CLARENDON COUNTY, S.C. (Sept. 15, 2024) – Against fierce winds and rolling waves, Georgetown, South Carolina pro Bennett Lawshe emerged victorious at the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Southern Division finale held at Santee Cooper Lakes.
Despite losing power to his trolling motor by midday on the final day of the competition, Lawshe brought in a solid bag weighing 13 pounds, 8 ounces, securing his win with a commanding total of 64 pounds, 1 ounce. The 24-year-old local angler bested second-place finisher Reid Heard of Bainbridge, Georgia, by nearly seven pounds, pocketing a $32,142 payout for his efforts.
Local Knowledge Pays Off: Lawshe’s Winning Strategy
Lawshe, who calls Lakes Marion and Moultrie his home waters, has spent years studying the intricacies of these fisheries, often favoring them over other lakes. His familiarity with the lakes’ patterns and fish behavior gave him a significant edge, particularly in tough conditions. Lawshe delivered one of the most impressive performances of the event, hauling in a massive 25-7 bag on Day 2, which played a pivotal role in his overall victory.
Reflecting on his final day, Lawshe said the key was keeping his cool after his trolling motor batteries gave out around midday. “I wasn’t really stressed,” Lawshe explained. “If it would have been two years ago, I would have probably spun out. It wasn’t that bad. I didn’t panic or anything.”
Critical Observations: How a Mayfly Hatch Sealed the Win
The foundation of Lawshe’s success was laid during the final day of practice when he made a crucial observation: a mayfly hatch near Pack’s Landing. Mayfly hatches often draw large concentrations of baitfish, and Lawshe knew from experience that big bass would soon follow. On practice day, he shook off around 30 pounds of fish, a promising sign of what was to come.
“There was a mayfly hatch. You could drive by the trees, shake them, and mayflies would hit the water with bream popping all over the place,” Lawshe recalled. “I’ve caught them like that before, but never this time of year. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it in the fall. It’s like all the big fish in the area scoot into that one place.”
He capitalized on this natural occurrence by targeting the area with a SPRO Bronzeye frog, fishing around trees to catch a 4-pounder and a 5-pounder on Day 1, followed by a 7-pounder on Day 2. This kicker pattern allowed Lawshe to build significant weight early in the tournament.
Offshore Precision: Leveraging Forward-Facing Sonar and Brushpiles
While the mayfly hatch around Pack’s Landing provided key fish, Lawshe’s primary strategy revolved around offshore fishing using forward-facing sonar to locate schools of bass near brushpiles. His intimate knowledge of the lake’s structure helped him identify productive areas in 15 to 20 feet of water, where he used a pair of jerkbaits—a deep-diving Rapala and a shallow-diving Megabass—to entice strikes from the schools of bass.
“I’ve just spent so much time in that area, I know every detail of the bottom,” said Lawshe. “At some point in the day, a big school of fish would pull up on one of two brushpiles, and I had to be sitting on the right one at the right time.”
Lawshe relied heavily on his forward-facing sonar, which allowed him to pinpoint these brushpiles and time his casts accurately. While he admitted he’s not yet proficient enough with the technology to see his bait on the screen and watch the fish eat it, he credited the sonar with helping him target specific spots that produced big bites throughout the tournament.
Calm Under Pressure: Mental Strength in the Face of Adversity
Lawshe’s poise and mental game were perhaps his biggest assets during the final day. Losing trolling motor power early on could have thrown many anglers off their game, but Lawshe remained calm, knowing that his previous days had put him in a strong position. In fact, the late-summer bite on Santee Cooper had proven stingy throughout the event, and Lawshe felt confident that a major charge from his competitors would be unlikely.
Part of his success comes down to experience and learning when to adjust tactics. “I’ve always been good this time of year,” Lawshe remarked. “It’s my favorite time to fish. I’m good at junk fishing, and I’ve gotten better at knowing when to pick up my trolling motor and leave. I literally burned an entire tank of gas every day all three days.”
Toyota Series Southern Division Final Standings
The top pros at the Toyota Series Southern Division event at Santee Cooper Lakes finished:
1st: Bennett Lawshe, Georgetown, S.C., 15 bass, 64-1, $32,142
2nd: Reid Heard, Bainbridge, Ga., 14 bass, 63-6, $12,955
3rd: Bryan Cook, .Vance, S.C., 15 bass, 63-1, $9,643
4th: Mitchell Robinson, Landrum, S.C., 15 bass, 61-13, $8,036
5th: Ben Harris, Haines City, Fla., 14 bass, 61-3, $7,232
6th: Chad Mrazek, Montgomery, Texas, 11 bass, 61-1, $6,428
7th: Colbie Caigle, Edgewater, Fla., 13 bass, 61-0, $5,625
8th: Casey Warren, Longs, S.C., 11 bass, 60-9, $4,821
9th: Michael Neal, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 60-6, $4,018
10th: Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C., 15 bass, 60-4, $5,214 (includes $1,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus)
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Co-Angler Division Winner: Keith Honeycutt Takes Top Spot
In the Strike King Co-Angler Division, Keith Honeycutt from Temple, Texas claimed victory with a three-day total of 11 bass weighing 27 pounds, 4 ounces. Honeycutt’s win earned him a prize package worth $33,500, including a Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat outfitted with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard.
Other top finishers in the Co-Angler Division included:
1st: Keith Honeycutt, Temple, Texas, 11 bass, 27-4, Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp Mercury outboard
2nd: Dan Basham, Taylorsville, Ky., nine bass, 24-4, $4,141
3rd: Grant McPeters, Marion, N.C., six bass, 23-13, $3,313
4th: Billy Foster, Leesburg, Ga., 10 bass, 23-11, $2,899
5th: Alan Hults, Gautier, Miss., nine bass, 23-4, $2,485
6th: David Underwood, Waco, Texas, eight bass, 21-9, $2,071
7th: Wendell Grantham, Eatonton, Ga., eight bass, 20-11, $1,656
8th: Patrick Brown, Swainsboro, Ga., eight bass, 20-0, $1,449
9th: Clyde Cox, Silver Grove, Ky., six bass, 19-2, $1,542
10th: Todd Mowery, Madison, Ala., eight bass, 18-12, $1,035
Looking Ahead to the Toyota Series Championship
With the Toyota Series Southern Division now complete, the attention shifts to the 2024 Toyota Series Championship, which will be held from Nov. 7-9, 2024, on Wheeler Lake in Huntsville, Alabama. Anglers from all six divisions, including the International and Wild Card divisions, will compete for the top prize of up to $235,000. The championship will also determine qualifiers for REDCREST 2025, the premier event in professional bass fishing.
For full details and event schedules, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Follow the latest updates and action from Major League Fishing on social media @MLF and stay tuned for more from the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats, with proud sponsors including Berkley, Abu Garcia, Mercury, Phoenix, and more.
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.
Major League Fishing – WE ARE Bass Fishing™
See more bass tournament news here
Discover the ultimate resource for bass fishing enthusiasts with Bass Angler Magazine! Packed with expert tips, the latest cutting-edge techniques, and in-depth articles, our magazine is your go-to guide for mastering the art of bass fishing. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just getting started, Bass Angler Magazine delivers the insights and inspiration you need to reel in the big ones. Subscribe today and elevate your angling game!
