LEESBURG, Fla. (March 30, 2025) – Dylan Quilatan of Windermere, Florida, dominated the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Southern Division event at the Harris Chain. At just 17 years old, he secured victory with a record-breaking total weight of 83 pounds, 8 ounces over three days, including a massive 33-6 bag on Day 2. With this win, Quilatan becomes the second-youngest pro to win a Toyota Series event, earning $39,055.
Historic Weigh-In and Standout Performance
Quilatan’s total weight set a new record for the heaviest three-day winning total in a Florida Toyota Series event and the fifth-heaviest overall. Interestingly, this year has seen three 80-pound winning totals, all achieved by anglers named Dylan, including Dylan Nutt’s two victories on the Tennessee River. Demonstrating sportsmanship, Quilatan stopped fishing early on Day 3 to assist his co-angler, Benton Peoples, in securing a limit.
Runner-Up Finish for Bobby Bakewell
Orlando’s Bobby Bakewell secured second place with a solid 70-10 total, an impressive weight that would typically win at the Harris Chain. Meanwhile, Montgomery, Texas’ Chad Mrazek finished third with a 62-5 total, averaging over 20 pounds per day.
Quilatan’s Winning Strategy and Key Techniques
Fishing a large flat in Lake Beauclair, Quilatan adjusted daily to stay ahead. He targeted post-spawn bass, using a Neko rig to catch 1- to 3-pounders chasing threadfin shad and a swimbait for larger bass feeding on gizzard shad. By carefully analyzing baitfish movement and structure, he outperformed the competition.
Tactical Approach to Catching Big Bass
To trigger bites, Quilatan meticulously positioned his baits, often letting them sit for minutes at a time. He used an X Zone Deception Worm with a 1/16-ounce nail weight and a Ryugi Talisman hook for finesse fishing. For bigger fish, he relied on a 7-inch No Live Bait Needed K-Tail swimbait with a ¾-ounce head. His patience and precision made all the difference.
Top 10 Pros at Toyota Series at the Harris Chain of Lakes
1st: Dylan Quilatan, Windermere, Fla., 15 bass, 83-8, $39,055
2nd: Robert Bakewell, Orlando, Fla., 15 bass, 70-10, $15,634
3rd: Chad Mrazek, Montgomery, Texas, 15 bass, 62-5, $12,717
4th: Justin Barnes, Ellaville, Ga., 15 bass, 56-6, $9,764
5th: Kyle Cortiana, Broken Arrow, Okla., 15 bass, 54-3, $8,787
6th: John Kremer, Orange City, Fla., 15 bass, 53-8, $7,811
7th: Flint Davis, Leesburg, Ga., 15 bass, 53-1, $6,835
8th: Brody Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, 15 bass, 52-5, $5,858
9th: Parker Knudsen, Minnetonka, Minn., 15 bass, 50-12, $4,882
10th: Tracen Phillips, Lake Placid, Fla., 15 bass, 50-1, $3,906
For full results, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Exciting Future Events in the Toyota Series
The Toyota Series at the Harris Chain of Lakes Presented by Suzuki Marine was hosted by Discover Lake County, Florida. The final Toyota Series Southern Division event is set for April 24-26 at Lake Seminole in Bainbridge, Georgia.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Toyota Series include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, Deep Dive App, E3 Sports Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, 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 updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV).
Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 13 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
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