A three-day forecast calling for moderate to high winds on Day 1 blending with scattered thunderstorms and rain on the final two days could shake things up the Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. Southwestern Division event this week. Taking place on Sam Rayburn, the event is presented by Berkley and comes about one month after Ott DeFoe pulled out a thrilling, last-minute win on the iconic Texas fishery at the Bass Pro Tour level. This week, the Toyota Series heads to this waterway under drastically different conditions.
Winter has long ago disappeared from this swath of southeast Texas, where temperatures in the 80s and blustering humidity could leave anglers as hot as the bite. To take home a check and a win, though, they’ll have to piece together patterns that might change as incoming weather alters conditions each day—high winds, big water and heavy downpours could all be in play.
About the Fishery
Earlier this year, Sam Rayburn was said to be in the “best shape it’s ever been,” and that still holds true. The reservoir is one of the nation’s best at producing big fish on a consistent basis, despite high pressure for multiple tournament circuits on every level of bass fishing. Limits in the 30-pound range are not abnormal.
Rayburn is chock full of Florida-strain largemouth, a species first introduced to its waters in the 1990s. It also features ample hydrilla, timber and offshore habitat that has combined for ferocious catches already this year. In the season-opener in January, Derek Mundy boated a 39-pound, 7-ounce bag that included a jaw-dropping largemouth tipping the scales at 13-10. A kicker like that has the potential to vault any angler into contention, though they’ll likely need a full limit to back it up for a shot at a podium finish.
Patterns in Play
As spring transitions to summer in south Texas, the bass have plenty of options. With abundant shallow cover, there is surely a bite to be found in grass or bushes. Still, it’s getting on to the time of year when offshore structure and cover play big. So, while some pros making hay in the shallows wouldn’t be a surprise, you can expect to see plenty of big crankbaits and Carolina rigs on decks this week.
Angler of the Year is at Stake
A perennial contender in the Southwestern Division, Jeff Reynolds is in position to lock down his first AOY title if he can solve Sam Rayburn twice in a row. With 506 points to lead over Nick Aber, who has 493 points, Reynolds has a good lead. Still, he’s probably not 100 percent confident in the lead – though he has some good finishes on Big Sam, Reynolds also has a few he’d probably like to forget.
Now, behind Reynolds and Aber, who both hail from Oklahoma, there are some genuine Texas sharks circling. Dicky Newberry has 488 points and Todd Castledine has 487 points, and both have done some big things over the years on Rayburn. Luckily for the leaders, Neweberry isn’t fishing this event, but Castledine is, and come-from-behind wins on Rayburn are right in his wheelhouse.
As for the co-anglers, Zack Freeman fished his way to a win on the co-angler side in a Series event on Sam Rayburn in 2019. Now, the Arkansas angler has the edge after two events in the Southwestern Division and is heading back to the Texas pond for a shot at an AOY. With 501 points, Freeman has a moderate edge on Oklahoma angler Curtis Biram, who has 490 points.