(Provided by IBF)
The first installment of the Sweet 16 is now in the records book.
The top 124 IBF anglers in the state met at Syracuse, Ind. and battled it out on Lake Wawasee and Lake Syracuse to become the first group to be known as the Sweet 16.
The 8 best Anglers and 8 best Co-Anglers will get their entry paid to the National Semi Finals, receive money to help cover their expense, discounts on rods from Denali Rods , discounts on Lowrance and Humminbird products, a $25 gift card from Cabela’s, and tackle from Yamamota Custom Baits, Strike King, Bite Me Tackle, Money Mouth Baits, and Rat-L-Trap. In all the anglers won almost $700 in tackle, gift cards and benefits and the co-anglers won over $500 in addition to the deep discounts on Denali Rods and the latest
Humminbird and Lowrance depth finders/GPS units.
Matt McCoy - Angler 1st Place
Matt McCoy - Angler 1st Place
Matt McCoy from Indianapolis and a member of the Cataract Hawg Stalkers claimed first place in the Anglers division with a two-day total of ten fish weighing 20.52 pounds. His first day total included a 4.49 pound largemouth. He caught his fish using a "stupid" tube around docks with 15-pound Seaguar line. He had Shimano reels with G-Loomis rods.
Second was Bud Tonkel with 20.12 pounds. He is from Ashley, Ind. and is a member of Angola Hawg Hunters. Dan Guard, a member of Morgan Monroe Bass Masters, Crawfordsville, Ind. was third with had 19.77 pounds while Brian Hensley, Edwardsburg, Mich., was 4th with 18.79 pounds. He is a member of the Mid Indiana Anglers.
Anderson, Ind. native Larry Myers, longtime member of the Country Bass Busters, was in the lead after the first day with 12.75 pounds which was the best stringer of the weekend for the angler division, but he fell to 5th when he only brought three fish weighing 5.44 to the scales on the second day. He had an 18.44 pound total. Nick Uebelhor of Jasper, Ind. finished 6th in his Jasper Engines wrapped boat with 17.82 pounds. He is a member of the Patoka Valley Bass Masters.
Jeremy Chase of Mishawaka, Ind., a member the St. Joe Valley Bass Masters, was seventh. He used his tin Bass Tracker to capture 8 bass weighing 17.79 pounds.
Dave Goodman with a 5.62-Pounder Caught on Day Two
Dave Goodman with a 5.62-Pounder Caught on Day Two
Eighth place went to Dave Goodman, Franklin, Ind., a member of the Hendricks County Bass Masters. He only weighed seven bass but a big bag of 11.96 on day 2 that included a 5.62 pounder, brought his total to 17.22 pounds.
Bruce Schuyler - Co-Angler 1st Place
Bruce Schuyler - Co-Angler 1st Place
Bruce Schuyler, Greenfield, Ind. captured the Co-Angler division with 23.35 pounds. That was the heaviest weight of the tournament in either division. His five fish limit of 12.85 pounds was the single day heaviest bag in either division. He belongs to the Country Bass Busters. He also fished a "stupid" tube arounds docks and a MegaBass topwater over weed beds. He used Lew’s reels on G-Loomis rods.
Other top Co-Anglers were David Hedge of Greenfield, Ind., 18.32 pounds; Neil Johnson of Fort Wayne, 16.26 pounds; Joshua Brown, Lanesville, Ind., 15.67 pounds; Chad Ellis, Brownsburg, Ind., 15.61 pounds; Jared Robinson, Vallonia, Ind., 16.08 pounds; John Monaghan, Mooresville, Ind., 14.92 pounds, and Renee Hensley, Edwardsburg, Mich., 14.70 pounds.
Big Bass on Day 1 in the Anglers division was 5.22 pounds caught by Eric Estep, a member of the Wawasee Hawg Hunters from Ligonier, Ind. Goodman caught the day 2 Big Bass that weighed 5.26 pounds. In the Co-Angler division Nick Smith from Indianapolis caught the Big Bass on Day 2 that weighed 4.24 pounds. He is a member of the P O Pluggers.
Jedidiah Foster (Ft Wayne, IN) of the Summit City Bass Masters claimed Big Bass on Day 1 and for the tournament with a 6.07 pounder.
The Anglers brought 341 fish to the scales weighing 671.82 pounds. The Co-Anglers caught 231 fish weighing 489.09 pounds. In all 572 fish were weighed in totaling 1160.91 pounds. The fish were returned to the lake alive, away from the ramp area, using release boats.
And who says tournament fishing is not a family activity? Brothers Mickey and Ralph Ross of the Peru Bass Masters both fished. There were 3 father/sons; Jeff Ellis of the Speedway 500 Bass Masters fished as well as his two sons Chad and Larry. Roger Dunaway and son Hunter of the Hoosier Hills Bass Masters both fished. Brian Fenwick and son Seth Thompson of the Aqua Bass Masters both made the State Finals. There was also a grandfather/grandson participating. James Burton of the Chelsea Bass Masters and grandson Skylar Bell both fished. For the first ever we have a husband wife combination in the highest level of the Indiana Bass Federation with both Brian Hensley and wife Renee making the Sweet 16.
2017 IBF Sweet 16
2017 IBF Sweet 16
These 16 anglers qualified for the District 10 National Semi Finals at Kentucky Lake on October 28 and 29. They will be joined by members of the Illinois Bass Federation. The Top angers and co-anglers at that event will move to the TBF Nationals in the Spring of 2018.