BAINBRIDGE, Ga. (April 21, 2025) –The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats is set to visit Bainbridge, Georgia, this week, April 24-26, for the third and final regular-season event of the Southern division – the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at Lake Seminole.
The three-day tournament, hosted by Visit Bainbridge, will feature a roster of the region’s best bass-fishing boaters and co-anglers competing for a top 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.
Matt O’Connell of Brooks, Georgia, who usually competes in the Toyota Series Central Division, said he has an eye on the upcoming tournament on Lake Seminole and is looking to throw his hat in the ring. The Georgia boater has racked up 17 top 10-finishes in MLF competition over the past two years and earned the Toyota Series Central Division’s Fishing Clash Angler of the Year honors in 2024.
“Lake Seminole should be fishing pretty good this time of year,” O’Connell said. “I expect it to be a mostly mid-spawn to post-spawn tournament. They tend to spawn a little early down in the southern portion of the state, but we had a colder winter, so my assumption is that they didn’t start really spawning until February. So, there are probably a lot of fish that are starting to pull back out deep, but there will also be a lot still in the spawning phase.”
O’Connell said patterns and baits will vary throughout the field, with Lake Seminole offering anglers the opportunity to fish their strengths.
“Two of the main staples will definitely be ChatterBaits and jerkbaits, but there’ll be Carolina rigs and bigger swimbaits come into play as well,” said O’Connell. “You’re going to see some scoping-style baits – minnows, things like that – play as well. There’s a lot of clear water and a lot of timber for guys to go scope around in Spring Creek and other areas like that, but you can also fish shallow and throw a topwater bait all day if you really want to, so it will be a mix of things.”
With the spawn coming to a close, O’Connell said he expects the weights to be slightly lower than they were earlier in the year but anticipates it will still take a hefty bag to advance to Championship Saturday.
“You’ll need at least one 25-pound bag, but I’d say if a guy has 36-38 pounds, they’ll have a shot at advancing in the top 25 to the final day,” said O’Connell. “I think it’s going to take a 70-pound three-day cumulative weight to win the event, but what will be interesting is seeing how the event will be won. It’s possible to win it shallow, but I’m assuming it will be won off the angler who has the best couple of post-spawn spots where they’re starting to group up.”
Anglers will begin each day at 7 a.m. ET, launching from the Earle May Boat Basin at 100 Boat Basin Circle in Bainbridge. Weigh-ins will take place at the same location, starting at 3 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 cast 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 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.
