The 2025 Toyota Series Championship at Grand Lake O' the Cherokees Presented by Phoenix Boats is headed to Grove, Oklahoma, next week, Nov. 6-8, where the nation’s best Toyota Series pros and international qualifiers will compete for a top award of up to $235,000 cash, including the lucrative $35,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus, and a coveted invitation to REDCREST 2026 – Major League Fishing’s most prestigious event.
Hosted by the City of Grove and the Grove Convention & Tourism Bureau, the three-day, no-entry-fee showdown caps off the 2025 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats season, a five-division circuit that launches anglers toward the 2026 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit and ultimately the Bass Pro Tour.
“We’re incredibly excited to host the 2025 Toyota Series Championship on Grand Lake,” said Brent Malone, Executive Director of the Grove Convention and Tourism Bureau. “It’s an honor to welcome anglers and fans from around the world to experience Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, and we’re ready to roll out the red carpet for them. Anytime we get to showcase one of the best fisheries in the United States – along with one of the finest facilities and a community that truly loves fishing – it’s a special opportunity. Major League Fishing has become a tremendous partner to our city, and we’re always thrilled to host their events.”
In addition to the top award of up to $235,000, the signature fall championship will deliver five-figure payouts to the highest finishers in each division, while showcasing international qualifiers who’ve earned their shot to compete stateside. The storied championship continues to open doors for anglers worldwide, providing advancement pathways that amplify their platforms and extend their impact across the sport.
Missouri pro Andy Newcomb of Camdenton, Missouri, enters next week’s Toyota Series Championship with confidence and a sense that everything might be lining up just right.
“I’m really excited,” Newcomb said. “I feel like this is definitely the best chance I've had so far in my career at a big, big win. You never know how it's going to line up, but I feel better about this one. And who knows when I'll feel this good about a big tournament again.”
Newcomb has a good history on Grand Lake this time of year. The veteran angler has posted multiple top-10 finishes on the famed Oklahoma reservoir in late fall events, thanks in part to his strength fishing shallow-water patterns.
“I've been here a couple times this time of year, and I've done well,” he said. “I think I finished in the top 10 in both of the tournaments I fished on Grand. I'm hoping that there's a shallow-water, topwater, spinnerbait or flipping kind of bite. That would be ideal for me.”
While forward-facing sonar will undoubtedly play a role, Newcomb believes plenty of quality bass will still be caught the old-fashioned way.
“There’ll definitely be a good portion of the fish that are caught up shallow,” he said. “And that’s what’s got me excited. Water conditions could make all the difference.”
Recent forecasts show surface temperatures hovering between 69 and 72 degrees, but Newcomb expects things to cool off by tournament week.
“If the kind of weather pattern we have now holds out, it's going to be in the low 60s, which is money,” he explained. “It always gets funky around 65 to 70 (degrees). But if we get temps under 65 – low 60s to upper 50s – that's when it gets good.”
Newcomb said weights will likely depend on the weather that rolls through northeastern Oklahoma over the next week.
“I think if we get some bad weather, guys will be weighing in 18-plus a day,” Newcomb said. “But I think if we get a couple days like we've got right now, sunny skies and a little bit post-frontal, I think we’ll see a lot of limits in the 16- to 17-pound range.”
“Now, if we get a real nasty day, it could be way different,” he added. “I fished here previously in November, and it was nasty – blowing rain, all that. And I don't know how many 20-plus-pound bags there were. I think there were a couple that were 26-pound bags. If that water gets below 65 and those fish start feeding, and then we get one of those nasty days, it could be a completely different lake.”
Anglers will take off daily at 7 a.m. CT from Wolf Creek Park, located at 963 N. 16th Street, in Grove. Weigh-ins will be held at the park and will begin at 3 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the daily takeoffs and weigh-ins and also follow the action online through daily “MLF Live” weigh-in broadcasts and daily coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Final round on-the-water action will also be broadcast live on MLFNOW! and streamed to MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF app, MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) and Rumble. The 2025 Toyota Series Championship Presented by Phoenix Boats will air on VICE Sports January 4 and January 11, 2026, at 9 p.m. ET.
The full field of anglers will compete on Days 1 and 2, with the top 25 pros and top 25 co-anglers based on cumulative weight from the first two days continuing to the third and final day. The 2025 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 outboard motor.
The 2025 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consisted of five divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern and Southwestern – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International division and the Wild Card. 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 2025 Toyota Series Championship field features the top 25 pros, top 25 co-anglers and tournament winners from each of the five divisions; the top 25 pros and 25 co-anglers from the Wild Card division plus tournament winners; the highest finishing boater and co-angler from each Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine Regional and the TBF at the All-American; the top three teams from the College Fishing National Championship; High School Fishing National Champions; TBF National Champions; and MLF International anglers from Canada, Eswatini, Italy, Mexico, Mozambique, Namibia, Spain, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Toyota Series include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing Co., B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, PiranhO2, 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.
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