By Lee Duracz

Good weather and big bass showed up for the Polar Bear Circuit’s fourth event at Duke’s Bridge (Waldron Chain) last weekend.

Thirteen boats competed and nine weighed limits with five teams breaking the 15-pound mark and several came in with 10 pounds or more.

Eben Lambert and Floyd Wolkins 1st Place

First place went to Eben Lambert and Floyd Wolkins who smashed the all-time Polar Bear record with a 19.78-pound bag anchored by a 4.32-pound largemouth. They worked blade baits on deep drop-offs to win $250.

Chase Fennell and Josh Bradenburger 2nd Place

Chase Fennell and Josh Bradenburger were second ($150) with 17.30 pounds caught on blade baits in slightly shallower depths than the winners. Their biggest fish was 4.44 pounds.

Steve Kline and Aaron Likens 3rd Place

Local favorites Steve Kline and Aaron Likens were third ($55) with 16.04 pounds, also caught on blade baits.

Jeremy Bunnell and Lee Duracz Big Bass Award

The big bass award ($65) went to Jeremy Bunnell and Lee Duracz with a 5.32-pound largemouth caught on a Ned rig along a weed edge.

Steve and Amy Martin won Critter Pot

The super fishing couple Steve and Amy Martin won the critter pot ($65) for a 5.74-pound carp.

Tournament officials offer special thanks to Jim Young and Eben Lambert for their extraordinary efforts in fish care. Some of the released fish that were caught in deep water struggled to swim down and away from the weigh-in, so Young and Lambert collected all the fish and used their “fizzing” skills to get the fish up-righted where they could swim away. They spent an hour reviving more than a dozen struggling bass, and when they finished, all of the fish swam away from the bank and in healthy condition.

The final regular season event is set for Sunday Dec. 8th at Lake Maxinkuckee. The tournament is a make-up due to an earlier postponement due to bad weather.

Tournament hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Eastern)

The Trifecta pot has not been hit all season, therefore somebody who is entered into the option pot at this event will take home the money from the Previous 4 events that now totals $235.