Arjay’s Report
Ben Harrison and TJ Reed walked away with the Arjay’s Weeknight derby at Clear Lake last Wednesday.
Harrison and Reed only caught six keepers but they were the right kind. They were fishing deep, targeting fish with Garmin LiveScope, and said they were jigging over the fish.
Only four limits were caught among the 20 teams.
Steven and Kevin Wickey finished second with 13.48 pounds caught in the last 1/2 hour by fishing frogs shallow.
Seth and Scott Spaulding were a distant third with 8.72 pounds. They fished docks.
Fourth place with 8.06 pounds went to Jared Yoder and David Ringler. They said they fished wacky worms.
The ClearH2O Tackle first out of the money spot for fifth with 8.52 pounds was won by Timothy Eicher and Jeremiah Yoder. They also won the the Tackle Shack LLC Big Bass prize with a 5.24-pound largemouth.
The Michiana Outdoors News tackle pack for sixth place with 7.70 pounds was won by Ray Lohr and Charlie Fouts while the Jaywalker Restaurant junk fish pot was won with a pike by Scott and Chase Carpenter.
Wednesday’s Arjay’s season finale will be Tackle Shack Night at Klinger. Side pots will include $50 Tackle Shack gift cards and drinks and chips will be available at weigh-in. Visit Michiana Outdoors News Lake Drive Events Calendar for more info.
SMAC Report
Terry Smith and Scott Crocker went old school at Magician Lake Tuesday night to win the Southwest Michigan Anglers Club weeknighter.
Smith and Crocker said they couldn’t get a shallow bite, so they moved to the breaks and fished Yamamoto Hula Grubs in 9 to 12 feet of water to catch 10.39 pounds.
John Davis and Seth Spaulding fished deeper with drop-shot rigs to catch 10.14. Their catch included big bass of the tourney, a 2.72-pound largemouth. They said they fished drop-shot rigs in 15 to 35 feet.
Conner and Ron Pickens were third with a 9.75-pound limit. The father-son team fished drop-shot rigs in 10 to 20 feet.
The next tournament is the season finale on Sept. 9 at Juno Lake. Visit the Michiana Outdoors News Lake Drive Events Calendar for details.
MLF Report
Major League Fishing (MLF) announced today the schedule for the sixth season of professional bass fishing’s most competitive circuit – the 2024 Bass Pro Shops Bass Pro Tour.
The 2024 season will showcase the world’s top professional bass anglers competing across seven regular-season tournaments for millions of dollars, valuable points in the Bally Bet Angler of the Year race, and qualification into REDCREST 2025 and the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event.
“We are proud to roll out a schedule with seven new destinations that have never before hosted a Bass Pro Tour event,” said Kathy Fennel, MLF Executive Vice President & General Manager. “Our MLF tournaments create exciting and compelling content for our fans and sponsors. This schedule shines a light on some locations that haven’t hosted a major bass-fishing tournament in some time. The stage is set for a very exciting 2024 season.”
Arjay’s Report
Steven Wickey fished alone last Wednesday yet managed to win Arjay’s Weeknight tourney on the St. Joseph River at 6 Span Bridge, east of Elkhart.
Wickey only had 5.94 pounds on a tough night of river fishing. He used jigs to seal the victory.
Justin and Hunter Kosmerick made it close with 5.86 pounds for second. They used spinnerbaits.
Butchers Baits Report
Gary Butcher and Scott Smith fished shallow to win the Butchers Baits Sunday League at Portage Lake.
The duo had 13.20 pounds caught on topwater lures and Butchers Baits stick baits.
Roger and Darryl Trams were second with 9.36 pounds caught on power worms.
Third place went to Martin Hochstetler and Jonas Troyer with 9.28 pounds caught on stick baits. They also weighed in the biggest bass of the tournament, a 3.73 pounder.
The next tournament is Sunday September 10th at 7 a.m. on Fishers Lake. Visit the Michiana Outdoors News Lake Drive Marine report for details.