Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
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John Gipson Jr. has decided to run a Southwest Michigan Big Bass Challenge this fall.
Entry fee is $50, which includes big bass pot, and there is no membership fee.
The schedule, which is posted on our Lake Drive Marine Events Calendar, kicks off Oct. 28 at the St. Joe River at Benton Harbor (DNR ramp in no wake zone).
Subsequent tournaments are Nov. 5 at St. Joe, Benton Harbor and Nov. 25, Paw Paw Lake (channel ramp). Tournament hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information, contact Gipson at gipsonj@purdue.edu.
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Posey, Woods Make Michigan B.A.S.S. State Team
Dan Posey and Doug Woods of the Four Flags Bassmasters qualified for the Michigan B.A.S.S. Federation Nation state team at a tournament held last weekend on Muskegon Lake.
They were the only two from this area to make the team.
Posey (Niles) finished eighth in the state event with 12.47 pounds while Woods (St. Joseph) was ninth with 12.26 pounds. This marks the third consecutive time Posey has qualified for the state team and his fifth overall.
The 10 state team members will advance to the Federation Nation Central Division Regional held on Toledo Bend, Tex. next March.
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Palaniuk Caps Magical Season With Toyota Bassmaster Angler Of The Year Title
Brandon Palaniuk of Hayden, Idaho, won the 2017 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year title at Mille Lacs Lake held out of Onamia, Minn., Sunday. - Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
Michigan's Kevin VanDam finishes in 10th place while Jonathan VanDam ends the year at number 42
ONAMIA, Minn. — As the 2017 Bassmaster Elite Series season progressed, Brandon Palaniuk always had a sense that he was in contention for the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year crown.
But he never let himself look at the standings. He never even allowed himself to think about the race.
Now, he may never stop thinking about it.
The 29-year-old pro from Hayden, Idaho, caught 62 pounds, 3 ounces of bass to finish in 20th place at this week’s Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship on Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota. That allowed him to finish 14 points ahead of Oklahoma pro Jason Christie and secure his first career AOY title.
“I didn’t know if it would ever happen,” said Palaniuk, who topped Christie by a final margin of 902 to 888 in the AOY standings. “This has been a dream of mine since I was 8 years old. I decided 21 years ago that this is what I was going to do.
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By Alan McGuckin
Kevin VanDam
Be honest, if a genie in a bottle offered you an 18-pound limit of bass every time you went fishing, you’d jump on it like a 5-pound smallmouth on a soft shell crawdad.
So would I.
But for the greatest bass angler of all time, bringing an 18-pound limit of smallmouth to the scales on Day 1 of the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship on Lake Mille Lacs felt like Christmas without presents. Or, maybe a good old fashioned kick in the fishin’ shorts.
“Yea, absolutely I’d call it disappointing,” said Kevin VanDam in the predawn light just before heading out in search of a bigger sack of bronze bombers on Day 2.
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By Al McGuckin
Jordan Lee & Casey Ashley
Jordan Lee and Casey Ashley both sit inside the Top 10 of the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year points race, and the two Quantum pros graciously offered their input on everything from fried catfish to sturgeon, and of course smallmouth bass, on the eve of competition at Lake Mille Lacs.
Last year was a slugfest here at Mille Lacs. How do conditions compare this year?
Jordan Lee: The weather is a lot warmer. Last year we were wearing Carhartt beanies on our heads to stay warm, and the lake does seem to be fishing tougher.
Casey Ashley: It’s so much tougher this year. It’s like these fish got a good education between last year and now. There aren’t any dumb ones left swimming here now.