Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
Wednesday, November 26, 2025
Monday, November 24, 2025
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SMAC Report
Danny Linn and Randy Starkey got their first tournament win Saturday in the Southwest Michigan Anglers Club (SMAC) at Eagle Lake.
Linn and Starkey fished crankbaits and wacky worms in 8 feet of water to catch a limit weighing 10.07 pounds.
Jeff Stankovich didn’t crack the top three, but he blew everyone away with big bass of the tournament, a 5.18-pound largemouth caught in shallow water on a Chatterbait.
Second place went to Rusty Robinson and Mike Fletcher with a 9.90-pound limit. They fished drop-shot rigs and swim baits in 14 to 18 feet.
Brad and son Clay Sterling were third with 9.61 pounds. They fished tubes and crankbaits on the flats.
There were 49 bass weighed in with 4 being smallmouth. The total weight was 94.17 pounds.
Time is running out on anglers looking to qualify for the SMAC Classic set for Burt and Mullet lakes Sept. 20-21. The next event is tonight at Corey Lake and the season finale at Juno Sept. 6. Both teammates must fish 7 events to qualify. Visit the SMAC Facebook page for details.
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BFL Report
Boater Jesse Richardson of Ligonier, Indiana, caught a five-bass limit weighing 20 pounds, 12 ounces, Saturday to win the MLF Phoenix Bass Fishing League (BFL) on the Detroit River Presented by Lew’s. Richardson edged out second-place Nicholas Seitz of Maumee, Ohio , by one ounce to win the fourth event of the season for the BFL Michigan Division. Richardson earned $3,889 for his victory.
“I went north to Anchor Bay in Lake St. Clair and knew it was going to be tough with all the pressure the water had seen lately,” Richardson said. “I knew the fish were still there, but they were finicky and tough to get to bite.”
Richardson said he focused on Anchor Bay and targeted large weed beds in 10 ½ to 12 feet of water. He said he searched for clean spots, 100 feet off of the weed beds, with forward-facing sonar and picked up wolfpacks as well as single large bass. His bait of choice was a 6-inch minnow, although a drop-shot rig tipped with a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worm accounted for a couple of keepers.
Although Richardson knew he had a decent bag, a win in his first BFL Michigan event wasn’t in his mind as he headed to weigh-in.
“I didn’t have a good practice,” Richardson said. “I did have a couple of quality fish, and I thought if I could get 20 pounds, I could maybe get a Top 10. It turns out everybody was right up there with 20 to 20 ½ pounds, but I figured somebody would have had at least 22 or 23 pounds.
“Anybody can run into giants on that fishery,” Richardson added. “It just happens.”
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MFL Report
Derek Kelley and Brad Klempay won the Michiana Fishing League tournament on Paw Paw over the weekend.
Kelley and Klempay fished Hazdong Shad baits in 10-20 feet to catch 19.88 pounds. That included a 4.68-pound smallmouth that also won them the big bass pot.
Jarrett Tighe and Tanner Hursh teamed up for second place and caught 17.08-pounds by fishing drop-shsot rigs and jigs in 10-20 feet.
John Davis and Seth Spaulding had 15.14 pounds for third. They fished jigs in 20 feet and also fished docks.
Brian Willis and Brandon Willis were fourth with 13.24 pounds.
At this point, John Davis Seth Spaulding lead the season standings with 1,222.60 points, followed by Shawn McDougal Christopher Stamm Sr with 1,013.76 and Derek Kelley Jordan Smith with 791.90.
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Casting Couples Report
All 12 teams weighed in at least one keeper bass in the Casting Couples tournament on Coldwater Lake over the weekend.
Once again, Tanner Hursh and Haley Dodd won it all. They had a limit weighing 11.08 pounds to earn $285. They also took home big bass pot ($50) with a 3.24-pound largemouth. They said they used jigs to catch their fish.
Loren and Carrie Crosbie were second ($130) with 8.68 pounds. They fished Chatterbaits and creature baits.
Third place went to Scott and Patty Smith with an 8.48-pound limit. Smith's used drop shots and forward facing sonar to earn $80.
Newcomers Jeff and Beth Jergens had a limit totaling 8 pounds for foruith. They used Senkos to win Tackle packs from Butchers Baits.
The Next Couples event is Sept. 13th at Magician Lake, 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Entry fee is $60, plus a membership. Contact Rick (269)240-4917 or on Facebook, MichianaCastingCouples.
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Arjay’s Report
Like most tournaments these days, lots of limits were weighed in at Coldwater Lake in the Arjays’s weeknighter, but big ones were hard to find.
Noah Chambers fished solo and found the right ones. He had an 11.60-pound limit and big bass of the night, with a 3.80-pound largemouth. He caught his fish by working Chatterbaits and spinnerbaits.
Maynard Hochstetler and Marvin Bontrager were second with 11.22 pounds caught on jigs and wacky worms.
Third place went to Chris Yoder and Edward Bontrager who fished jigs and topwater lures over shallow weeds. They had five bass that weighed 11.08 pounds.
Heath and George N Jody Musall were fourth with 9.06 pounds caught on drop-shot rigs and wacky worms.
The ClearH2O Tackle first out of the money spot with 8.86 pounds was won by John Miller and Ashley Gibson who fished drop-shot rigs.
The Michiana Outdoors News tackle pack for sixth with 8.54 pounds was taken by Justin and Hunter Kosmerick.
Scott and Chase Carpenter won the Jaywalker Restaurant junk fish pot with a 5.04-pound pike and the Str8-Up Mounts lucky dog pot was won by Dennis and Tobias Yoder.
Marvin Bontrager won the $50 gas cards and Doug Sanderson took home the 50/50 pot.
Arjay’s will be at Clear Lake Wednesday night.