Brownies Marine Lake Santee / Division IN-47

Lake Santee IN-47 Brownie's Marine Division IN-04 Information, Regulations, Tournament Rules, and Registration

***Please check this page prior to each Tournament.   Any changes or cancellations will be posted on here up until 9:00 PM the night before a scheduled tournament.***

-----Check us out on our Facebook page at Lake Santee Bass Tournaments----

*IMPORTANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THE USA BASSIN LAKE SANTEE DIVISION*

Lake Santee is a private lake managed by a home owners association, the Lake Santee Property Owner’s Association.  With that being said, all rules and bylaws enacted by the homeowner’s association must take precedence, first and foremost.  We have received several inquiries concerning eligibility to take part in our tournament.  According to the by-laws, only boats registered to property owners who are members in good standing of the association are permitted access to the lake.  In addition, one member of the tournament team must be an association member or immediate family member (spouse, child, etc.).  This rule, unfortunately, does sometimes exclude participation by teams who don’t meet those requirements.

June 30, 2025

The results for the June 15th Brownies Marine Lake Santee IN-47 Division are posted.

Stay tuned for a detailed report in the coming days.

God Bless,

Lisa & Chip Ayers

May 19, 2025

On Sunday May 19th Mother Nature finally gave the anglers who took part in the USA Bassin Brownie’s Marine Division tournament the kind of day people dream of when they think about a beautiful spring day on the water with friends!

Sixteen teams took part in the second bass tournament of the season and, besides the beautiful weather, the largemouth bass at Lake Santee cooperated with the anglers as well.

First place for the tournament was captured by Matt Perkins with five bass totaling 17.85 pounds. Matt, who normally competes with his dad, Scott, had to go it alone but didn’t let that stop him from taking top honors. Matt employed both fast-moving and slow bottom-contacting presentations in relatively shallow water to trick his catch that day. Second place was another father/son pair, Butch and Marco Mikesell, whose five-bass catch of 17.56 lbs. narrowly missed top honors, while third place was right in the mix with new members Dan Ems and Jerry Patton bringing in 17.35 pounds. Just think, only eight ounces separated first from third place. The Big Bass of the day went to the brother team of Brad and Kyle Laker with a 5.82 giant bass. Great job everyone!!

Another big shout-out goes to Michael, Rob, Scott, Joe and all the other amazing folks at Brownies Marine just up the road in Fairland, IN for sponsoring the day’s beautiful plaques crafted by Tournament Wear of Ocklawaha, FL. Brownie’s Marine is a fourth generation marine dealer who has been in business since 1958 and specialize in all your boating needs whether it is new or pre-owned watercraft, certified factory service, or a full inventory of parts for the “do-it-yourselfer”.

Our next tournament will be on Father’s Day, Sunday June 15th, from 6:00 AM until 12:00 PM. What better way to celebrate being a dad than spending the morning on the water before heading to that cook-out? If you are unsure about the competition aspect of tournament angling, come down and see what the excitement is all about!

Until next time, please remember to follow our anglers’ lead and PRACTICE CATCH AND RELEASE on all of Lake Santee’s bass and remember to take a child fishing… kids will remember a special day fishing a lot longer than a day spent sitting around scrolling on a device….

God Bless,

Chip & Lisa Ayers

May 18, 2025

The results from the May 18th tournament have been posted.

Great job to everyone who came out!

Stay tuned for a detailed report!

God Bless,

Lisa & Chip Ayers

May 15, 2025

Our second tournament of the 2025 Brownies Marine Lake Santee Division will be held this Sunday, May 18th. 

Be sure to check back for the results and photos from the event!

God Bless,

Chip & Lisa Ayers

April 19, 2025

Be sure to check out the photographs in the Photo Section

Sunday, April 13th saw the return of the USA Bassin Brownie’s Marine Division at our Lake Santee. Fifteen teams were met with overcast skies and breezy conditions as they took to the water to locate the heaviest five-bass limit they could muster.

The end of the six-hour tournament saw the father and son team of Ron & Brynt Tuley take top honors with a limit which weighed 19.30 lbs. and included the day’s big bass, a 6.51 lb. giant. In second place was Craig Duncan & Kyle Hohenburger with 17.43 lbs. Craig and Kyle’s catch was one short of the tournament limit, consisting of only four largemouth bass. One can only wonder how the results might have changed if they had landed that elusive fifth bass! Rounding out the Top Three was Chandler Jennings & Bryce Lower with a five-bass limit weighing 17.27 lbs. Well done, all!

