Tippecanoe Lake
Tippy Dance Hall
October 2
7:45 am - 3:45 pm
Tippy Dance Hall
October 2
7:45 am - 3:45 pm
1st Place: Derek Deardorff and John DuPont became the only team in 2010 to win multiple events. After a sub-par performance the first half of the season, the team picked up the pace by winning the Paw Paw event and now the first annual R & B Bass Circuit classic.
They caught only 3 legal-sized fish, but made them all count. Their total weight of 8.38# was highlighted by the Starboard Choice Marine big bass: a 4.64# largemouth. 2 of their fish came from Lock Jaw jigs tossed under docks. Their third keeper came on a drop shot.
They won $776 for the win, while the big fish earned them another $250. This made their day worth $1016!
Perhaps the most amazing aspect of their win was overcoming the obstacle of a broken outboard motor. Minutes before the tournament began they realized the adapter plate was broken and they would not have use of their outboard. Consequently, they were limited to just a trolling motor. To add more challenge, Deardorff had never been on the body of water. DuPont put his knowledge of the lake together with Deardorff's skill and showed us all again that the fancy electronics do not put fish in the boat: it still comes down to the rod and reel.
They caught only 3 legal-sized fish, but made them all count. Their total weight of 8.38# was highlighted by the Starboard Choice Marine big bass: a 4.64# largemouth. 2 of their fish came from Lock Jaw jigs tossed under docks. Their third keeper came on a drop shot.
They won $776 for the win, while the big fish earned them another $250. This made their day worth $1016!
Perhaps the most amazing aspect of their win was overcoming the obstacle of a broken outboard motor. Minutes before the tournament began they realized the adapter plate was broken and they would not have use of their outboard. Consequently, they were limited to just a trolling motor. To add more challenge, Deardorff had never been on the body of water. DuPont put his knowledge of the lake together with Deardorff's skill and showed us all again that the fancy electronics do not put fish in the boat: it still comes down to the rod and reel.
2nd Place: The team of Steve Prange and Dennis Losee once again found themselves towards the top of the leader board. The team earned cash at 3 of the 7 events this season and was also the recipient of the D's Lures award once. They caught the only limit in a day highlighted with 3, 2, or 0 fish bags brought to the scales. Their catch weighed 6.53# and which won them $466.
They caught their fish on homemade jigs made by Prange. Apparently, Prange put on a show for Losee, "He is awesome with that thing! I was just a net boy." The team had caught only 1 keeper by noon, but ended up catching 7 keepers by quitting time. They put together a pattern with the jig by tossing it to thick clumps of weeds in 4 foot of water.
They caught their fish on homemade jigs made by Prange. Apparently, Prange put on a show for Losee, "He is awesome with that thing! I was just a net boy." The team had caught only 1 keeper by noon, but ended up catching 7 keepers by quitting time. They put together a pattern with the jig by tossing it to thick clumps of weeds in 4 foot of water.
3rd Place: Tournament directors Andy Buss and Kevin Rybicki weighed just 3 fish for a total of 6.19#. Their largest fish was a 3.28# largemouth that was also the second heaviest fish of the tournament. They won $366 for their 3rd place finish and another $120 for the big fish. This made their day worth $488.
The team landed 1 fish early in the day on a small Beaver bait along a breakline. The big fish came from a Komodo Dragon stix inside a channel. The fish was in between docks. Their 3rd keeper came from under a pontoon boat also on a Komodo Dragon stix.
The team caught a dozen fish total for the day, but saw several others in shallow including several big fish.
The team landed 1 fish early in the day on a small Beaver bait along a breakline. The big fish came from a Komodo Dragon stix inside a channel. The fish was in between docks. Their 3rd keeper came from under a pontoon boat also on a Komodo Dragon stix.
The team caught a dozen fish total for the day, but saw several others in shallow including several big fish.
4th Place: Sean Cleland and Larry Thomas took the gamble of locking into the Barbee Chain and it paid off. They scraped together 3 keepers that weighed 4.66#.
They were poster-children for Komodo Dragon Tournament-Poured Plastics. All 3 keepers came on 3 separate KD baits: tube, stix, and flippin' hawg. Their biggest fish, a 1.97# largemouth, came on a stix. The key was in their retrieval. Thomas explains, "It had to be a slow, slow retrieve." The team got their bites as their baits crawled painstakingly through weeds.
Their efforts awarded them $264. However, a previous award may be more responsible for their success. Thomas commented, "We won the Komodo Dragon baits during one of the 50/50 raffles and began experimenting with them. On Tippy, these baits out-performed all others." Perhaps the scent had something to do with it?
On a side note, Thomas won a club event the next day tossing KD baits. He was the only member to land a limit. In fact, there were 3 members in his boat and none of them landed a single keeper. He was the only one tossing KD baits.
They were poster-children for Komodo Dragon Tournament-Poured Plastics. All 3 keepers came on 3 separate KD baits: tube, stix, and flippin' hawg. Their biggest fish, a 1.97# largemouth, came on a stix. The key was in their retrieval. Thomas explains, "It had to be a slow, slow retrieve." The team got their bites as their baits crawled painstakingly through weeds.
Their efforts awarded them $264. However, a previous award may be more responsible for their success. Thomas commented, "We won the Komodo Dragon baits during one of the 50/50 raffles and began experimenting with them. On Tippy, these baits out-performed all others." Perhaps the scent had something to do with it?
On a side note, Thomas won a club event the next day tossing KD baits. He was the only member to land a limit. In fact, there were 3 members in his boat and none of them landed a single keeper. He was the only one tossing KD baits.
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Deardorff and DuPont ended the year 2nd on the R & B all-time money winners list: $ 1406.
"More than anything else, we have enjoyed the relationships we have developed this season. Thank you to all who participated!"
5th Place: John Law and Jim Furlong qualified for the classic by the hair on their chin and made the most of it. They only weighed 2 fish, but on this day that carried more weight than normal - literally. They were anchored with a 3.1# largemouth for a total weight of 4.34#.
This earned them the D's Lures Award: a pair of sweatshirts and 100-pack of tubes - an $80 value.
The duo was the only team to report catching fish all day. In fact, they caught well over 50 fish on a combination of spinerbaits, crankbaits, and rattle traps in shallow water. Unfortunately, all but 2 were only 12-13 inches long. Their 2 keepers came on a spinnerbait and crankbait. The big fish came on a spinnerbait.
This earned them the D's Lures Award: a pair of sweatshirts and 100-pack of tubes - an $80 value.
The duo was the only team to report catching fish all day. In fact, they caught well over 50 fish on a combination of spinerbaits, crankbaits, and rattle traps in shallow water. Unfortunately, all but 2 were only 12-13 inches long. Their 2 keepers came on a spinnerbait and crankbait. The big fish came on a spinnerbait.
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2010 Points Champions: Bobby Nelson and Aaron Hochstedler were recognized at the Classic for becoming the first R & B Bass Circuit Points Champions. They received plaques and also took home $200 for their success.
To learn how they succeeded, read the article: 2010 Points Champions.
To learn how they succeeded, read the article: 2010 Points Champions.