Tackle Shack Report
Chase Fennell and Chase Laughlin made a big haul in the two-day Tackle Shack Classic held on the Detroit River last weekend.
The wind and weather muddied up the water and Lake Erie was tough rough for most anglers. Yet, a lot of good sacks were weighed in.
Fennnell and Laughlin’s 44.76 pounds garnered them the win plus they won two big bass pots to take home $5,250.
They tied for Luxx Trailer Center Big Bass the first day with Brandon and Braden Bontrager with a 6.36-pound smallmouth. They caught one the second day weighing exactly the same.
They said they looked for sand and rock veins between eel grass patches. The big fish was caught on an A-rig in 18 feet of water around noon.
On the second day, Fennel caught the giant smallmouth on a crankbait in 18 feet, again around noon.
Four Flags Report
Jeff Bostic and Dan Posey won the Four Flags Classic on a foggy Lake St. Clair last weekend.
Bostic and Posey had a two-day total of 32.63 pounds. They also had big bass for the tourney with one weighing 5.48. They caught their fish on A-rigs and drop shots.
Rick Kedik and Jake Lisenko came close to winning with 31.51 pounds. They caught their fish on drop-shot rigs and tubes.
Kevin and Lane Stewart grabbed third with two nearly identical days, weighing 13 on day 1 and 13.06 on day 2. They caught their fish on spinnerbaits and crankbaits.
Butchers Baits Report
Jeremiah Yoder and Steven Wickey won the Butchers Baits tournament on Klinger Lake last weekend.
The winners had with 10.33 pounds that also included big bass of the event with a 3.58-pound largemouth caught on a tube.
Kent Dowden finished second with 10.06 pounds caught on crankbaits.
Ben Harrison and TJ Reed were third with 9.87 pounds, caught on Senkos and drop-shot rigs.
The Classic will be on Magician Lake Oct. 15th from 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Angler and Big Bass of the Year awards will be given out after the Classic.
SMAC Report
Terry Smith and Scott Crocker used two different patterns to win the Southwest Michigan Anglers Club Classic at Lake Leelanau last weekend.
Smith and Crocker used A-rigs the first day to catch 19.11 pounds and followed that up with a 21.35-pound limit the second day caught on tubes. They won with a total of 40.46 pounds.
Crocker said he fished small swimbaits on 1/8-ounce jig heads on his A-rig. He sat on the break in about 12 feet of water and cast up on sand flats and along the break.
The second day required a change in tactics when the A-rig wasn’t doing the job.
“It was stupid,” said Smith. “The fish were up on sand flats with a few sand grass spots in no more than 3 feet of water. You had to throw the tube up and let it sit.”
They fished green pumpkin tubes with 3/16-ounce jigheads to win $1,000. They won a bonus $50 for having the biggest bass the second day, a 4.99-pound smallmouth.
“You basically had to crawl it on the bottom,” added Crocker. “If you were snapping it fast, they wouldn’t bite it.”
MLF Report
Major League Fishing announced the schedule for the 2024 Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine .
The Phoenix Bass Fishing League offers grassroots tournament anglers the best payouts, media coverage and advancement opportunities for the lowest entry fees available in the sport and provides anglers a clear path to the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats, Tackle Warehouse Invitationals and ultimately the Bass Pro Tour.
The 2024 regular season will kick off in early January at Sam Rayburn Reservoir in Brookeland, Texas, and run through late September when it wraps up at Lake Cherokee in Jefferson City, Tennessee.