Cody Huff’s third place finish in the 2024 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Jockey Outdoors won him an additional $7,500 of Toyota Bonus Bucks for being the highest placing angler driving an eligible Toyota tow-vehicle. With the Classic being held on Grand Lake in northeastern Oklahoma, the rising Elite Series star was on many pundits’ list to do well.
Huff was born and raised in Ava, Missouri, just a couple of hours east of Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees and has a lot of experience fishing – and winning on – Ozark reservoirs like Table Rock and Bull Shoals. More than familiarity with fishing in this region of the country, Huff was an early adopter of forward-facing-sonar technology and is extremely adept with this style of fishing, which was expected to play a major role in the 2024 Classic outcome.
Instead of electronics and finesse tactics, Huff relied on a ½-ounce Missile Baits jig and a Rapala OG Tiny flat-sided crankbait in five feet of water or less en route to his best Classic finish to date. Showcasing the fact that this former college fishing standout can catch bass with the best of them regardless of fishing style or depth range.
“I guess I’m kinda known for catching them with FFS, but I grew up fishing down the bank with a jig and a crankbait,” Huff said with a smile. “I’m glad I was able to show that in a big event, well, the biggest event of our season. Believe it or not, I had never fished Grand Lake before practicing for this tournament, but going down the shoreline fishing visible cover each day made it feel just like springtime back home.”
Brush piles around docks and super-shallow laydowns in the backs of creeks were a focal point for Huff and his one-two power fishing punch all three days of the event. Huff is an alumni of the Bassmaster College Series Classic bracket champion program, where he won rights to a leased Toyota Tundra and Nitro Z20 Bass Boat along with the opportunity to fish in the 2020 Bassmaster Classic as a college student.
After winning not one but two MLF Toyota Series titles that year, Huff went out and bought his very own Tundra before he “graduated” from the college champion program and turned his leased truck in. He said reciprocating the support Toyota gives to the fishing industry is one of the best decisions he’s ever made and hasn’t looked back since.
“The Bonus Bucks program is incredible, but I’ll be completely honest, what made me buy my first Tundra in 2020 was simply the reliability,” Huff explained. “Whether it’s my 2020 or the 2022 Tundra I bought last year, I’ve never had a single mechanical issue. It’s just something I don’t have to worry about, which is a huge burden off my mind.
“I mean even for the Classic, our family stayed in Tulsa, so I was driving 90 minutes each way, morning and night, all week long. I never once stressed about my tow vehicle. I just jumped in the truck, put on cruise control, and tried to get my mind right to win a tournament. This truck tows my boat like it’s not there and wins me bonus money to boot.”
What’s even better is you don’t have to compete in the Classic or win “Happy Gilmore” checks like Cody Huff to reap the rewards of Toyota’s popular fishing contingency program. Bonus Bucks pays out on hundreds of bass tournament to anglers of all levels, you just must tow your boat with a 2020 or newer Toyota tow vehicle. For more information, a full list of events, or to register today follow this link: https://www.toyotatrucksbonusbucks.com/.
