Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
Friday, September 26, 2025
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(Provided by BASS)
Pure Michigan, B.A.S.S. to conduct championship at Escanaba.Michigan's world-class fishing opportunities will be in the spotlight this September when the Bassmaster Elite Series heads to the Upper Peninsula for a four-day competition in Escanaba. The Bassmaster Elite Series AOY Championship tournament is part of a new partnership between Pure Michigan and Bassmaster to promote Michigan as a top destination for anglers.
In the past few years we have amplified our efforts to showcase the diversity and quality of the fishing experience here in Michigan,î said Leslie Hornung, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). This partnership with Bassmaster is a terrific way to reach anglers and highlight all we have to offer in terms of fishing, as well as an overall recreation experience.
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Captain Tony Wiatrowski and his “Break Time” crew from Bremen weighed 206.55 pounds to win the 40th annual Hoosier Coho Classic in Michigan City last weekend.
The Coho classic, the longest running fishing contest on the Great Lakes, offered a $40,000 purse and attracted 56 boats from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.
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Bob Stutzman (Mishawaka) and Carl Schnaible (Mishawaka) won the Michiana Walleye Club’s “Between the Buns Challenge” on the St. Joseph River at Maggie’s Landing last weekend.
The winners had four fish weighing 9.64 pounds, all caught near the end of the tournament. They used three-way rigs with Rapala stick baits in 10 to 11 feet of water. Their catch also included the Clear H2O Tackle Big Fish prize ($285) for a 3.55-pound walleye. They also won a bonus $50 for being the highest placing team using a Trailmaster boat trailer.
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Winners Gardenour and WareMatt Gardenour (Fort Wayne) and Josh Ware (Fort Wayne) hauled in a 17.83-pound limit of largemouth to beat out 65 other teams in the R&B Bass event on Lake Wawasee last weekend.
The winners’ fish, including a 5.02-pound largemouth, were caught in channels with a combination of reaction baits, including lipless crankbaits, jerkbaits, and jigs. Their big fish was fooled with a jig. Channels with dark bottoms were the most productive. They were awarded with $983 for the win and another $132 for the second largest bass weighed in.
Wawasee veterans Greg Mangus (Fremont) and Kevin Fletcher (Elkhart) caught 20 keepers by focusing on windy points on Lake Wawasee to finish second ($632). Their 15.21 pounds came on on Erie Darters, spider grubs, jerkbaits, and jigs, but their best fish came on a spider grub fished between 8-12 feet of water.
The father-son team of Don and Joe DiMarzio landed 12 pounds from Lake Wawasee by throwing Erie Darters on a break that fell sharp from 10-15 feet at the end of a flat. They took home $456.
Big bass – Gipson Jr. and NoeThe Money Mouth Baits Big Bass ($528) was a 6.26-pound behemoth landed by John Gipson, Jr. (Lafayette) and Tom Noe (Benton Harbor). The fish, which earned them $528, was caught on a Max Jig.
The next event is May 17 at Lake James. More details can be found at www.randbbasscircuit.com.
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Walleye Club WinnersEd Szymczak staked claim to family bragging rights last weekend during the Michiana Walleye Association's Perry's Automotive Challenge at Big Turkey Lake in Lagrange County.
The Osceola angler teamed up with Dallas Dunn (Indianapolis) to win the event with 7.64 pounds, beating out son Steven Szymczak and his partner Jordan Felton (Osceola) who had 6.86 pounds.