Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
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Kevin VanDam Comes From Behind To Claim Second Victory Of Season At Cayuga Lake
Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., wins the 2016 Busch Beer Bassmaster Elite at Cayuga Lake held out of Union Springs, N.Y., Sunday, with a four-day total weight of 71 pounds, 13 ounces. - Photo by Seigo Saito/Bassmaster
UNION SPRINGS, N.Y. — A little over a month ago, many professional fishing fans were wondering out loud, “What’s wrong with Kevin VanDam?”
Now those same fans must be wondering just how many gigantic moments VanDam has ahead of him.
After recording his 21st career victory at Louisiana’s Toledo Bend Reservoir in May, VanDam won again Sunday, coming from behind to claim the $100,000 first-place prize in the Busch Beer Bassmaster Elite at Cayuga Lake. After going five years between victories, the Michigan superstar has now won twice in seven weeks.
VanDam went into Sunday’s final round in third place, almost 2 pounds out of the lead. But a final-day catch of 15 pounds, 7 ounces put him over the top with a four-day mark of 71-13. Jordan Lee, a 24-year-old Alabama angler who led going into the final round, finished second with 70-12.
“You just never know how things are going to go out here,” said VanDam, who extended his own B.A.S.S. record with his 22nd career win. “I’ve said it many times before. It’s really hard to win against these guys.
“I feel pretty lucky today, for sure. I didn’t have a great day today.”
Unlike Toledo Bend, which he described as the “toughest tournament he ever won,” VanDam went into the Cayuga Lake event with a lot of confidence based on what he’d seen in practice. He used a variety of patterns throughout the week and exploited the lake’s solid populations of both largemouth and smallmouth bass.
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(Provided by Clear H2o)
Scott and Matthew Davis (Coloma, Mich.) caught 12 pounds, 15 ounces of bass on Senkos to win ($320) in the Clear H2o Big Bass Challenge on Van Auken Lake last weekend.
The winners also had big bass ($100) with a 5-2 largemouth. They caught their fish along the outside weed edge in 6-8 feet of water.
Phil Duracz (Chesterton) and Clint Marler (Hobart) were second ($230) with 12-3. They also caught their fish on the outside weed edge in 5-8 feet on a finesse worm. Tom Noe (Benton Harbor) was third ($100) with 11-6 caught shallow on a Baby D-Bomb.
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(Provided by Casting Couples)
Winners Rob Swem and Kim Siewert
Winners Rob Swem and Kim Siewert
Rob Swem and Kimm Siewert (Niles) had a limit totaling 8.29 pounds to win the Casting Couples tournament on Klinger Lake last weekend.
The nice day drew 25 teams of couples and saw seven limits weighed in and only 1.3 pounds separating first through sixth place.
The winners ($320) used tubes in 8 to 10 feet of water and also took home big bass honors with a 2.69-pound smallmouth for a bonus $120.
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(Provided by R&B)
Spawning smallmouth dominate catches in R&B Lake Michigan event.
Smallmouth gurus Ross Tornabene (Naperville, Ill.) and Bobby Bergren (Hammond, Ind.) captured 18.90 pounds of smallmouth bass to win the R&B Circuit tournament on Lake Michigan at Portage, Ind. last weekend.
They ran 30 miles to Chicago where they landed a limit off beds with tubes and drop shot rigs before working their way back towards the ramp. In the last hour they caught two additional 4-pound fish while fan casting a tube along a steel wall. Their stringer is the second heaviest in the R & B Bass Circuit's seven year history.
The winners took home $627 for first and won a bonus $56 for having the second largest fish in the event, a 4.44-pound smallmouth.
Tournament directors Andy Buss (North Liberty) and John DuPont (North Liberty) took a 16.73-pound limit of smallmouth bass to the scales and finished second ($335). They stayed in Indiana waters and caught all of their bass off their spawning beds. They used a variety of weights and colors of Xtreme Bass Tackle tubes to get the job done.
Tourney spotlights Portage, Ind. smallmouth fishery
Tom Billings (Chesterton) and Ryan Whitacre (Chicago) used drop shots and TightRope jigs in Illinois' water to bag a 16.40-pound limit of smallmouth for third ($219). All of their fish were also taken off beds. The drop shot was matched up with a Strike King KVD Dream Shot. Their limit was anchored by the biggest bass of the event, a 4.52-pound smallmouth, earning them another $224.
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(Provided by Big Bass Challenge)
John Gipson (Battle Ground, Ind.) and his grandfather Jim Weaver (Dowagiac) captured the Clear H2o Big Bass Challenge last weekend on Paw Paw Lake.
The winners caught 16 pounds, 3 ounces on jigs and Damiki Hydras in 3-8 feet of water. They won $410.
Scott and Matt Davis were second with 14-11
Scott and Matthew Davis (Coloma, Mich.) were second ($280) with 14-11 taken on jigs and chigger craws along docks and seawalls.
3rd ($100) Tom Noe (Benton Harbor) fished alone to catch 14-7 on Missile Baitsí Destroyer in 2-6 feet of water.