Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
Wednesday, October 01, 2025
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
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MLF Report
Toyota Pro Mike Raber of Elkhart, Indiana
BRANSON, Mo. -- After several frigid days of practice on Table Rock Lake, over 400 anglers welcomed a bit of a warming trend Thursday to begin the three-day competition for a top cash award of up to $235,000 at the 2023 Toyota Series Championship at Table Rock Lake Presented by Simms in Branson, Missouri.
Pro Mike Raber of Elkhart, Indiana, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 12 ounces to take the early lead after Day 1 of the three-day event. Raber holds a 1-pound, 5-ounce lead over pro Emil Wagner of Marietta, Georgia, who caught five bass weighing 16 pounds, 7 ounces, good for second place. Wagner was followed closely by local pro Brad Jelinek of Lincoln, Missouri, who weighed a five-bass limit totaling 15-12 to finish the day in third place.
After a vicious cold front swept through the Ozark region earlier in the week, warmer temperatures on Thursday seemed to be shaking things up on the Missouri fishery.
“I didn’t expect this outcome at all when I started out this morning,” said Raber. “I caught a couple fish today that were a caliber I never saw in practice, so I think the conditions are starting to change out there. Hopefully that’s going to continue throughout the tournament.
“The warmer weather today really got the fish more mobile,” Raber continued. “I caught about 10 keepers today, nothing too crazy, and not a ton of fish. I think they are pretty pressured, and bites are at a premium right now.”
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BASS Report
BASS opens
As buzz continues around the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens, B.A.S.S. officials announced increased payouts and widely expanded coverage for 2024. These enhancements not only reinforce the longstanding stability and popularity of the Opens format, but also highlight the organization's commitment to leadership in serving the bass fishing community.
Live coverage from all nine Bassmaster Opens will be streamed on Bassmaster.com, with expanded coverage for the 2024 season on FS1, FS2, Tubi and the Fox Sports digital platforms. The newly expanded live coverage on multiple platforms will allow fishing fans to follow the intense competition and see every hookset, battle and weigh-in as they get to know the sport’s rising stars.
“B.A.S.S. continues our commitment to fueling a passion for fishing by entertaining and educating fans as well as serving anglers, who pour their time and efforts into our events. We have been exploring opportunities to further support our Opens Series, and after listening to anglers, fans and industry partners, we are thrilled to announce these exciting changes,” said Chase Anderson, B.A.S.S. CEO. “Providing the best possible platform for anglers is a top priority for us, and showcasing all levels of Bassmaster tournament fishing only helps to strengthen the entire sport.”
With nearly 1 million fans tuning in to live, final-day broadcasts of three Opens tournaments on FS1 in 2023, it's clear the fierce competition and dramatic fight for Elite Series invitations resonated with viewers. In total, fishing fans eagerly devoured more than 38.8 million minutes of live Opens coverage across all platforms.
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Butchers Baits Report
Jeremy Siler and Brock Howell - 1st Place
Jeremy Siler and Brock Howell won the Butchers Baits Classic last weekend on Magician Lake by less than three-quarters of a pound.
The winners had 9.53 pounds, caught on crankbaits.
Kent Dowden - 2nd Place
They edged out Kent Dowden who had 8.89 pounds caught on a Real Deal Shad.
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LMBT Report
Chris Hubbard and Tim Lusher - 1st Place
Chris Hubbard and Tim Lusher won the Little Money Bass Tournament (LMBT) last weekend at Duke’s Bridge.
They had 12 pounds, 5 ounces caught on Chatterbaits and swim jigs.
Nate Bontrager and Dave Dowden - 2nd Place
Nate Bontrager and Dave Dowden finished second with 9-4 caught on Chatterbaits and spinnerbaits.
John Miller and Robbie Gibson - 3rd Place
Third place went to John Miller and Robbie Gibson with 8 pounds, 8 ounces. They used frogs.
Don Miles - Big Bass
Don Miles had the biggest bass, a 4-12.
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Tackle Shack Report
Brendon and Ryan Sutter - 1st Place
Brendon and Ryan Sutter weathered a horrible weather day on the St. Joseph River at 6 Span to win the annual Tackle Shack Fall Brawl.
The tournament was a benefit for Toys for Tots. Sutter said that, between monetary donations from Medix Specialty Vehicles in Elkhart and Grand Design in Middlebury, plus the raffles and 50/50 drawing, the event raised a $1,468 cash donation.
The Sutters won with four fish weighing 12.75 pounds - all largemouth.
“We started the day off with the goal of catching largemouth,” said Brendon. “We went to check some spots early, and sure enough, started pretty strong. Ryan caught our first largemouth early on a chatterbait. I caught #2 (the biggest bass of the day 3.79) shortly thereafter, also on a chatterbait.”