the Ozarks (Osage Beach, Mo.)
> April 8-10 -- Grand Lake (Grove, Okla.)
> May 6-8 -- Lake Dardanelle (Russellville, Ark.)
Southern Division
> Feb. 4-6 -- Lake Toho (Kissimmee, Fla.)
> March 16-18 -- Harris Chain of Lakes (Leesburg, Fla.)
> May 6-8 -- Lake Seminole (Bainbridge, Ga.)
Southwestern Division
> Jan. 28-30 -- Sam Rayburn Reservoir (Brookeland, Texas)
> March 25-27 -- Lake Texoma (Durant, Okla.)
> April 28-30 -- Sam Rayburn Reservoir (Brookeland, Texas)
Western Division
> Jan. 28-30 -- Lake Shasta (Redding, Calif.)
> May 13-15 -- California Delta (Oakley, Calif.)
> Sept. 23-25 -- Clear Lake (Lakeport, Calif.)
Toyota Series Championship
> Oct. 28-30 -- Pickwick Lake (Counce, Tenn.)
