Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
Wednesday, October 01, 2025
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
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SMAC Report
Anglers using forward facing sonar (FFS) dominated the Southwest Michigan Anglers Club (SMAC) season opener on Paw Paw Lake.
Three of the top five finishers were using the technology and fished alone.
Brandon Eaton - 1st Place
Brandon Eaton fished alone to catch five smallmouth weighing 17.58 pounds. He fished deep with swimbaits to catch suspended smallmouth.
Bradley Eaton - 2nd Place
Bradley Eaton also fished alone to finish second with 16.71 pounds of smallmouth. He fished swimbaits in 30 feet while using FFS.
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Butcher Baits Report
Eric and Doug Sanderson - 1st Place
Eric and Doug Sanderson won the Butcher Baits tournament on Klinger Lake last Saturday.
The Sandersons had 10.57 pounds caught on spinnerbaits. They also won the big bass pot with a 4.10-pound largemouth.
Brian Miller and Jason Schwartz - 2nd Place
Brian Miller and Jason Schwartz fished drop-shot rigs to finish second with 10.16 pounds.
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By Louie Stout
Kevin VanDam
Leave it to Kevin VanDam to leave an exclamation point in the last tournament of his amazing pro career.
As you may recall, KVD retired at the end of the last Pro Bass Tour season. However, his 2023 season qualified him for the Redcrest, the Pro Bass Tour’s (PBT) season championship, and the Heavy Hitters Tournament.
The Heavy Hitters Tournament held last week on Lake Kissimmee in Florida is a stand-alone event that attracts the top 30 PBT big bass catchers from the previous season.
It was KVD’s career finale.
He didn’t win the tournament, but he finished fourth and won $100,000 for catching the biggest bass in the tournament, a 7-12 largemouth.
His fourth-place finish, combined with the big bass prize, won him $118,000 which was more than tournament winner Jordan Lee, who won $100,000.
That concludes KVD’s 33-year career tournament winnings in both Bassmaster and PBT events at $7,216,370. Those include 29 tournament victories, 122 top 10 finishes, four Bassmaster Classic wins and eight Angler of Year titles.
While his tournament career has ended, VanDam will launch a new career, hosting his own television show, “The VanDam Experience,” on the Outdoor Channel this winter.
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By Louie Stout
A St. Johns, Ind. man faces several charges related to an alledged cheating incident during an Illinois bass tournament.
According to a story published in the Chicago Sun-Times, David Moore was charged by Illinois Conservation officers with attempting to commit theft, possession over the daily limit of three smallmouth bass, failure to immediately release smallmouth bass unharmed, taking and possession of smallmouth bass resulting in wanton waste, throwing fishing wire on bank waters, and importing Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS)-susceptible species into Illinois without a permit.
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LMBT Report
John Gipson and Ken Holder - 1st Place
John Gipson and Ken Holder teamed up to win the Little Money Bass Tournament last weekend on Lake Tippecanoe.
Gipson and Holder had 15 pounds, 10 ounces caught on Senkos and jigs.
Mark Lester and Ruben Leon - 2nd Place
Second place went to Mark Lester and Ruben Leon with 15-1. They also won the big bass pot with a 4.50-pound bass.
Dave Dowden and Don Miles - 3rd Place
Dave Dowden and Don Miles were third with 14-2. They used Senkos and worms.
The next tournament is June 8th at Paw Paw Lake. For details, visit the Lake Drive Marine Events Calendar on this website.