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Gary Butcher and Scott Smith won big on Portage Lake last week in the Arjay’s Weeknight Tournament Trail.
Butcher and Smith had five bass weighing 13.56 for first place and also took home the Jaywalker’s Junk Fish prize with a dog fish weighing 6.90 pounds.
The winners used Butcher Baits’ Custom Stick Baits.
John Gipson and Kris Iodice sacked 13.31 pounds to win the R&B Circuit tournament on Diamond Lake last weekend.
New Tackle for 2021
Meet the Blade Krate, a unique, specialized storage system designed to finally give anglers organization satisfaction for any arsenal of bladed and skirted lures.
Featuring 21 Zerust-infused anti-corrosion plastic folders designed to hang 2 lures each via integrated clips, all hooks, skirts, and blades are individually protected and preserved in removable billfold-style clams for tangle-free storage.
Featured Videos
| Top 6 NED RIG Mistakes | Jon VanDam: The Versatile Stick Worm |
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| Zona Details An Easy Way to Tie a FG Knot | In-Depth A-Rigs with Mike Raber! |
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Repairman Shares Views and Offers Advice for Getting More Life Out of Fishing Reels
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By Louie Stout
If you’re shopping for a reliable spinning reel, choose Daiwa. And if you’re after a quality baitcaster, choose Shimano.
That’s the opinion of a Michiana reel service provider who sees about 200 reels a year.
Given the popularity of Shimano spinning reels, one might think just the opposite.
But John Meyer, the reel repairman for Clear H2o Tackle who works from his home in Edwardsburg, Mich., says he sees fewer problems with Daiwa spinning and Shimano baitcasters.
“Regardless of what dollar-wise you’re going to invest, those two are probably the best and most reliable that I see,” he said. “I don’t see a lot of difference in the brands of reels, but those two seem to be best.”
Even so, he said that paying $500 for a reel is overkill. Based upon what he sees inside the reels that he repairs, a $150-$200 baitcast or spinning reel are pretty good quality. Reels built today, he added, are better than those some 20 years ago.
Spawning Bluegills, Crappies Await Holiday Anglers
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Holiday Fishing Report
By Louie Stout
Panfishermen can expect a banner holiday weekend assuming the weather is stable.
If you're fishing Michigan this weekend, you won’t need a license as the state will celebrate a free fishing weekend Saturday and Sunday for both residents and non-residents.
Bluegills and crappies are biting just about everywhere, with both species spawning shallow on some lakes. Things could slow down a bit with Friday’s cold frot but fishing should still remain pretty good over the holiday.
Crappies typically spawn earlier, but area baitshops report anglers still finding good crappies in the spawning mode.
Bluegills began moving onto beds on the shallow, darker lakes last week and should be in full force on most lakes by the weekend since we will be under a full moon beginning today.
“It doesn’t matter where you go, the fishing is good everywhere down here,” said Bonnie Kelley of Kelley’s Bait in Lakeville, Ind.
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