GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. (April 1, 2025) – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats is set to visit Kentucky, April 8-10 for the second event of the season in the Toyota Series Plains division – the Toyota Series at Kentucky Lake.
The three-day bass tournament, hosted by the Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau, will showcase the region’s top bass-fishing boaters and co-anglers competing for a grand prize of up to $100,000 in the pro division and a new Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115-horsepower outboard motor plus $5,000 in the co-angler division.
As the Toyota Series returns to Kentucky Lake in Gilbertsville, Kentucky, anticipation is building for what could be a strong spring showdown. While last year’s winner Jake Lawrence isn’t currently planning to be in the field due to a busy tournament schedule, the Paris, Tennessee, pro still has his finger on the pulse of the fishery – and he believes the stage is set for another exciting event.
“This tournament is shaping up to be very much what it has been the last couple of years,” Lawrence said. “It’s lining up to be a spawning smallmouth deal, with a decent chance that someone could have a really good event on Barkley.”
He noted that although Kentucky Lake’s largemouth population continues to recover, the better-quality bags are still coming from targeting smallmouth, particularly during the spawn. The biggest variable heading into the event? Pollen.
“The fish are there, but the pollen could absolutely be the x-factor,” Lawrence explained. “It makes it harder to see the fish, harder to see your bait. Guys are just going to be a lot less efficient.”
Still, with warming trends in place and water clarity improving from earlier in the season, conditions appear favorable overall. Lawrence also believes Barkley Lake could quietly play a major role.
“If it weren’t for the spawning smallmouth, this is the time of year when Barkley is where you’d want to be,” he said. “There’s just always someone who sneaks up from over there and makes a run at it. This is the time of year Barkley plays.”
Last year, Lawrence won with 63 pounds, with fellow Kentucky pro Matt Robertson hot on his heels at 61. He predicts similar totals again this year.
“I’m confident you’ll see something in that 58 to 65 range win it,” he said. “It really just comes down to how efficient these guys can be – if they find them and can see them, the weights will be right there again.”
Anglers will begin each day at 6:30 a.m. CT, launching from Moors Resort & Marina, located at 570 Moors Road in Gilbertsville. Weigh-ins will take place at the marina, starting at 2:30 p.m. daily. Fans are invited to attend in person and can also stay connected by following the “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily updates on MajorLeagueFishing.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 up to $75,000, if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Co-anglers cast for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard (valued at $33,500). With a 260-boat field, pros fish for a top award of up to $100,000, if Phoenix MLF Bonus qualified. Co-anglers compete for the top prize of a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury or Suzuki outboard plus $5,000 cash.
The 2025 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of five divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern and the Southwestern – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the five divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST 2026. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower outboard. The 2025 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 6-8 on Grand Lake in Grove, Oklahoma, and is hosted by the City of Grove Convention & Tourism Bureau.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Toyota Series include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sports Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.