The MLF Toyota Series returns to Kentucky and Barkley lakes this week to open the 2024 Plains Division. Competition days are Thursday through Saturday.
“This is going to be a really fun tournament,” said Jake Lawrence of Buchanan, Tennessee, who has two career Toyota Series victories on Kentucky and Barkley lakes. “Last year, with the way everything set up and the timing of everything, the event was right in the middle of the smallmouth spawn. Things were a little funky,and a little bit off. This year, we’re about six weeks earlier than last year, and there a lot of fish coming out of their winter patterns and are in the prespawn staging areas near the bank.
“I think overall the weights will be similar to last year – I believe it’ll take 59 to 63 pounds to win this one – but the weights are going to be a lot better a lot further down into the field,” Lawrence continued.
One major difference that Lawrence expects to see this year – Lake Barkley being a much bigger factor for tournament anglers to consider.
“(Lake) Barkley hasn’t been talked about much the last few years, but this is the time of the year that it really plays,” Lawrence said. “There is so much natural wood there – laydowns and logs – any bass that wants to be on a piece of cover is going to be caught on Barkley. I’m not sure the tournament will be won there, but it is definitely going to play a big role and I think that we could see up to half of the Top 10 end up coming out of Barkley.“
Lawrence said that he expects standard prespawn baits to be the most popular offerings thrown by tournament anglers.
“I think Rat-L-Traps, spinnerbaits, and ChatterBaits will all be pretty strong,” Lawrence said. “I predict it’s going to be more of a pattern-type event rather than finding a mega-school of bass. They exist, but they’re so hard to predict. I think the winner is going to have to juke and jive and fish the conditions, and target whatever looks right.”
Anglers will launch at 6:30 a.m. CT each day from the Kentucky Dam Marina, located at 466 Marina Drive in Gilbertsville. Weigh-ins will also be held at the marina and will begin at 2:30 p.m.
