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Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive MarineTournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine


Chuck Powell & Jeremy BunnellChuck Powell & Jeremy Bunnell

Chuck Powell & Jeremy Bunnell

Chuck Powell (Osceola) and Jeremy Bunnell (Mishawaka) won the Marco Bass Masters’ John C. Bradley Memorial Tournament on Lake Maxinkuckee last weekend.

The duo had 11.55 pounds caught on spinnerbaits, tubes and Hula Grubs fished on the flats. They won $600.

Second place ($375) went to Bob Hensley (Argos, Ind.) and Heath Hawkins (Bremen) with 11.41 pounds. They also had second biggest bass (2.96 pounds) worth $77.50. Rick and Janice Hite (Plymouth) were third with 10.53 pounds.

The largest bass was a 3.07-pound fish caught by Dave Morrow (Knox, Ind.) and Hunter Patton (Plymouth). It earned them $232.50.

The benefit tournament attracted 31 teams and raised $600 for the Boys and Girls Club of Marshall County and another $600 for the Marshall County Council on Aging.


Steve & Amy MartinSteve & Amy Martin Stan Wruble & Leah SteinbiserStan Wruble & Leah Steinbiser
Steve & Amy Martin Stan Wruble & Leah Steinbiser

Steve and Amy Martin (Three Rivers) won the Casting Couples tournament on Diamond Lake last weekend with five keeper bass totaling 8.14 pounds. They used Yamamoto Grubs and drop-shot rigs in 12 feet of water.

The father/daughter team of Stan Wruble (South Bend) and Leah Steinbiser (Mishawaka) were second with a limit weighing 7.33 pounds using crankbaits in 8-10 depth.

Mark and Sue Michael (Union City, Mich.) were third with four bass weighing 6.05 pounds caught on drop-shot baits in 15 feet. The team also locked up the 2015 Anglers of the Year Award.

Big bass honors went to Tom and Robin Wegiel (Laporte) with a 3.53-pound largemouth caught on a Rat’l Trap.

Mark and Sue MichaelMark and Sue Michael Tom and Robin WegielTom and Robin Wegiel
Mark and Sue Michael Tom and Robin Wegiel


(Provided by B.A.S.S.)

B.A.S.S. Announces Expanded Bassmaster Elite Series Schedule For 2016B.A.S.S. Announces Expanded Bassmaster Elite Series Schedule For 2016

Some of America’s top-ranked bass fisheries — plus a new wrinkle in tournament formats and an extra event — await the nation’s top professional bass anglers competing in the 2016 Bassmaster Elite Series.

The lineup will take anglers to 10 fisheries in nine states, and it includes 10 Elite events, an increase from nine Elite tournaments in 2015.

The world’s premier bass tournament circuit kicks off in Tulsa, Okla., March 4-6, when the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro, widely known as the “Super Bowl of Bass Fishing,” unfolds on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees.

Two weeks later, the Elite Series gets underway on Florida’s St. Johns River, a hugely popular stop for veteran professionals. From there, the circuit winds through eight more states before concluding in the $1 million Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year Championship in mid-September at a site to be announced later.


Posey advances to B.A.S.S. Nation RegionalPosey advances to B.A.S.S. Nation RegionalDan Posey of Niles finished 19th in the Michigan B.A.S.S. Nation State Championship to earn a berth on the state team.

The tournament was held on the St. Mary’s River at Sault Saint Marie, Mich. He had 14.55 pounds in the two-day event and qualified to compete in the B.A.S.S. Nation Regional in 2016.


By Alan McGuckin

VanDam Stole the Stage to Express his Heart for Make-A Wish®VanDam Stole the Stage to Express his Heart for Make-A Wish®

If somehow you found yourself brushing your teeth next to Kevin VanDam, you can be certain he’d try to finish faster, and have his shining brighter than yours.

VanDam is a tenacious competitor. Which is what makes his heartfelt stealing of B.A.S.S. emcee Dave Mercer’s microphone to talk about his experiences with Make-A-Wish, moments after finishing a disheartening 63rd in the Bassmaster Elite on Lake St. Clair - his home lake - even more impressive.

In the wake of defeat and disappointment, VanDam brought the equivalent of a 25-pound bag of class and compassion to the stage following Day 2 of competition at the Plano Bassmaster Elite on Lake St. Clair.

He also brought 15-year-old Make-A-Wish recipient Max Venchus to the weigh-in platform, and introduced to him fans in attendance at St. Clair’s Metropark.