MASSENA — The Major League Fishing (MLF) Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats is set to visit Massena Aug. 14-16, for the second event of the Northern division, the  Toyota Series at the St. Lawrence River Presented by Suzuki Marine.

The three-day tournament, hosted by the Town of Massena, will feature a roster of the region’s best bass-fishing pros 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.

With the smallmouth bass moving into their post-spawn patterns, anglers competing in the upcoming tournament at the St. Lawrence River should expect a deep-water showdown, according to recent Top-10 finisher and Tackle Warehouse Invitational pro Shaw Grigsby.

Grigsby, who just wrapped up a strong performance on the St. Lawrence during the Tackle Warehouse Invitational last week, said the river is shifting into a classic post-spawn phase and anglers would be wise to follow the fish out deep.

“When we were there, the fish were just finishing up spawning and were in transition,” Grigsby explained. “There were still some shallow, but a lot had already moved deep. As the days went on, that shallow bite faded fast.”

Now, with another week of summertime progression, Grigsby predicts most of the action during the Toyota Series stop will come from offshore zones – specifically, current seams, points and eddies in the river’s expansive main channel.

“The main channel has these little points and seams where current hits and rolls around structure. It creates these back eddies, and the fish love to sit in those seams where bait drifts right to them,” said Grigsby. “I think that’s going to be the deal – drop-shot rigs, Ned rigs, that kind of finesse approach in deep water.”

While a few competitors may manage to catch fish up shallow, Grigsby believes top finishers will be those who can stay dialed into the deeper bite.

“You can always catch some up shallow, but I don’t think that’ll hold up for a top-10 finish,” he said. “The guys who stick with the deep stuff are going to be the ones bringing in big bags every day.”

As for what it will take to win, Grigsby isn’t sugarcoating it.

“You better have over 20 pounds a day just to get a check,” he said. “To really compete, you’re looking at 23 to 26 pounds a day. The fishery is just that good – full of giants.”

Anglers will begin each day at 6 a.m. ET, launching from the Massena Intake Boat Launch at 1415 State Hwy 131 in Massena. Weigh-ins will take place at the same location, starting at 2 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 Sport Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, PirahnO2, 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.