Marbut sets the pace with 21-6 on Day 1 of the Toyota Series Championship
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Well known for being one of the more fickle lakes on the Tennessee River, Wheeler Lake produced a tightly packed leaderboard on Day 1 of the Toyota Series Championship Presented by Bass Boat Technologies. It took nearly 17 pounds to crack the Top 10, and 24 pros managed more than 14 pounds – not terrible by any means.
That said, Hayden Marbut was the star of the show. The only angler to catch more than 20 pounds, the Alabama native waylaid 21-6 for the lead. In second, Mike Raber caught 19-13 and Ethan Fields edged into third with 18-5.
On the Strike King co-angler side, Eric White leads with 13-12. Not that it means anything this week, but back in February, Marbut and White won their respective divisions in the Central Division event on Lake Guntersville. So, moving down the chain by one dam wasn’t enough to trip either of them up.
Smallmouth and a hot start key for Marbut
Catching his two kickers on nearly back-to-back casts at his first stop, Marbut may have been leading the event since about 7:45 a.m.
“It was a good day for sure,” Marbut said. “I didn’t really know what to expect coming into the day. I had a good first day of practice and kinda stopped fishing after that and just looked around. But I spent a lot of time out here in pre-practice and tried to make myself as much like a local as I could, and it worked out today.”
A standout in college for Auburn and an impressive performer in the Central Division this year, Marbut is one of many new-school anglers who are lighting things up at a young age. Weighing four smallmouth and one fish of indeterminate species, the 21-year-old had a hot start and then a slow afternoon.
“I didn’t catch a ton of fish today, but they were the right size,” he said. “So, I’m excited to get back out there tomorrow. I probably caught caught 10 or 12, but probably nine keepers, and I culled a couple of times. But other than that, it was really slow, and it happened pretty fast this morning.”
One thing is for sure, Marbut is all-in on this. He’s got his eye on the $235,000 top prize and also the REDCREST berth that comes with it. In 2025, MLF’s championship event is on Guntersville.
“I mean, I’m always all-in, but there’s definitely some extra juice with REDCREST on the home pond,” he said. “In pre-practice, I was I was grinding out here.”
Top 10 pros
1. Hayden Marbut – 21 – 6 (5)
2. Mike Raber – 19 – 13 (5)
3. Ethan Fields – 18 – 5 (5)
4. Jack Daniel Williams – 17 – 10 (5)
5. Austin Swindle – 17 – 9 (5)
6. Drew Gill – 17 – 7 (5)
7. Chad Mrazek – 17 – 5 (5)
8. Jake Lawrence – 17 – 4 (5)
9. Levi Thibodaux – 17 – 2 (5)
10. Buddy Benson – 16 – 15 (5)
10. Phillip Dutra – 16 – 15 (5)
10. Laker Howell – 16 – 15 (5)
News and notes
The Toyota Series Championship always features a number of special storylines. One of the main ones is who will finish on top in each division, thereby earning the extra $10,000 bonus. So far, Raber is looking really good for the Northern Division, and Nick Salvucci has an edge in the Western Division, but otherwise there’s a massive pile-up of potential leaders with ounces separating them. There’s a good chance that none of the division bonuses will be final on Day 3, with the Top 25 on the water.
Also, today at weigh-in, Canadian co-angler Ashley Rae was presented with the Forrest L. Wood Sportsmanship and Community Leadership Award. The award recognizes the individual who displayed overall commitment to sportsmanship and community leadership, on and off the water, by displaying ethical behavior, upholding integrity, class, selflessness, conservation efforts and kindness to others.
Finally, there’s a sleeper race for REDCREST in the field, as the Adrian College duo of Braylon Eggerding and Lucas Washburn are battling each other to see who represents the college ranks at the big dance. After Day 1, it looks really good for Eggerding, who caught 10 pounds and is 84th. Unfortunately, Washburn blanked, which does not bode well for his REDCREST chances.