By Louie Stout
Michiana Outdoors News has received five tournament schedules – including two new circuits - for our 2025 Lake Drive Marine Events Calendar.
Those schedules will be posted in early January and we anticipate more coming over the next couple of weeks. Due to a required and lengthy website platform update, we can’t post them to the calendar until after the update is completed by our web service in early January.
Schedules and details of tournaments we received so far are listed below. We encourage other tournament directors working on their dates to review these schedules to avoid scheduling on top of them.
If you want your benefit tourney or full circuit posted, send us the info – such as what other directors provided below – to stoutoutdoors@comcast.net.
Stars and Stripes
Bill Mathews created this new circuit that doesn’t require a membership. Entry fee is $100 per team and tournaments run eight hours. Contact Mathews for details at Bassinbill96@gmail.com
Schedule:
June 8 Gull Lake 6-2
June 22 Austin Lake 6-2
July 13 Austin Lake 6-2
July 27 Gull Lake 6-2
August 10 Gull Lake 6:30-2:30
August 24 Austin Lake 6:30-2:30
13 Sticks
Randy Walls and Mark Flotow came up with this novel idea of a singles (no partner) circuit that will consist of the first 11 anglers to register. You must pre-pay the seasonal entry fee ($420) to cover all seven events. All tournaments are seven hours long and begin at first light. Contact Walls at 219-221-1109 or visit 13 Sticks Facebook page.
Schedule:
April 13 Dewart Lake
May 3 St Joe River, Maggies Landing
May 31 Hamilton Lake
June 15 Wawasee, Syracuse Ramp
July 20 Webster Lake
Aug. 9 Austin Lake
Sept. 20 Grand River
Michiana Fishing League
Michael Smith is the new tournament director for this revamped league. There is a $50 entry fee, $10 big bass pot and $5 critter pot. Hours are 6-2. Classic will be determined by a point system. Contact: MichianaFishingLeague@gmail.com
Schedule:
March 30 Webster
April 13 Lake of the Woods (Indiana)
May 4 Barbee Chain
May 18 Wawasee
June 1 Juno
June 15 Donnell
June 29 St. Joe River at Benton Harbor
July 13 Gull Lake
July 27 Kalamazoo Lake
Aug. 10 Paw Paw
Sept. 7 Corey Lake
Sept. 21 Van Auken
Oct. 4-5 Classic TBD
Four Flags
Entry fee is $80 (includes big bass pot). To qualify for the Classic, you must fish four of the regular season events. Contact Scott Solomon, 269-340-4757.
Schedule:
May 24 Diamond 6-12
June 8 Magician 6-12
June 22 Klinger 6-12
July 12 St. Joe River at Buchanan 6-12
Aug. 10 Van Auken 6:30-12:30
Aug. 23 Corey 6:30-12:30
Sept. 20-21 Classic Lake St. Clair
SMAC
Once again, SMAC (Southwest Michigan Anglers Club) will run Tuesday nighters and weekend events. Entry fee is $60 a team and you must fish seven events (includes combination of weeknights and weekenders) to qualify for the Classic. Tournament hours are yet to be determined. Contact Scott Crocker 269-591-4667 or visit Facebook page, “SMAC Fishing.”
Schedule:
May 24 Paw Paw
May 31 Magician
June 10 Eagle
June 14 Diamond
June 24 Juno
June 28 Klinger
July 5 St. Joe at Niles
July 6 St. Joe at Buchanan
July 15 Magician
July 26 Corey
July 29 Mill Pond
Aug. 9 Paw Paw
Aug 12 Diamond
Aug 23 Eagle
Aug. 26 Corey
Sept. 6 Juno
Sept. 20-21 Burt and Mullet