Rolling into the final event of the 2025 season, and the Team of the Year Championship, six teams were in the hunt for the TOY title and $10,000!
Full Results and All Photos
https://m2fishing.net/abalivestatic.php?tid=10443
Live Feed – Weigh In and Awards
https://youtu.be/5AkLqdMrjRI
For the regular season (event #7) the decision for 1st place came down to a measly .03 LBS. Taking the win at 18.04 was the team of Roy Hawk and Mark White earning them $5,764.00. Just behind them at 18.01, which included the event big bass of 5.71 was the team of Ron and Matt Raynor, earning them $4,874.00. Kyle Grover and Garrett Howard finished 3rd with 17.10 and $954.00.
The drama did not end there! With the top six teams going out first and coming in last to weigh in, the stage was set to crown the Team of the Year and the 10K bonus.
#1 Ranked Team: Murph McBride and Mike Bird
#2 Ranked Team: Ron and Matt Raynor
#3 Ranked Team: Justin Kerr and Jay Wright
#4 Ranked Team: Dean and Ryan Yamagata
#5 Ranked Team: Ray Arbesu and Don Iglinski
#6 Ranked Team: Jonathan Schuyler and Gunner Stanton
With the #6th rank team not competing in the championship, Ray and Don stepped up to the scales and dropped a bag of 16.75 which included a 4.18 big bass taking the TOY hot seats. The Yamagata’s stepped up next needing 14.06 to take over the hot seats and just squeaked by with 14.69, ending Ray and Don’s run at Team of the Year. Next up was Justin and Jay needing 14.70. The Yamagata’s looked on no doubt thinking they were exiting the stage. Justin and Jays bag hits the scale totaling 14.48 just missing the cut; Ryan and Dean hold on!
The final two teams approach the scale! First up, the defending Team of the Year Champions and #2 ranked team coming into Championship Saturday, Ron and Matt Raynor looking to repeat. Starting out with a 5.71 big bass confidence soared for this very dangerous team. Needing only 14 pounds, the defending champs got it done with 18.01!
Then, there were two.. The #1 ranked team, Murph and Mike step to the stage finishing a day that must have been filled with endless thoughts of the elite teams trying to chase them down. As they launched 8 HRS earlier this team was defending $12,500 in TOY earnings. Needing 13.35 to take the Championship and prevent a Team Raynor repeat, Murph and Mike step up and drop 16.52 on the scale winning TOY by only a single point! For their efforts this team, in conjunction with placing 6th in event #7, took home a total of $12.810! This included the big bag of the year (23.87) for $2,500 and the TOY bonus of $10,000. In total, Murph and Mike closed the season as the 2025 all time money leaders racking up $25,414.00 in earnings! Ron and Matt for their TOY runner up finish, along with event #7 second place finish and event big bass, took home $4,874.00. Congratulations to the big bass of the year as well, Joe Cole and Bubba Oneal, a 7.93 LM and $2,500 bonus.
Hell of a season, see you all in the fall for 2026!