Gipson (left) and Hahaj show off winning catch.Justin Hahaj (Bridgman, MI) and John Gibson, Jr. (Lafayette, IN) targeted cruising fish in shallow water to bring a mixed bag of largemouth and smallmouth weighing 13.49 pounds and win the R&B Circuit event on Austin Lake near Kalamazoo.
Most of the fish they caught they saw beforehand, but only 1 out of every 5 they saw bit. Most fish fell for a Jackall flick shake worm in both the Cola and green pumpkin color schemes. A handful of fish also were tricked by a green pumpkin jig. They earned them $746 for beating 46 other teams.
Xtreme Bass Tackle tubes (Canadian Mist Hybrid color) caught a mixed bag of smallies and largies for Andy Buss (North Liberty) and Mark Fennell (Lagrange) who were second ($472) with 12.86. The tubes were paired up with D's Lures 5/16-ounce tube jigs and worked slowly in barren areas on the flats. Also fooled on tube was the Money Mouth Baits Big Bass, a 4.79- pound smallmouth that earned them an additional $376.
Dan Powell (Rome City) and Charlie Compton (Kendallville) weighed an 11.88-pound limit for third ($348) by slowly working a 1/16-ounce slider jig paired up with green pumpkin and cotton candy Zoom centipedes. All of their fish came from one weedbed.
Bryan Seymour (Goshen) caught the second biggest fish of the day, a 4.39-pound largemouth, worth $94. The fish was tricked on an Ernie B's tube.
CJ McCafferty (Fort Wayne) and Tom Osbun landed a 4.03-pound largemouth to win a tackle pack provided by C Flash.