By MLF Communications Staff

The Major League Fishing TITLE gets under way today at the St. Lawrence River in Massena, N.Y. The six-day tournament will showcase the Top 48 pros in the 2022 Pro Circuit standings, along with last year’s TITLE champion and reigning Angler of the Year (AOY) – all competing for a guaranteed check and a grand prize of up to $235,000.

MLF has held 44 tournaments on the St. Lawrence River over the past 28 years. However ,this event marks the first championship event held on the fishery and only the second Pro Circuit event.

The Pro Circuit last visited the smallmouth mecca in July 2021, where pro Cody Pike of Powhatan, Va., took home the win with a total weight of 82 pounds, 12 ounces. Pike finished 54th in the standings this season and did not qualify to compete in this event.

The 2022 TITLE will feature a hybrid tournament format. The 50 anglers are seeded into two groups of 25 – Group A and Group B, based on points earned in 2022 qualifying events – where they will compete in Qualifying Rounds over the first four days of the tournament. Group A will fish Day 1 and Day 3, and Group B will fish Day 2 and Day 4, with total weight determined by the cumulative weight of their biggest five-bass limit from both days.

The winner of each group will then advance directly to the Championship Round, while pros who finish in 2nd to 10th place in each group will battle it out with zeroed weights in the Knockout Round. On the sixth day of the event, the Championship Round, weights will again be zeroed and the Top 8 pros from the Knockout Round, plus the two Qualifying Round winners, will compete. The winner will be determined by the heaviest five-bass limit of the final round.

Local Toyota Series angler Jesse Spellicy of Gouverneur, New York said fans and anglers alike can expect a fun tournament and to see a lot of fish catches throughout the event.

“The St. Lawrence River has been fishing really good this summer,” Spellicy said. “It seems like the weights get bigger and bigger every year and this year is no exception.

“The fish aren’t fully in their summertime pattern out deep, so there are still some fish that can be caught up shallow, but for the most part I think you’ll see guys targeting shoals in 25 to 35 feet of water.”

While the event will primarily be a smallmouth tournament, Spellicy said that largemouth could come into play as well.

“It wouldn’t shock me if an angler finds a largemouth pattern that they have all to themselves, and while I don’t believe they can win on that, it’s certainly a player every year and could result in a strong finish.”

Spellicy said dropshots, tubes and Ned rigs will be key baits on the fishery, as well as jerkbaits, spinnerbaits and spybaits for anglers targeting fish up shallow.

“I expect it to take 21 pounds per day to make it into the Top 10 and over 24 pounds to win the one-day shootout in the Championship Round,” said Spellicy.

Anglers will take off at 7 a.m. ET each day from the Massena Intake Boat Launch, located at 1415 State Hwy 131 in Massena. Weigh-ins will also be held at the boat launch daily at 3 p.m.

The MLF NOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee, Marty Stone and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action on all six days of competition from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend the event or follow the action online through the MLF NOW! live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

Along with the launch and weigh-in, fans and community members are invited to the MLF Fishing and Outdoor Expo on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 20-21 from noon to 8 p.m. ET at the Massena Intake Boat Launch, where fans can meet the pros and check out the latest in fishing and outdoor gear. The expo includes live music, food trucks, kids’ activities, giveaways, fireworks and more.

The first 100 kids (10 and under) will receive a free rod and reel at the Expo on Saturday and Sunday and fans can register for a Polaris Sportsman 570 ATV giveaway onsite at the Expo. The winner will be drawn after the final weigh-in on Aug. 21.

In addition to the launch, weigh-ins and Expo, youth 14 and under are also invited to attend a free Kid’s Fishing Derby on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wilson Hill Causeway. Participants can bring their own fishing gear or use provided gear on a first come, first served basis and will compete for tagged fish and cash prizes.