Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
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IBF Report
The Indian Bass Federation Youth North (IBFYN) had its third tournament of the season recently on Lake Maxinkuckee that drew 20 high school teams and eight junior teams (junior anglers are 8th grade and lower).
The IBFYN awarded trophies to the top 3 high school teams and top 3 junior teams plus a big bass trophy in each division for a total of 14 trophies.
Berkley Rhamey and Jackson Ousley - Junior 1st Place and Big Bass
Berkley Rhamey and Jackson Ousley, eighth graders at Tippecanoe Valley, won the Junior Division and had big bass (4-3) and a total weight 9 pounds, 12 ounces.
They primarily fished crankbaits in shad patterns.
Brayden Bontrager and Layton Hostetler - Junior 2nd Place
Second place went to Brayden Bontrager and Layton Hostetler from United Christian School with 8 pounds, 13 ounces caught on a topwater popper and a Zara Spook.
Kaiden and Camron (no last names provided) - Junior 3rd Place
Kaiden and Camron (no last names provided) finished third with 7 pounds.
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SMAC Report
Despite unseasonably warm water temperatures, the quality smallmouth bass of Lake Leelanau were biting pretty well last weekend in the Southwest Michigan Anglers Club’s two-day Classic.
Water temperatures hovered between 72 and 75 degrees all weekend, yet 12 teams weighed in 113 bass totaling 368.69 pounds over the two days.
Joe Sears and Eben Lambert - 1st Place - day One
Joe Sears and Eben Lambert - 1st Place - Day Two
Joe Sears and Eben Lambert used A-rigs in the north and south lakes over 9 to 10 feet to win with 39.69 pounds for two days. They pocketed $1,800.
Dan Baerwald and Kyle Learner - 2nd Place - Day One
Dan Baerwald and Kyle Learner - 2nd Place - Day Two
Dan Baerwald and Kyle Learner just missed winning with 39.50 pounds. They used their forward facing sonar skills, along with tubes and ½-ounce jigs to get finicky bass to bite in 4 to 8 feet. They also had the biggest bass of day 1 with a 5.36-pound smallmouth.
Terry Smith and Scott Crocker - 3rd Place - Day One
Terry Smith and Scott Crocker - 3rd Place - Day Two
Terry Smith and Scott Crocker landed in third with a total of 35.28 pounds. They fished topwaters and Yamamoto Hula Grubs in 3 to 9 feet.
Chuck Powell and Louie Stout had the biggest bass of the second day with a 4.71-pound smallmouth caught on a Chatterbait.
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Bill Mathews and Kris Iodice - 1st Place
Bill Mathews and Kris Iodice blew away the Butchers Baits Classic event on Gull Lake last weekend.
The duo caught an incredible bag weighing 25.02 pounds with a drop-shot rig, beating out second place by more than 10 pounds. They also had big bass, weighing 5.05, and said they caught numerous 3 and 4 pounders. They were using forward facing sonar over 40 to 80 feet of water.
They also wrapped up the Angler of Year title, edging out Gary Butcher and Scott Smith who finished second. Mathews and Iodice also had the biggest bass of the season with a 6.02 pounder.
Manny Schwartz and Dennis Hochstetler - 2nd Place
Second place at Gull Lake went to Manny Schwartz and Dennis Hochstetler who had 14 pounds by fishing crankbaits.
Jeremy Siler and Brock Howell - 3rd Place
Jeremy Siler and Brock Howell were third with 13.05, also caught on a crankbait.
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Z-man Report
Jack Gammie
Prior to paddling the sprawling waters of Lake St. Clair this past June, Australian kayak angler Jack Gammie had never caught a bass. Nor had Gammie ever cast the Z-Man bait that would soon help him entice countless heavyweight smallmouth bass and ultimately, win the 2024 Hobie World Championship.
Representing sixteen countries around the globe, including eminent ‘yak pros from China, South Korea, and Kuwait, fifty men and women qualified to enter the world championship of competitive kayak fishing via regional tournaments in their home countries.
But in many ways, the story of this year’s kayak world championship began two years ago on the shores of Sweden’s scenic Lake Vänern.
Jack Gammie
“I first met Jack Gammie at the 2022 Hobie Worlds over in Sweden,” recalls Z-Man kayak pro Ryan Lambert, a talented angler, practical joker and co-host of the Kayak Bass Nation podcast. “Ever since, he’s become like a little brother to me.”
To hear Lambert tell it, the two fun-loving anglers struck up a friendship from day one. “We were constantly goofing around, sabotaging each other’s gear— just a lot of good-natured trash talking and other mischief we always get into during these kayak derbies. The chance to meet and exchange ideas with anglers all over the world and to experience fishing from all these diverse perspectives . . . that’s what makes today’s kayak scene so cool.”
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Casting Couples Report
Brent and Jake Burgess - 1st Place
Brent and Jake Burgess beat out eight other teams Sunday in the Casting Couples Open tourney at Magician Lake.
The Burgesses had five bass totaling 11.36 pounds to take home $240. Burgess used jigs in 5-12 feet of water.
Rich Ozgood and Jake Horn - 2nd Place
Rich Ozgood and Jake Horn were second ($120) with a 9.26-pound limit. They also fished jigs.
Rick Kedik and Jake Lisenko - 3rd Place
Rick Kedik and Jake Lisenko finished third with five weighing 8.70 pounds. They also won the big bass pot ($40) with a 2.98-pound largemouth. They fished used jigs and topwaters to earn $40.
There were five limits caught for a total of 36 bass.