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Andis and Peek's Mixed Bag Wins On Patoka Lake
We've seen this happen time and again—lakes go through their ups and downs as they age and habitats change. Patoka Lake definitely fits that trend. Once famous for its thick grassy beds and feisty big largemouth bass, it's looking different these days, often leaving even the locals puzzled. Currently, the early spring and fall are when the lake really shines as the fish start gearing up to eat. But what kind of catches could we expect at one of USA Bassin's legendary regional tournaments?
Our group of 56 anglers kicked things off on a cool morning, buzzing with optimism during livewell checks. Plenty of dock chat had folks feeling like they all had a fair shot at glory. But we'd have to wait until the weigh-in to see if Patoka was being stingy or generous.
Weigh-in got pretty interesting as anglers came in one after another. As the bags rolled through, it was clear that smallmouth bass were the day's surprise stars. Just about every team ran into a smallmouth at some point. The top four spots were super close this time, separated by just .83 oz.
When all was said and done, the familiar duo of Rick Andis and Chriss Peek hooked the top spot, barely edging out David Leisman and Stan Knies by just .20 oz. Andis and Peek brought in a bag loaded with three solid smallmouths and a 4.89-pound largemouth kicker! That was more than enough to take home the $2500 cash prize and the first-place trophy.
Right after the Leisman and Knies team in 2nd, Doug Klueh and Tammy Klueh reeled in 3rd place with 14.17 pounds total. The day's big bass award went to Don Snyder and Tim Brown for a 6.46-pound largemouth.
With the Patoka Lake Regional in the books, 20 more anglers are set for the Bass Cat Classic happening at Kentucky Lake in spring 2025. Big congrats to all who made the cut—we're pumped to see you there!
