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Published: 03 November 2023

By Louie Stout

Not everyone can find a partner to fish a tournament, especially a weeknight and sometimes on a weekend.

Rick Kedik has an answer. He plans a “singles” tournament circuit for Michiana anglers who fish alone. There will be five, six-hour Sunday morning and five, three-hour Thursday evening events with a Classic at the end of the year.

Some tournaments will be in Indiana waters while others in Michigan. Entry fee is $50, with $5 going to big bass pot and $5 to the Classic pot. The remaining $40 goes into the event pay-out.

The to-be-named Classic will be Oct. 12-13 with a $100 entry.

The complete schedule will be listed on our Lake Drive Marine Events Calendar later this month. If you need details sooner, email Rick at rkedik13@yahoo.com.

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Published: 03 November 2023

MLF Report

Toyota Pro Mike Raber of Elkhart, Indiana

BRANSON, Mo. -- After several frigid days of practice on Table Rock Lake, over 400 anglers welcomed a bit of a warming trend Thursday to begin the three-day competition for a top cash award of up to $235,000 at the 2023 Toyota Series Championship at Table Rock Lake Presented by Simms in Branson, Missouri.

Pro Mike Raber of Elkhart, Indiana, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 12 ounces to take the early lead after Day 1 of the three-day event. Raber holds a 1-pound, 5-ounce lead over pro Emil Wagner of Marietta, Georgia, who caught five bass weighing 16 pounds, 7 ounces, good for second place. Wagner was followed closely by local pro Brad Jelinek of Lincoln, Missouri, who weighed a five-bass limit totaling 15-12 to finish the day in third place.

After a vicious cold front swept through the Ozark region earlier in the week, warmer temperatures on Thursday seemed to be shaking things up on the Missouri fishery.

“I didn’t expect this outcome at all when I started out this morning,” said Raber. “I caught a couple fish today that were a caliber I never saw in practice, so I think the conditions are starting to change out there. Hopefully that’s going to continue throughout the tournament.

“The warmer weather today really got the fish more mobile,” Raber continued. “I caught about 10 keepers today, nothing too crazy, and not a ton of fish. I think they are pretty pressured, and bites are at a premium right now.”

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Published: 30 October 2023

BASS Report

BASS opens

As buzz continues around the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens, B.A.S.S. officials announced increased payouts and widely expanded coverage for 2024. These enhancements not only reinforce the longstanding stability and popularity of the Opens format, but also highlight the organization's commitment to leadership in serving the bass fishing community.

Live coverage from all nine Bassmaster Opens will be streamed on Bassmaster.com, with expanded coverage for the 2024 season on FS1, FS2, Tubi and the Fox Sports digital platforms. The newly expanded live coverage on multiple platforms will allow fishing fans to follow the intense competition and see every hookset, battle and weigh-in as they get to know the sport’s rising stars.

“B.A.S.S. continues our commitment to fueling a passion for fishing by entertaining and educating fans as well as serving anglers, who pour their time and efforts into our events. We have been exploring opportunities to further support our Opens Series, and after listening to anglers, fans and industry partners, we are thrilled to announce these exciting changes,” said Chase Anderson, B.A.S.S. CEO. “Providing the best possible platform for anglers is a top priority for us, and showcasing all levels of Bassmaster tournament fishing only helps to strengthen the entire sport.”

With nearly 1 million fans tuning in to live, final-day broadcasts of three Opens tournaments on FS1 in 2023, it's clear the fierce competition and dramatic fight for Elite Series invitations resonated with viewers. In total, fishing fans eagerly devoured more than 38.8 million minutes of live Opens coverage across all platforms.

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