Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
- Details
p>Best Catch Report
Randy and Marti Walls - 1st Place
Randy and Marti Walls won the Best Catch Couples Classic last weekend on a wind-blown Muskegon Lake.
Mark and Bobbie Flotow - 2nd Place
The winners had 12.01 pounds while Mark and Bobbie Flotow were second with 12 pounds and they also had the biggest bass, a 3.06 pounder.
Rosemary and Marshall Dixon were third with 4.11 pounds.
Best Catch Couples announced the group will return next year with another circuit for teams consisting of a man and woman. Details will be announced later.
- Details
Arjay’s Report
Ben Harrison and Ryan Miller - Winners
Ben Harrison and Ryan Miller (subbing for Hunter Zona) won the Arjay’s Classic Tournament Saturday on Gull Lake near Kalamazoo.
The winners had 12.56 pounds including the second largest bass of the tournament, a 2.92-pound largemouth. They caught their fish in 40 feet of water on jigs, drop-shots and creature baits. They won $1,600 for first and another $200 for second big bass.
Jeremy Bunnell and Louie Stout - 2nd PlaceJeremy Bunnell and Louie Stout were second with 9.04 pounds that included the third largest bass, a 2.24 pounder. They caught their fish on Yamamoto Hula Grubs in 22 to 26 feet of water. They won $1,300 and a bonus $100 for third big bass.
- Details
By Louie Stout
Berrien Springs’ Ron Nelson
It was believed for years that any angler coming out of Michiana would be handicapped if he pursued a fulltime pro bass fishing career.
After all, our short fishing seasons and small natural lakes are drastically different than the massive southern impoundments where most pros live and the events are held.
But along came Kalamazoo’s Kevin VanDam who proved it could be done and went on to become the most successful pro bass angler in the history of the sport.
Berrien Springs’ Ron Nelson is no Kevin VanDam, but he’s proving that area waters are viable training grounds for someone with enough passion, desire and skills to claw their way to the top.
After winning the FLW Tour Rookie of Year last season, Nelson earned this year’s FLW Angler of Year title. His $94,500 earnings this year pushed his career earnings to $490,165 that includes his minor league earnings since he launched his FLW career in 2013.
And like VanDam, Nelson attributes his Michiana fishing experiences to his success while fishing around the country.
- Details
MLF Report
Major League Fishing (MLF) and FLW has announced the 2021 Toyota Series schedule, highlighted by a smaller Championship field while continuing to offer a $200,000 first-place payout and $10,000 bonuses to the highest-finishing pro from each division.
Anglers who finish in the top 25 in each division's Angler of the Year (AOY) standings will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning $200,000 cash, plus lucrative contingency bonuses like the $35,000 FLW Phoenix bonus offered this season. The winning co-angler at the championship earns a $33,500 Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat (or comparable model) with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The win-and-you're-in format guarantees that anglers are never out of contention to qualify for the Championship - if they win a Toyota Series tournament, they will be on their way to the Championship along with the top 25 pros and co-anglers from each division.
- Details
Casting Couples Report
Teams new to Casting Couples made a big impression at Gull Lake a week ago.
Travis and Reagan Terry (Kalamazoo) - 1st Place
The father/daughter team of Travis and Reagan Terry (Kalamazoo) was the only team with a limit, catching five weighing 12.33 pounds to win $215. They used drop shot rigs and jigs in 30 feet of water.
Jake and Stephanie Lisenko (South Bend) - 2nd Place
Second place ($110) went to Jake and Stephanie Lisenko (South Bend) with three bass weighing 5.70 pounds. They also used drop-shots.
Kate and John Sohlden (Midwest, Mich.) - 3rd Place
Kate and John Sohlden (Midwest, Mich.) were third ($60) with two fish weighing 4.44 pounds. They used Yamamoto grubs in 15 feet.
Joe and Amy Fedewa (Lansing, Mich.) - Big Bass
Big bass ($55) went to Joe and Amy Fedewa (Lansing, Mich.) with a 3.04 pound largemouth caught with a topwater on the first cast of the morning.
Casting Couples will host an open tournament (any pairings to include two men or couples) Saturday on Diamond Lake. Entry fee is $50, Contact Rick Kedik, 269-240-4917.