By MLF Communications Staff
CALVERT CITY, Ky. – The Major League Fishing (MLF) Bass Pro Tour continues its 2025 season this week at Kentucky Lake in Calvert City, Ky. Competition days are Thursday through Sunday.
The tournament will feature the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which anglers catch as much weight as they can each day, while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the ScoreTracker leaderboard.
Although MLF has hosted more than 250 tournaments on Kentucky Lake across its various circuits – making it the most frequented fishery in MLF history – this marks the first time the Bass Pro Tour will visit this iconic venue. Several anglers competing in the event have already found past success on Kentucky Lake. Jake Lawrence captured back-to-back Toyota Series wins in 2023 and 2024, while Anthony Gagliardi, Jeremy Lawyer and Dave LeFebre have each earned over $100,000 in tournament winnings on the fishery across various circuits in the past.
Kentucky Lake has also delivered some standout big-bass moments, including a 9-pound, 9-ounce giant caught by Cole Floyd, an 8-8 landed by Lawrence, and a 7-8 reeled in by Matt Becker over the years.
With the Bass Pro Tour making its long-awaited debut on Kentucky Lake, local pro Lawrence said he is particularly excited to see the national spotlight return to a fishery he knows well – and believes is on the rebound.
“I’m really looking forward to finally being able to showcase the new Kentucky Lake on a level like the Bass Pro Tour,” Lawrence said. “Our lake has gone through cycles over many years, and we’re currently on the high end of the upswing.”
According to the rookie angler – who’s first Bass Pro Tour season is off to a strong start, with four top-10 finishes in his first five events, including a win on Lake Chickamauga – the lake’s resurgence in recent years has been significant, not just in largemouth numbers, but in smallmouth growth as well.
“Everything is still growing. A lot of new populations have formed in the last couple years across all species,” he explained. “Our smallmouth population has really come back strong over the past five years, and it fishes entirely differently from the past 15 to 20 years.”
The timing of the event could play into the hands of versatile anglers, with seasonal transition and changing conditions opening the door to a range of tactics.
“We’re in that late-spawn, early post-spawn period, so fish will be doing a little bit of everything,” Lawrence continued. “There’s going to be a lot of different techniques in play. It’ll be fun to see everyone find their own path on what this fishery gives us that week.”
Lawrence emphasized that water level will be a critical factor.
“We’ve been getting a ton of rain lately, and the water level is absolutely going to dictate how the fishery shows out – and what patterns are going to dominate,” he noted.
Having already found success at Kentucky Lake with Toyota Series wins in 2018, 2023, and 2024, Lawrence understands the lake’s potential better than most.
“I've been very fortunate here. To go back-to-back in 2023 and 2024 was special, and I think this lake is going to surprise a lot of people,” he said. “I expect a ton of bass to be caught. With the 1-8 minimum scoreable weight next week, there’s going to be a high volume of catchable, scoreable fish. I’d guess the top five or eight anglers each day will be up around the 60-pound mark.”
He added that while it’s tough to nail down weights too far in advance, 35 to 45 pounds per day should typically be enough to advance through each round.
Anglers will launch at 7:15 a.m. CT from the Kentucky Dam Marina, located at 466 Marina Drive in Gilbertsville. The takeout will be held at the same location beginning at 3:45 p.m. daily.
The MLFNOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on all four days of competition from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. MLFNOW! will be livestreamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.
