Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
Friday, September 26, 2025
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Pipestone Lake continues to kick out good weights as the top three finishers in the recent Big Bass Challenge held there weighed in more than 16 pounds each.
Dan Baerwald and Zack McNary 2nd Place
Dan Baerwald and Zack McNary 2nd Place
John Gipson and Tom Noe won ($220) there again with 18.38 pounds. Dan Baerwald and Zack McNary were second ($140) with 16.63 pounds while Bill Mathews and Kris Iodice were third with 16.28 pounds.
Greg Peters and Chad Luthringer had big bass ($60) with a monster 6.44-pound largemouth.
Chad Luthringer shows off the 6.44-pound bass he and Greg Peters caught at Pipestone Lake in the Big Bass Challenege tournament recently.
Chad Luthringer shows off the 6.44-pound bass he and Greg Peters caught at Pipestone Lake in the Big Bass Challenege tournament recently. They didn’t say what the fish bit, but it did come out of deep water.
The Classic for teams that fished at least three tournaments will be Saturday, Sept. 28 at the St. Joseph River in Benton Harbor from 7:30-3:30. Email John Gipson, gipsonj@purdue.edu, for more info.
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AFTCO Report
AFTCO Offers Discount to Tournament Groups for Cleanup Efforts
AFTCO has a long-standing history of supporting conservation efforts by donating 10 percent of company profits every year since 1973 through its 10% Pledge. Historically the efforts were focused on saltwater related causes, but recently AFTCO has made tremendous efforts to broaden its efforts by giving back to freshwater fisheries with grass roots conservation first initiatives like their AFTCO Bank Bag incentive program.
The AFTCO Bank Bag incentive kick back promotes the removal of trash from lakes, rivers, and waterways with the AFTCO supplied yellow Bank Bags. After the bags have been filled, they can then be redeemed with an AFTCO representative for a free $25 AFTCO gift card as a token of appreciation for their efforts to keep our waters clean.
In 2019, AFTCO has been able to successfully activate the Bank Bag incentive program at over 20+ tournaments, college bass fishing events, and waterway clean ups with the help of various BASS Nation chapters and local organizations across the country. It is by supporting programs like this that AFTCO hopes to do its small part to further enable bass fishing conservation efforts and broaden its industry-leading commitment to conservation throughout the country for generations to come.
To learn more about how your BASS Nation chapter or local organization can get involved with the AFTCO Bank Bag Kick Back Incentive or other conservation programs, contact matthew@aftco.com for more details on how to get involved.
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SMAC Report
Scott Solomon and Chad Lovell won the weekend SMAC tournament on Juno Lake with 12.15 pounds.
According to tournament director Dan Linn, the winners caught their fish on Lakeside Custom Worms in shallow water.
Brett Gessinger and Mike VanderReyden were second with 10.89 pounds caught in jigs deep and wacky worms around docks. They also had the big bass of the tournament, a 3.58-pound largemouth.
Steve Juroff and Jeff Bostic were third with 9.31 pounds. They used frogs.
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R&B Report
Larry Thomas (Kendallville) and Dave Terry (Albion) First Place
Larry Thomas (Kendallville) and Dave Terry (Albion) beat out 40 teams and won themselves $700 in a recent R&B Circuit event on Lake Tippecanoe.
The duo had a 15.63-pound limit caught with drop shot rigs and homemade jigs on the outside of weed edges between 5-15 feet of water. They worked through two areas on the lake and caught three limits of bass.
Kyle Kaser (Plymouth) fished alone and weighed 14.16 pounds to win $420. He slung bladed jigs in five different channels. The fish were set up on the first drop off of shore.
Andy Brossia came from Ohio to put together a 14.03-pound limit by working a hollow bellied frog in lily pads. He had culled 8 times by 10:15, but never caught another fish after that time. He won $315.Â
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Casting Couples Report
Jake and Stephanie Lisenko
Jake and Stephanie Lisenko won the Casting Couples regular season event at Muskegon Lake last weekend with a limit weighing 10.70 pounds.
The Lisenkos won $230 and also took home big bass honors ($60) with a 3.27-pound largemouth. Most of their fish were caught 15 feet deep on drop-shot rigs.
Loren and Carrie Crosbie were second ($120) with a 10.69-pound limit that included the second largest bass, a 2.91-pound largemouth that earned them the Native Pride tackle pack. They fished Yamamoto creature baits in 10 foot deep water.
John and Marcy Dixon were third ($70) with a limit weighing 10.35 pounds The Dixons used jigs in shallow water to catch several keepers.