One of the biggest perks for anglers who compete in the annual Toyota Trucks Bonus Bucks Owners Tournament is the opportunity to meet Toyota pros Michael Iaconelli, Terry Scroggins, Gerald Swindle and Kevin VanDam. These bass superstars take time to chat with virtually every angler who registers the night before the tournament.
The pros also make themselves available during the complementary dinner that follows registration. On tournament morning, they are on the dock to greet every team that passes through boat inspection just prior to take-off.
The take-off for the 2018 Toyota Owners Tournament took place at Bass Pro Shops Long Creek Marina on Table Rock Lake. The rising sun lit up the wooded hills that surround the lake in spectacular autumn colors.
High-fives between the teams and the pros were common as the boats passed though inspection. Many anglers snapped photos and took videos of the pros along the way.
“We’ve been to all of the Toyota Owners Tournaments,” Scroggins said, referring to the four of them. “Many people have come to several of these events. We’ve gotten to know them and they’ve gotten to know us.”
The pros know some of the anglers well enough that they poked fun at their baits during take-off. One or two of the pros occasionally hopped into a boat prior to take-off to jest with the anglers. While the fishing is competitive, the mood is light-hearted.
The Toyota pros participate in four to five family-oriented Toyota events every year, Scroggins pointed out.
“This is the seventh year for the Owners Tournament,” Iaconelli said. “The first one was in North Carolina. It’s competitive, but it’s got more of a family reunion feel, which is really cool. You see more families here than at any other tournament. It’s about like-minded people from all over the country coming together to have a good time.”
Toyota works hard to make their Owners Tournament a fun event, VanDam said. It is intended to show appreciation to anglers who tow their boats with Toyota trucks.
“Toyota truck owners get to compete for Bonus Bucks in their own area, plus they get to fish this tournament for no entry fee,” VanDam said. “They get a bunch of free swag and have a chance to win the $5,000 first prize.”
VanDam added that families who come to the Toyota Owners Tournament at Table Rock could visit Branson, check out Big Cedar Lodge, Dogwood Cannon and many other sights.
“Overall, it’s just a lot of fun for everybody,” VanDam said. “That’s why Toyota chooses to do it and chooses to do it here at Table Rock.”
