Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
Friday, October 10, 2025
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D&R Sports Report
Michiana anglers will get the opportunity to learn from several different pro anglers conducting seminars during the D&R Sports Center Spring Fishing and Boat Show April 18th (Good Friday) and 19th at the Kalamazoo store.
The speaker lineup includes Kevin and Jonathon VanDam, Mark Zona, James Lindner, Ish Monroe, Chad Grigsby and Justin Cooper. They will cover a variety of topics, but smallmouth bass will top the agenda.
Michiana’s Ron Nelson, a top Major League Fishing Pro, won’t be doing seminars but will be available to talk Michiana fishing and tactics.
We’ll post seminar times in a related story Thursday. Those conducting seminars and their topics include:
- Jon Vandam – Smallmouth bass tactics.
- Kevin VanDam – New Humminbird products and general fishing tactics.
- Zona – Drop-shotting with Baby Z-too and fishing the Strike King Homing Minnow.
- Lindner – Hot spring patterns and Lures for multi-species.
- Grigsby – Big Michigan smallmouth on spy baits and hair jigs.
- Cooper – Fishing summer grass for largemouth.
- Monroe – no topic was made available but he’s always eager to talk frog fishing.
Owner Randy VanDam says the store also will feature some of their biggest sales of the year in tackle and boats. Representatives of boating and fishing tackle companies also will be on hand to discuss their products.
Store hours are 9-8 Friday and 9-5 Saturday.
Call the store for any additional information, 269-372-2277.
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By JAN-MICHAEL HESSENAUER, Michigan fisheries research biologist
Now is the best time to be a bass angler on Lake St. Clair in at least the last 50 years.
Lake St. Clair in southeastern Michigan, consistently rated as a top 10 bass fishing lake by Bassmaster Magazine, is a popular destination fishery for high-level professional fishing tournaments and fishing enthusiasts from around the world.
Anglers love this opportunity to connect with nature, that feeling of a tug on the line and a beautiful fish in their hands.
This isn’t just hype – smallmouth bass are thriving in Lake St. Clair, despite the presence of invasive species, an intense fishery and other perceived or potential threats.
A new research study from the Michigan DNR Lake St. Clair Fisheries Research Station looked at this fish population to explore what might contribute to its success.
What they found might surprise even the most avid Lake St. Clair anglers.
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By Al McGuckin
Watching Wisconsin pro Adam Rasmussen drop a jig head minnow on a bass’ head 70-feet from the front deck of his Vexus is as impressive as the days of watching Brett Favre drop passes into the arms of Packer’s all-pro Donald Driver.
But when it’s time to score in tournaments you’re more likely to find Rasmussen slinging any lure with a skirt on it.
“I’m totally comfortable playing the forward-facing sonar game with my Humminbirds, but if you look at my recent wins and high finishes the past couple of seasons, there’s a jig, spinnerbait or ChatterBait involved in every one of them,” says Rasmussen.