BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

MASSENA -- Despite major rule and scheduling changes that originally entirely omitted Massena, Major League Fishing is slated to return twice in 2027 with two premier series. 

Massena and Major League Fishing have become synonymous over the last decade, with the fishing league bringing numerous tournaments to the town, including an annual BFL, the Toyota Series, Tackle Warehouse Series and Bass Pro Tour. 

MLF announced a number of changes in recent weeks, including the dissolution of four divisions in the BFL realm. 

Of the four divisions lost was the Northern Division, which included Massena. 

BFLs also changed to a team format, as opposed to the original boater and co-angler model. 

As for the Toyota Series, Massena originally lost its date to Lake Erie and was omitted from the original schedule. 

The changes led to Massena seeing a tournament added in August, bringing the amateur division back to the North Country. 

The tournament will be held Aug. 18-20, with anglers not allowed to use forward facing sonar on one of the most challenging fisheries in the nation.

Massena Sport Fishing Director Don Meissner told North Country This Week the decision to bring the Toyota Series back gives local anglers a platform to compete against some of the nation's best. 

"With the changes MLF has put in place we are excited to have one of the premier series return to Massena. The Toyota Series has been a competitive series for a long time and has seen a number of spectacular finishes in recent years. We're very excited to continue our relationship with Major League Fishing," he said. 

MLF officials said the Toyota Series is now a solo format, with restricted forward facing sonar in two of four tournaments in each division. 

The series will also feature an increased payout scale, with the top award of up to $102,500, including the $35,000 Phoenix MLF bonus at 150 boats, scaling up to $110,000, including the Phoenix MLF bonus at 225 boats, and a guaranteed $56,000 first-place payout, regardless of field size or Phoenix MLF Bonus, officials said. 

These changes represent one of the biggest evolutions in Toyota Series history,” said Major League Fishing co-founder and CEO Boyd Duckett. “We didn’t want to simply increase payouts or tweak the format – we wanted to rethink what this circuit could be." 

MLF officials said the changes came after receiving significant feedback from anglers who sought more flexibility, more opportunities and "more certainty that their investment would be rewarded." 

"The 2027 Toyota Series reflects that feedback by creating a circuit that offers meaningful earning potential, multiple ways to qualify and a clearer path to the highest levels of professional bass fishing," Duckett said. 

While some believe local anglers would struggle to remain competitive against professional anglers, Gouverneur native Jesse Spellicy proved even a weekend warrior can go toe-to-toe with the best. 

Spellicy secured victory in this year's Toyota Series event at the Massena Intake with a late charge on day three that saw him bring his tournament best 23 pounds 6 ounces to the scales. 

Spellicy beat second place finisher Louis Monetti by 13 ounces to secure the $73,689 payday.