Details

Published: 03 October 2024

LMBT Report

Ken Holder and John Gipson - 1st Place

Following the birds and baitfish led Ken Holder and John Gipson to the Little Money Bass Tournament Classic title at Gull Lake last weekend.

Holder and Gipson nearly doubled the weight of second place with their 22 pound, 9 ounce catch. They caught their fish by fishing ¼-ounce Strike King Bitsy Bug and Strike King Swim Jigs with three-inch swim bait trailers.

They also had the biggest bass of the tourney with a 5 pound, 9 ouncer.

“We couldn’t get a bite from the fish we saw on LiveScope,” says Holder. “We went five hours without a bite, but then started following the seagulls around. The smelt were popping near the surface and so we started fishing jigs near the top.“

John Federnok and Mike Haas - 2nd Place

John Federnok and Mike Haas were second by fishing wacky worms on docks. They had 12 pounds, 11 ounces.

Dan Rowell and Kent Reese - 3rd Place

Dan Rowell and Kent Reese were third with 11-14. They said they fished 12 to 20 feet with tubes, swim jigs and swimbaits.

Details

Published: 02 October 2024

R&B Report

B.A.S.S Report

Bassmaster

The popularity of the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN and Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers series has surged over the past two years. Today, B.A.S.S. announced enhancements to both properties that it believes will inspire even more anglers to compete for the opportunity to walk across bass fishing’s biggest stage.

Beginning with the 2025 season, the Opens will evolve into an eight-event season comprised of two divisions, each featuring four tournaments. Anglers placing in the Top 50 in each division’s Angler of the Year race will advance to the newly installed Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers series. This stand-alone series will feature three events, spanning from September through November, to qualify anglers for the Bassmaster Elite Series.

“This is a great step for the Opens and a giant leap for the EQs,” said Executive Director of Tournaments Hank Weldon. “While the existing format fielded well-rounded anglers who were prepared to fish against the best in the world, it also left competitors who found themselves out of the running for Elite Series qualification locked into the remainder of the nine-event season. This modification will allow an angler to commit to just four Opens (or all eight if they want additional opportunities) and then decide to move on to the all-new and separate EQ series if they qualify.”

In addition to the 100 anglers qualifying from both divisions of the Opens, all current Bassmaster Elite Series anglers will be eligible to compete in the Elite Qualifiers, as well as the second- and third-place finishers from the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance.

“From an Elite Series standpoint, the model is extremely attractive. For the guys who failed to requalify, it offers an immediate opportunity to get back to bass fishing’s biggest stage. For those Elites who failed to qualify for the Classic, it offers three more opportunities to earn a ticket to the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing, as well as a place for any Elite pro looking for additional top-tier events to keep sharpening their skills in the fall,” Weldon said.

B.A.S.S. remains committed to the “win and you’re in” concept for the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic. Anglers who fish an entire Division of the Opens will receive a berth to the Classic if they win an event. The same applies to the three-event EQ series, taking the total to 11 berths, which is an increase of two berths from years past.

Also new for 2025, the number of anglers who will qualify for the Elite Series has been increased to 10 (nine qualified in each of the past two years). Co-anglers will continue to have the opportunity to fish the Opens. However, there will be no co-anglers for the EQ series. Additionally, the EQ series rules will mirror those of the Elite Series.

Entry fees for each Opens event will remain at $2,000 for the Opens pros and $475 for the co-anglers. EQ entry fees will be $3,500 per event.

The full season of the Opens will be announced in October, while the EQ series schedule will not be announced until later in the year.

Details

Published: 02 October 2024

R&B Report

John Gipson and Justin Hahaj - 1st Place

John Gipson and Justin Hahaj captured the R&B Starboard Choice Marine Classic on the St. Joseph River at Benton Harbor, Mich. over the weekend.

Gipson and Hahaj caught 17.29 pounds of smallmouth to win $700. They used jigs, tubes, and 5-inch swimbaits. 

The weights fell significantly after that catch as Gipson said the bite was slow and noted the water temperature was 70 degrees, well above normal for that time of year.

Ken Holder and Arron Brubaker were second ($300) with four smallmouth weighing 8.52 pounds caught on tubes. 

Tom Bell and Andrew Glass - 3rd Place

Tom Bell and Andrew Glass won the $100 Bass Pro Shops Gift Card donated by Mike Czajkowski Builders for third place with two smallmouth for 6.80 pounds. They also took big bass ($100) with a 5.53 giant caught on a whopper plopper first thing in the morning. 

Brian Suza and Ed Madison - 4th Place

Brian Suza and Ed Madison were fourth and also won the Czajkowski gift card for fourth place with two smallmouth that weighed.46 pounds, caught on soft plastics.