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Big Bass Challenge Report
Noe/Gipson Dominate Again at Pipestone
Tom Noe (Benton Harbor, Mich.) and John Gipson (Battle Ground, Ind.) continued their domination at Pipestone Lake.
The team caught 17.78 pounds to win the Southwest Michigan Big Bass Challenge by fishing topwater lures and jigs. Two of their fish came off beds. They won $265.
Bill Mathews (Dowagiac, Mich.) and Kris Iodice (Chicago) were second ($165) with 14.22 pounds. Their catch included a mix of bedding bass and fish on drop-offs. Wacky worms were their best presentation.
Chad Luthringer (Dowagiac, Mich.) and Greg Peters (Cassopolis, Mich.) were third ($95) with 13.61 pounds. Chad and Greg also took big bass ($80) with a 5.69 giant.
Jonathan Painter (Coloma, Mich.) and Nick Benton (Watervliet, Mich.) finished fourth ($75) with 12.85 pounds.
The next tournament is June 2 on Paw Paw Lake (channel launch) from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Entry fee is $50.
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SMAC Report
John Gipson and Tom Noe continued their reign as the team to beat during the spawning season, winning the Southwest Michigan Anglers Club (SMAC) opener at Paw Paw Lake.
The duo said they used swimbaits and Senkos to catch a limit weighing 15.82 pounds.
Second place went to Terry Smith and Scott Crocker with 12.26 pounds caught on Big Snack Jigs. Rick Kedik and Dan Linn were third with 11.85 pounds, also caught on swimbaits and Senkos.
Robert Swem and Loren Crosbie were fourth with 9.53 pounds caught on Senkos.
Jonathon Painter caught the biggest bass in the tournament, a 3.56-pound largemouth, on a jerkbait.
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R&B Report
John Gipson (Battle Ground, Ind.) and Tom Noe (Benton Harbor, Mich.) First Place
John Gipson (Battle Ground, Ind.) and Tom Noe (Benton Harbor, Mich.) won the R&B South Division Tournament on Lake Freeman recently.
Gipson and Noe caught 12.79 pounds by sight fishing spawning fish on the main lake and working spinnerbaits around stumps to trigger bedding bass that they couldn't see.
John and Danielle Sabatini (Galveston, Ind.) 2nd PlaceJohn and Danielle Sabatini (Galveston, Ind.) took second place with 7.29 pounds that included the Lochness Lures Big Bass prize with a 4.79-pound largemouth. The big bass came on a worm fished in 5 feet of water.
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Former Rolling Prairie resident Mitch Hayes has been inducted into the Indiana Bass Federation (IBF) Hall of Fame.
Doug Bradley of the Peru Bassmasters also was inducted.
Hayes, now residing in Rochester, was recognized for his dedication to bass fishing. He was an IBF member from 1982 to 2013, first with the Kankakee Valley Bass Masters and then with the Fulton County Bass Masters.
He was elected Zone 1 Director in 1986 and served until 2000, the first of three stints as zone director. He also served the organization as secretary. Hayes worked with Indiana University students to help create the first IBF website in 1995 and was the site coordinator from 2004-2010.
He was Editor for Indiana Bass News in 2012 and a tournament director for multiple Top 8's in Zone 1. He also was the tournament directory for the state finals at Wawasee.
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Casting Couples Report
Rick and Jennifer Kedik (Niles) First Place
Rick and Jennifer Kedik (Niles) had a limit of five bass, including one smallmouth, within the first two hours to win the Casting Couples opener ($270) at Pine and Stone lakes in LaPorte, Ind.
Seventeen teams completed with five limits reported and every team weighed in a keeper bass.
Native Pride swing jigThe Kediks upgraded all day long to finish with 10.32 pounds. The key to their success was using a Native Pride swing jig with a Trokar hook topped with an Erie Darter.