Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
Friday, April 24, 2026
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Michiana Singles Report
Eight of 10 teams competing in the Michiana Singles on Diamond Lake last week weighed in a limit.
Bill Mathews, who broke a rod trying to swing a big bass into the boat, still ended up winning with 11.68 pounds to earn $210 and also had the big bass of the day, a 3.68-pound largemouth which earned him another $45. Mathews used a 3/8-ounce BAFA jig in shallow water and around docks.
Rick Kedik also fished docks to finish second with 9.86 pounds. Kedik fished used Trokars Pro V worm hooks topped with Butchers Baits custom color stick worms to take home $100.
Tanner Hursh used forward facing sonar to garner 3rd place with 9.20 pounds, to pocket $50. Hursh cast jigs and drop-shots in 15 feet.
The last two Open Singles events are Thursday, Oct. 9th at Eagle Lake and Sunday Oct. 12th at Magician Lake.
The Michiana Singles Classic will be Nov. 1-2 with one day on Muskegon Lake and day two at Benton Harbor. Contact Rick (269) 240-4917 or rkedik13@yahoo.com for info.
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SMAC Report
Forward facing sonar dominated the Southwest Michigan Anglers Club tournament on Paw Paw Lake over the weekend.
Although fishing was tough for most other anglers, the top finishers had big weights with smallmouth dominating their catches.
Tanner Hursh and Hayley Dodd took home the top prize with a limit of smallmouth weighing 17.74 pounds by fishing jig rigs and swim baits in 15 to 25 feet of water.
Second place went to Pat Filmore and Brent Burgess who also had a limit of smallmouth. Their fish weighed 15.35 pounds also caught on jig rigs and swim baits in 8 to 14 feet.
Justin Hahaj was third with 14.71 pounds. He used drop shot rigs in 11 feet of water.
The highlight of the weighin was Scott Smith and Gary Butcher’s 6-pound largemouth caught in 2 feet of water on a topwater.
There were 34 fished weighed in and 12 were smallmouth for a total weight of 93.83 pounds.
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Four Flags Report
Dan Baerwald and Jarret Tighe took home $280 by winning the Four Flags tourney on Van Auken Lake over the weekend.
The duo, who had 14.46 pounds, said they caught their fish in 6 - 8 feet of water while using jigs.
Rob and Kim Swem finished second with 11.56 pounds and had the biggest bass, a 4.42-pound largemouth. They won $120 for the finish and another $100 for having big bass.
They caught their fish in 8 feet of water using jigs.
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Arjay’s Report
John Miller and Ashley Gibson continued to dominate Michiana lakes, winning the Arjay’s weeknighter convincingly at Lake Templene.
Miller and Gibson had 15.08 pounds AND they won the big bass pot with a 4.14-ounce largemouth. They said they caught their fish on Chatterbaits and jigs.
In a distant second was Chris Yoder who had five for 10.74 pounds by fishing a spinnerbait.
Third went to Maynard Hochstetler and Marvin Bontrager with 10.18 caught on spinnerbaits and Chatterbaits.
Timothy Eicher and Jeremiah Yoder were fourth with five weighing 9.42 pounds. They fished a combination of jigs, wacky worms and tube jigs.
Spinnerbaits and jigs helped Martin Hochstetler and Jonas Troyer to 9. 36 pounds and a fifth place finish. They said they fished spinnerbaits and jigs.
The ClearH2O Tackle first out of the money spot in was Tim and Daisy Tucker with 9.18 pounds and the Michiana Outdoors News tackle pack was won by Justin and Hunter Kosmerick.
Floyd Wolkins and Steve Martin landed a 7.82 pounds catfish to win the Jaywalkers Restaurant junk fish pot while Ray Lohr and Charlie Fouts took home the Str8-Up Mounts lucky dog pot and side pot winners ($50 gas cards) were won by Scott Carpenter and Marvin Bontrager. Seth Spaulding won the 50/50 drawing.
Arjay’s will be at the Randall chain (Waffle Farm launch) Wednesday night.
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South Shore Report
The 2025 South Shore Bass Open presented by Horseshoe Hammond drew 47 teams this year compared to 36 in its inaugural year last year. Anglers from Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida registered to take on the many smallmouth and largemouth bass that inhabit Lake Michigan and its connecting rivers, lakes and tributaries.
Much larger bags were weighed in this year compared to last year with a 19.44 limit hitting the scales on Day 1. Anglers Cody Bertrand and Edan Czarobski took the Day 1 lead with that limit of smallmouth.
When the scales settled on Day 2, Scott Christy and Tyler Christy a father and son team, who started Day 2 in 14th place took home the victory weighing in an impressive bag of smallmouths. They didn’t have a keeper at 12 o’clock and decided to run to a spot 18 miles from where they were. When they dropped the trolling motor in the water, their graph lit up with smallies on an offshore structure. They said they had their winning limit in about 25 minutes, although they didn’t think at the time it was enough to win but maybe enough to cash a check.
The Day 1 leaders brought 4 fish to the scales and took home 2nd place for $4,000. They were one 14” keeper short of winning it all.
Team Christy took the Title and a check for $12,000 plus a bonus check of $400 for having the overall heaviest 5 fish limit for the tournament.
The 2026 South Shore Bass Open is scheduled for August 1-2, 2026. Information will be available at southshorebass.com.