Jim Molnar, Jr. and Sr. (South Bend) won the Michiana Walleye Association Shelton’s Markets Challenge last weekend on the St. Joseph River at Buchanan with 8.28 pounds.
The winners ($319) caught their fish by trolling Storm Smash Shads and pulling Slow Death Livebait Rigs with crawlers along the edge of the river channel. The team keyed on an area that had small humps on the bottom that the fish were using as current break due to the high, fast water from all the rains. They also captured the ClearH2O tackle Big fish Award with a 2.71-pound walleye that earned them an additional $240.
Dwight Jones (Mishawaka) and Dallas Dunn (Indianapolis) were second ($159) with 6.91 pounds caught by pitching chartreuse jigs with leeches around current breaks and structure. Mike Rhoades (South Bend) and Randy Gaines (Chester, W.V.) were third ($96) with 6.46 pounds by pitching jigs to current breaks with crawlers in 9-10 foot of water.