Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
Thursday, January 08, 2026
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(Provided by Indiana DNR)
Tournament anglers who fish for largemouth bass in northern Indiana natural lakes have had no long-term negative effects on bass populations, according to a study by DNR fisheries biologists.
Biologists examined the numbers and sizes of bass caught at 22 organized events in 2011 and 2012, and compared the results to 23 events in 2001 through 2003.
Over the 10-year period, average catch rates of bass tournament anglers increased from one bass per 6.7 hours of fishing to one bass per 4.3 hours. The average number of bass brought to tournament weigh-ins increased from 1.2 per angler to 1.7.
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Top 8 winner Curtiss WernerOsceola’s Curtiss Werner captured the top individual spot in the Indiana Bass Federation Top 8 tournament on Lake Wawasee last weekend while the Potato Creek Bass Club won club honors.
Werner, fishing for the St. Joe Valley Bassmasters, caught 22.90 pounds that included big bass (4.66 pounds) the first day of the two-day event. He caught his fish on a ¼-ounce Money Mouth prototype buzzbait and earned $650.
He fished the buzzbait in channels and followed up with a Money Mouth Fish Bone stickworm (watermelon/red flake) rigged wacky style.
The top eight anglers from 11 northern Indiana bass clubs competed.
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Steven Szymczak and Jordan Felten (Osceola) won the Michiana Walleye Association Wayland Marine Walleye Challenge last weekend on the St. Joseph River at Maggies Landing.
The winners ($375) had 8.87 pounds they caught by trolling Berkley Flicker Shads along sharp breaks.
Rick and Jeremy Nichols (South Bend) were second ($188) with 7.04 pounds caught on 3/8-ounce firetiger jigs with crawlers and pink/chartreuse floaters rigged with crawlers. They were slow trolling upstream in 8 to 12 feet of water.
Ed Szymczak (Osceola) and Dallas Dunn (Indianapolis) were third ($113) with 6.76 pounds caught on Salmo F4 crankbaits (perch and firetiger) while working shallow water close to deep water. The ClearH2O Tackle Big Fish prize ($285) went to Randy Hamilton (Granger) and Dean Cates (Jimtown) with a 3.50-pound walleye.
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Fuzzy Bear wins Hoosier Coho Club tune-up.“Fuzzy Bear,” captained by Carl Stopczynsk of North Liberty, claimed the Hoosier Coho Club Pro/Am title in at Michigan City last weekend by a mere 15/100’s of a pound.
The Fuzzy Bear team, a perennial favorite in Michigan City salmon contests, edged another former winner, “Blue Fairways” (captained by Wally Laaksonen of Ludington), 156.55 points to 156.40.
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Fabiszak sets record in R&B winRon Fabiszak (South Bend) proved why he ranks among Michiana’s top anglers.
Despite fishing alone, Fabiszak set an R&B Circuit record and won the circuit’s season opener on Webster Lake last weekend.
He caught 21.44 pounds (5 fish) despite freezing temperatures, snow and high, muddy water to win $748 for first plus $344 for the Money Mouth Baits Big Bass, a 5.98-pound beast. All of his fish were caught with a chatterbait in and around lily pad fields only two feet deep. Interestingly, he was the only member of the top 5 that did not fish in the Backwaters. The victory is also the most lopsided victory in R & B history.