Arjay’s Report
Gary Butcher and Scott Smith pocketed $1,500 to win the Arjay’s Classic last weekend under tough conditions on the Kalamazoo River.
The river fished a lot tougher than it did for anglers who practiced. The wind changed directions throughout the day and the water color was chocolate-like. Five of the 20 anglers failed to catch a keeper bass.
Butcher and Smith had a limit weighing 13.02 pounds that included a 3.10-pound smallmouth for the second biggest bass ($200) of the tournament.
Shawn McCann and Mike McCann were second ($1,250) with a 9.28-pound limit while Ryan Hershberger and Dale Raber were third ($1,000) with five fish weighing 8.88 pounds.
Other money finishers were Charlie Fouts and Ray Lohr ($750) with four bass weighing 7.80 pounds, Joe and Cole Long ($650) with three fish weighing 7.28 pounds, Steve Martin and Amy Martin ($400) with four weighing 6.22 pounds, and seventh place ($300), Scott Carpenter and Brandon Flowers, with two weighing 6.20 pounds.
Carpenter and Flowers also had the biggest bass of the tourney ($300), a 4.32-pound smallmouth while the Longs had the third biggest ($100) with a 2.92-pound smallmouth.
Eight place ($200) was Heath and George Musall with three weighing 5.74 pounds, ninth ($150) Robert Hagen and Brandon Kauffman with three weighing 5.58 pounds, 10th place ($100) Todd Mason and Edie Wilkinson with two weighing 4.24 pounds.
Jared Yoder and David Ringler were 11th with two weighing 4.16 pounds to win the Clear H2O gift cards and Hunter Eckert and Dylan Jordan had two weighing 2.78 pounds to also receive Clear H2O gift cards.
The Martins won the Junk Fish pot, $50 and a $20 Jaywalker gift certificate, with a 13.32 pound carp!
D&R Sports gift cards went to Eric and Doug Sanderson for one bass weighing 2.20 pounds for 13th place, John and Ashley Miller (14th) with one fish weighing 1.96 pounds for and Joshua Leonard and Justin Groff (15th) with one weighing 1.64 pounds.
Places 16 and 17 also received D&R Sports gift cards while 18-20 received 9K Elite gift cards.