The best anglers from the Deep South compete in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series Southern Regional tournament, presented by American Bass Anglers, on Lake Seminole today and Sunday.

Top anglers representing the Alabama North, Alabama South, Louisiana, Florida and Georgia divisions launch out of the Earle May Boat Basin Park each morning.

The weigh-ins will begin at 3 p.m. each day.

In a grueling season, the top anglers in these divisions earned the right to compete in the Southern Regional by fishing at least four one-day tournaments and a two-day divisional championship. Anglers and co-anglers compete for cash prizes and a chance to fish in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series championship tournament, presented by American Bass Anglers. The championship tournament takes place Nov. 5-6 at Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Ala.

The first-place boater will receive $5,000 and potential contingency bonuses, while the first place co-angler will receive $2,500. Twenty percent of the field is guaranteed a check. Big bass prizes are $1,000 for boaters and $500 for co-anglers.

Formed by damming the Apalachicola River, Lake Seminole offers anglers access from three states. The 37,500-acre lake straddles the Georgia-Florida line with the bulk of the lake in southwest Georgia. The Chattahoochee River forms part of the Georgia-Alabama line and feeds into Lake Seminole from the northwest. The Flint River runs up through Georgia to the northeast. Several major creeks also enter the system, giving the lake about 374 miles of shoreline.

Lake Seminole can produce double-digit largemouths. Standing timber covers about 10,000 acres of the lake. Bass also congregate around creek channels, humps, and hard-bottomed flats. Several springs seep up from the bottom, making the water relatively clear.

To fish Lake Seminole, anglers need to fish the abundant vegetation. Vast lily pad patches and hydrilla beds produce some of the best bass action in the reservoir. In the fall, anglers may find schooling bass attacking shad over numerous creek channels. When schoolies pop up, throw lipless crankbaits into the fray.

The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series is sponsored by Triton Boats, Mercury Marine, Royal Purple, ProBass Networks, BioEdge, Rejuvenade and Carlisle Tire. For more information on this tournament, see www.americanbassanglers.com.

The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series provides weekend anglers a professionally operated competitive tour with a path the world championship of bass fishing, the Bassmaster Classic. American Bass Anglers commitment is to provide low-cost, close-to-home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression.

For more information about American Bass Anglers and the American Fishing Tour, The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series, The American 150 Series or the American Couples Series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.