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Jake Lawrence’s fifth-place finish in Bass Pro Shops Redcrest 2025 on Lake Guntersville locked up an additional $10,000 payout from Toyota Bonus Bucks. The Paris, Tennessee pro was the highest finishing angler towing his boat with a 2021 or newer Toyota tow vehicle and added to his impressive pile of winnings from Toyota’s popular program.
The Bass Pro Tour rookie employed a multi-faceted approach on Lake Guntersville to propel himself up the Scoretracker, including a strong forward-facing sonar pattern for roaming and bedding bass that he couldn’t see with the naked eye during his one allotted FFS period. He bookended his ‘scope period each day with a swim jig and weedless single swimbait in hand, power fishing Guntersville’s iconic grass flats.
Well known as an expert with FFS and the latest technology, Lawrence continues to prove he is far more than an electronics guru.
“I’m 34 years old and grew up fishing without FFS,” Lawrence said, reminding would-be cynics. “I remember the first GPS I used in the boat, it was handheld, and I used it to fish offshore on Kentucky Lake. Honestly, it didn’t work nearly as well as triangulating visual clues on the bank… I can always fall back on the way I grew up fishing and I love that our hybrid format showcases that.”
Lawrence has been busy, fishing the Toyota Series-Central division on top of his BPT schedule. He’s logged three top ten finishes in just five events and thousands of miles on the road so far in 2025. We caught up with the red-hot pro to pick his brain with a few questions around his time spent on the highway driving to and from bass tournaments.
Tournament fishermen are basically part time truck drivers, what is one tip you can give for a better road trip?
Jake Lawrence (JL): “Pack your own snacks. I try to pack halfway healthy stuff like nuts, jerky, trail mix and maybe a bag of candy or two. Packing your own snacks saves you money and time on the road, but the key is to pack them somewhere out of view or easy reach in your truck. That way you aren’t grabbing a fistful every mile.”
What is your favorite gas or service station to stop during tournament travel?
JL: “I’m a sucker for a Casey’s gas station. Anytime I see a Casey’s that I can easily whip the truck and boat into, they get my business. It’s that dang pizza – it’s so good!”
What are three things you are listening to in your Tundra on the way to the lake?
JL: “1. I save my music for practice… I always have my EarPods in during practice, usually listening to classic rock but it’s across the board with me. You never know what I might be listening to.
2. I try to schedule all my phone calls for long drives. I use that windshield time to catch up on sponsor calls, talk to old friends, and family.
3. I listen (not watch, that would be dangerous) to LIVE tournament coverage that’s on a lake I’m interested in. Whether it’s an old show on the fishery I am driving towards and have a tournament on, or it’s just a lake I plan to fish in the next few weeks. I use the live show like a podcast. These shows really are a great educational tool. In eight hours of coverage there are always a few useful nuggets of information.”
You won the $10,000 Toyota Bonus Bucks reward at REDCREST… what are you going to spend that money on?
JL: “It’s funny you ask that,” Lawrence chuckled. “Leading into REDCREST my beautiful wife and I had been debating redoing the landscaping in our front yard. She wanted to go all out, while I didn’t know how I felt about all that.
“Well, she came with me to the REDCREST anglers meeting, where we saw the $10K Bonus Bucks check from Toyota. I looked at my wife and promised her if I won that Bonus Bucks money, she could have her new landscaping. I’m happy to report our front yard is in the process of a makeover right now. New shrubs, flower beds, rocks, it’s the whole shebang. Happy wife, happy life!”
