Ron Fabiszak (South Bend) and Jason Fowler (South Bend) won the two-day Megaware KeelGuard R&B Classic by nearly six pounds at Higgins and Houghton Lake recently.

Fabiszak and Fowler took the first-day lead with a 19.80-pound limit of smallmouth bass from Higgins Lake. They were one of only three teams with a limit, catching all but one fish on an Alabama Rig retrieved in 16-18 feet of water. They caught one four pounder with a tube bait and their 4.72-pound smallmouth won them the Lochness Lures Big Bass of the day.

The 33-year-old Illinois smallmouth bass record has been broken on Lake Michigan.

The 7-pound, 3-ounce bass was caught Monday night from Monroe Harbor in Chicago by Joe Capilupo of LaGrange, Ill. It was caught on a Z-man Ned Rig in California Craw color.

The fish measured 22¼ inches long and had a girth of 16½ inches.

New Tackle for 2020

The all-new St. Croix Legend Elite Panfish Series features five spinning rods – each designed for extreme sensitivity to detect the subtlest of strikes – combining the lengths and actions needed to deliver lighter baits and lures with the strength and durability required to manage autumn’s trophy-sized specimens.