By MLF Communications Staff
The 2022 Toyota Series Championship at Lake Guntersville will take place today through Saturday as the circuit's best competitors pros and top international anglers will compete for a top award of up to $235,000 cash. The three-day, no-entry-fee event is the culmination of the 2022 Toyota Series season, a six-division circuit that offers a path to the new 2023 MLF Invitationals and ultimately the Bass Pro Tour.
Josh Butler of nearby Hayden, Alabama, who ended up 4th in this year's Pro Circuit Angler of the Year race, said he was thrilled to finish out his season fishing a championship on his home lake.
“We may not see the super heavy weights that we normally see on Lake Guntersville due to the time of year, but 4-pounders will definitely be key,” Butler said. “There will be a lot of frogging, flipping and maybe some Alabama rigs, but guys are pretty much going to be able to fish to their strengths in this event.
“Bridges and causeways could play a big part, especially this time of year – if someone hits the right bridge at the right time, they can catch a 25- to 30-pound limit in 25 minutes,” Butler added. “However, I really think the guy who wins it will probably be fishing grass – flipping or frogging.”
Butler said he wouldn’t expect a bridge or causeway to produce quality weights three days in a row, but it could be a strategy that will get a guy back in the game if he has a slow start.
“I think we’ll see most anglers fishing anywhere from 3 to 4 feet of water, throwing a frog in matted grass or in 8 to 12 feet of water, flipping or throwing a ChatterBait, swimbait or Alabama rig in some scattered hydrilla.”
Butler said he predicts that 20 pounds per day would put an angler in a really good position this time of year, and that he expects the winning weight to be around 60 pounds.
“I’m blessed to be able to fish this event on my home lake and although I’m not really fishing to my strengths, as far as offshore, grouped-up fishing, I still have a lot of experience on Guntersville, and I feel good about it,” Butler said. “We aren’t fishing for points, so I’m going out there with the intent to try to win the event. I’ve had a great year and can’t think of a better way to end it than to compete for a championship on my home lake.
“I also really appreciate the opportunity to fish for a quarter of a million dollars with no entry fee,” Butler added. “This event gives aspiring pro anglers a fantastic platform to make a name for themselves, and can be a great catalyst to launch, or boost, a pro career.”
Anglers will take off daily at 7 a.m. CT from Guntersville Civitan Park, located at 1130 Sunset Drive, in Guntersville. Weigh-ins will also be held at the park and will begin at 3 p.m.
Outdoor vendors will be onsite prior to and during weigh-ins Thursday and Friday from 2-6 p.m. and Saturday from 1-6 p.m. with free giveaways while supplies last. Fans can register for daily prize drawings for the opportunity to win a YETI Hopper Flip Cooler. Drawings will take place daily following the weigh-in.
Fans are welcome to attend the daily takeoffs and weigh-ins and also follow the action online through the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The full field of anglers will compete on Days 1 and 2 of the event, with the top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers based on cumulative weight from the first two days continuing to the third and final day. The 2022 Toyota Series champions will be determined by the heaviest three-day total weight.
Pros and co-anglers can qualify for multiple contingency awards based on final standings in the championship, including the lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus for pros. The winning co-angler will earn a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.
The 2022 Toyota Series consisted of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and Western – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division. The highest finishing pro from each division at the championship will claim a $10,000 bonus. The bonus will go to the second-highest finishing pro in the division represented by the overall champion.
The 2022 Toyota Series Championship field features the Top 25 pros, Top 25 co-anglers and tournament winners from each of the six divisions; the Top 12 pros and 12 co-anglers from the Wild Card division; the highest finishing boater and co-angler from each of the six BFL Regionals and the TBF National Championship at the All-American; the Top 3 teams from the College Fishing National Championship; High School Fishing National Champions; TBF National Champions; and MLF International champions from Canada, China, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Namibia, Portugal, South Africa, Spain and Zimbabwe.
