Tackle Shack Report
Donald Miles and Terry Burgess caught two smallmouth and two largemouth to win the Tackle Shack Fall Fishing League Tuesday night on the St. Joe river at 6 Span.
The winners had 12.21 pounds, most of which came downstream of the bridge. They caught their bag in the last hour on 9K Elite Lures Jigs with B&N Custom Baits trailers in shallow water.
Andrew Miller and Anthony Sivits had one largemouth and three smallmouth to finish second with 11.06 pounds. They credited their success to fishing jigs up-river in the eddies.
Kevin and Paul Miller caught three smallmouth weighing 9.25 pounds to finish third. Their upstream tactics were using NED rigs in 5 feet of water.
The next open event is next Tuesday at Klinger Lake, MI from 4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
SMAC Report
Scott Crocker and Terry Smith used tubes, jigs and spinnerbaits to win the Southwest Michigan Anglers Club (SMAC) two-day classic last weekend on Lake Leelanau.
The winners had 18.33 pounds the first day and 17.99 the second day.
Joe Sears and Eben Lambert were second with 21.79 and 12.57 pounds caught on A-rigs.
Jeff Bostic and Steve Juroff were third with 20.99 and 12.96 pounds. They used tubes and jigs.
Trevor Paulus and Matt Gordon used A-rigs to catch 17.66 and 14.17 pounds for fourth place.
Despite numerous mechanical issues, Jeff Stankovich and Caleb VanderReyden were fifth with 21.06 on day one but only had 9.40 pounds the second day. They caught their fish on spinnerbaits, crankbaits and Senkos. They experienced boat problems and drove home and back in one night. In addition, they blew a tire on the boat trailer during their return trip.
Adam Crocker and Daniel Linn were sixth with 9.69 and 18.49 pounds. They used A-rigs and swim baits.
R&B Report
Chip Harrison (Columbia City) and Brian Whitaker (Warsaw) used Yamamoto Hula Grubs and Spinnerbaits in 10-12 feet of water on Syracuse Lake to bag an 11.26-pound limit and win ($710) the R&B Circuit event on Lake Wawasee. win $710.
They focused on cabbage weedbeds.
"Bluegill were relating to cabbage weeds, which brought the largemouth," said Harrison.
2nd: Kyle Kaser (Plymouth) and Cody Bennett (Plymouth) threw frogs around
lily pads and jigs under docks to weigh 11.06 pounds. The second-place finish won them $420 and earned them 2019 Season Champions honors.
A 5.31-pound largemouth - which was the Lochness Lures Big Bass of the tournament - boosted Steve Kline (Albion) and Mark Farver (Goshen) to a 10.91-pound limit and third-place finish. They won a total of $535.
After catching 3 keepers from Wawasee with 3/8-ounce green pumpkin jigs, Kline and Farver went to Syracuse and caught another keeper on a drop shot rig and the big bass on a ¾-ounce spinnerbait.
A full report can be found at www.randbbasscircuit.com.
Tackle Shack Report
John Miller and Dan Rowell won the Tuesday Night Tackle Shack Fall League tournament on Diamond Lake this week with 9.55 pounds.
The winners had four largemouth, two of which they caught off the same dock. They fished shallow all evening.
Steve and Amy Martin were second with 8.68 pounds caught by drop-shotting in 30 feet of water. They said they caught two limits that way.
Ryan Hershberger and Nate Nissley were third with 8.42 pounds. They fished tight to shore with topwaters and jigs.
There were 16 boats in the event. The next contest is on the St. Joe at 6 Span access.
B.A.S.S. Report
B.A.S.S. officials have announced the schedule for the 2020 Bassmaster Elite Series, a nine-tournament slate that will take the world's best bass anglers to six states and some of the most storied fisheries in the sport's history.
For fans who love watching professional anglers catch giant bass, the schedule is likely to be love at first sight.