Roten Best from the Back on the Potomac - Major League Fishing
Roten Best from the Back on the Potomac
2y • Kyle Wood • Toyota Series
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GALLERY: Final day action gets underway at Lake Okeechobee
20h • Charles Waldorf • Toyota Series
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1d • Toyota Series
GALLERY: Sunshine State lives up to its name on Day 2 at Lake Okeechobee
1d • Charles Waldorf, Sean Ostruszka • Toyota Series
GALLERY: Anglers launch onto the Big O for Day 2
1d • Charles Waldorf • Toyota Series
Toyota Series – Lake Okeechobee – Day 1 weigh-in (3/30/2023)
2d • Toyota Series
GALLERY: Setting the pace on Day 1 at the Big O
2d • Charles Waldorf • Toyota Series
Bakewell racks up 23-2 on tough Day 1 at Lake Okeechobee, Crowder second with 21-8
2d • Sean Ostruszka • Toyota Series
MLF Toyota Series Pro Todd Kline named Honorary Captain at L.A. Clippers Game
2d • MLF • Press Releases
GALLERY: Searching for difference-makers on Day 1 at Lake Okeechobee
2d • Charles Waldorf, Sean Ostruszka • Toyota Series
GALLERY: Southern Division pros and Strike King co-anglers launch at Okeechobee
2d • Charles Waldorf • Toyota Series
Late timing has Okeechobee trickier than usual
2d • Sean Ostruszka • Toyota Series

Roten Best from the Back on the Potomac

North Carolina co-angler stays red hot
Image for Roten Best from the Back on the Potomac
James Maupin Photo by Garrick Dixon.
September 12, 2020 • Kyle Wood • Toyota Series

James Roten has had a phenomenal year as a co-angler on the Toyota Series. He started it off with a top 10 in the Central Division event on Lake Chickamauga back in February. Then, weeks later he finished second on Hartwell to kick off the Eastern Division. Now, the 53-year-old mechanic claimed the top prize in just his fourth Toyota Series event ever.

Winning pro pattern

Complete results

“I fished three [Phoenix Bass Fishing League presented by T-H Marine] events last year and made the All-American and this year is the first year I’ve fished the Toyota Series,” Roten says. “And so far, so good. I’ve cut a check in all of ‘em. I’m liking fishing FLW.”

Weighing 9 pounds, 13 ounces on day one to sit in third, Roten would sack up the second-biggest limit of the event on the co-angler side on day two. His 13-pound effort the second day slid him into the lead. Paired with Wayne Vaughan today, Roten had a tougher go – as most of the field did – but Roten’s two fish weighing 4-12 were enough to give him the win with 27-9 overall and earned him a new Phoenix boat package valued at over $33,000.

“I was panicking today, I was just blessed to get the two I did,” he says. “It feels good to win. I’ve never won one before.”

The West Jefferson, N.C., co-angler relied on several baits throughout the week. A Strike King Thunder Cricket with either a Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw or Z-Man Razor ShadZ on the back was a big player. He also used a drop-shot with either a Zoom Trick Worm or Finesse Worm to entice bites.

“I thought I would eventually get the moon and stars to line up right and they finally did,” Roten says of the win. “I've got to thank my wife for putting up with my fishing all the time.”