Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
Wednesday, November 26, 2025
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By Al McGuckin
Lake Fork: Tougher Than a Game of Checkers with Sumrall and Livesay
If you need two guys to accompany you on a five-mile jog, help you move furniture, catch you a fat largemouth, or simply share a laugh and a cold beer, you’d be wise to get ahold of Bassmaster Elite Series roommates Caleb Sumrall and Lee Livesay.
Just don’t play checkers with them.
“I still have a scar by my eyebrow from when I kicked Sumrall’s butt in checkers at Guntersville last month,” grinned Livesay over coffee at Lake Fork’s iconic Minnow Bucket.
Sure enough, the scar is still visible, but neither would confess exactly how the surface wound got there, only that checkers and laughter were involved.
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By Lee Duracz
Ron Fabiszak and John Gipson - 1st Place
As the name suggests, the Polar Bear Opens started their season on a day made just for them.
With winds howling out of the northwest, gusts pushing over 40 mph and falling wind chills into the 20s, there were still nine teams crazy enough to show up and brave the elements on Lake Maxincukee last Sunday.
There were four limits weighed with the top honors going to the Team of Ron Fabiszak and John Gipson with a limit tipping the scales at 11.79 pounds. They were using A-rigs and single Swimbaits to land their mixed bag of smallmouth and largemouth. They also took the big critter honors with a 2.36-pound walleye. They were rewarded with $260 for their efforts in the Polar Bear and an additional $600 for also winning the Straight Money tournament that was hosted alongside the Polar Bear tourney.
Second place went to Clint Marler and Phillip Duracz who also reported success on swimbaits with a bag weighing in at 10.44 pounds anchored by the big bass of the tournament which was a 3.14-pound smallmouth. They earned $145 from the Polar Bears and an Additional $200 from the straight money.
Other award winners were Jeremy Bunnell and Lee Duracz who won a custom FishStyx custom fishing Rod in the Pre-Tournament drawing as well as being nudged out of second by .06 pound. Andy Buss with Jim Wheeler earned the Lucky Spot award for 5th Place in the Straight Money tournament getting them $80.
The next Polar Bear open is scheduled for this Saturday from 7:30-2:30 at Diamond Lake in Cassopolis. Another FishStyx custom rod will be given away in a pre-tournament drawing.
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SWMBBC Report
Bill Mathews and Kris Iodice - 1st Place
Bill Mathews and Kris Iodice won the Southwest Michigan Big Bass Challenge at Benton Harbor last Saturday with 17.29 pounds.
They pocketed $270.
Second place ($170) went to Evan and Joel Timmons with 16.81 pounds while John Gipson and Mike Rappette were third ($100) with 9.84 pounds. Scott Solomon fished alone for fourth ($80) with 9.34 pounds.
Gipson and Rappette also won big bass honors ($85) with a 4.81 pounder.
Top patterns were A-rigs, soft plastics, crankbaits jerkbaits and jigs. The fish were really spread out as the winners caught their fish from the Jasper Dairy to the mouth of Lake Michigan.
The next event is Saturday in Benton Harbor at the DNR ramp. Hours are 8-3 and entry fee is $50.
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Tackle Shack Report
Jason Schwartz and Brian Miller - 1st Place
Jason Schwartz and Brian Miller fished swimbaits on 1/8-ounce jigheads to win the Tackle Shack’s Fall League event on Klinger Lake Saturday.
The winners had 9.59 pounds anchored by a 3.19-pound bass to win $525. They targeted fish feeding on bait balls moving across flats in 3 to 9 feet of water.
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SW Challenge Report
John Gipson Jr. - 1st Place
John Gipson Jr. fished alone and caught 10.16 pounds at Magician Lake to win the Southwest Michigan Big Bass Challenge recently.
Gipson’s sack was anchored by a 5.90-pound largemouth. He won $210.
Seth Spaulding and John Davis were second ($140) with 9.53 while Collin Burger and Mitch Cohan were third ($70) with 9.30.
All of the fish were caught on reaction baits like spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits on flats in 10 feet deep or less water.
The next tournament is Saturday from 8-3 on the St. Joe at the Benton Harbor launch ram across from Tackle Haven. The tournament pays one place for every four boats entered.