As the top finishing team, the Tuleys took the early lead in the race for the divisional championship as well as taking home the beautiful plaques furnished by our sponsor, Brownie’s Marine of Fairland, Indiana. This fourth-generation family business invites our lake members to stop by where folks are always greeted with small town friendliness, even though they are one of the Tri-State’s largest and busiest boat dealerships.

On a somewhat related note, we would like to wish several of our Lake Santee teams good luck as they travel to beautiful Kentucky & Barkley Lakes and take part in the USA Bassin Classic Week. Each team will be vying for a part of the over $300,000 in cash and prizes. Good luck, everyone!

As is the case in every USA Bassin Lake Santee tournament, each and every one of the bass caught and weighed in was released alive and well back into the waters of our lake. Follow our angler’s lead and PLEASE PRACTICE CATCH AND RELEASE on all of Lake Santee’s bass. It will help ensure our lake’s continued health and balance.

Until next time, tight lines…

God Bless,

Chip & Lisa Ayers

April 13, 2025

The results from the April 13th Lake Santee Brownies Marine Division are posted.

Congratulations to all our teams on a challenging day, the cream certainly comes to the top!

Stay tuned for a detailed report on the winning patterns.

God bless,

Lisa & Chip Ayers

September 25, 2024

Following a discussion which took place at the Lake Santee Brownie's Marine Open on September 22nd, 2024, a TENTATIVE schedule for 2025 has been developed. This schedule is subject to change and must be approved by the L.S.P.O.A. Board before becoming finalized.

Any members with questions, comments, or concerns are asked to contact Chip Ayers at their earliest convenience.

We will strive to keep everyone abreast of any developments.

God Bless,

Chip & Lisa Ayers

September 20, 2024

August 18th saw twelve teams take part in the fifth and final bass tournament of the 2024 USA Bassin Lake Santee Division. Like each of our other tournaments, this event was again sponsored by Michael Massey and all the wonderful people at Brownie’s Marine.

The team of Chandler Jennings and Bryce Lower once again put their angling skills to good work, coming out on top with a reduced three-bass limit weighing 14.19 pounds anchored by a 5.04 lb. lunker bass. The team of Craig Duncan and Kyle Hohenberger finished in the runner up spot with a three-bass catch totaling 13.35 lbs., which also included the day’s big bass, a 5.06 giant. Joe Ford and his fiancé, Michelle, rounded out the Top Three with a total of 13.24 lbs. for their three-bass catch. Great job, everyone!

As part of the regular season’s end, the award for the top overall finishing team was also determined. Team Jennings & Lower captured the points title after a hard-fought, season-long battle with the team of Leroy & Danny McQueen. Along with the title came beautiful plaques acknowledging their accomplishment also provided by Brownie’s Marine as well as an invitation into the prestigious 2025 Land Big Fish Tournament of Champions on beautiful Kentucky Lake where the winning team will walk away with a $10,000 cash first prize. Good luck, Chandler & Bryce!

Only one event remains for the 2024 season… The annual End of Summer Lake Santee Open is scheduled for Sunday September 22nd, 2024. This tournament is open to all property owners and more information on this awesome event may be found at usabassin.com, on our Facebook page, Lake Santee Bass Tournaments, or by contacting your tournament directors in advance.

Until next time, help us protect our wonderful fishery by following our USA Bassin teams’ lead… PRACTICE CATCH AND RELEASE on all of Lake Santee’s bass.

God Bless,

Chip & Lisa 

August 18, 2024

Congratulations to this month's tournament winners, Chandler Jennings and Bryce Lower for taking the win! In doing so, the pair also locked up the Divisional Champion title in what had been a very tight race for the season.

Stay tuned for a detailed recap of the tournament as well as the champions' winning ways...

God Bless,

Chip & Lisa Ayers

August 7, 2024

*From The Lake Santee Smoke Signals Magazine

Sixteen teams took part in the fourth tournament of the 2024 USA Bassin Lake Santee season on Sunday July 21st. There is an old saying that goes when the wind is from the east, the fish bite the least. Well, while that is normally the case, our Lake Santee is certainly anything but normal! The anglers took to the water searching for a three-bass limit bright and early at 6:00 AM. As most followers of our tournaments are already aware, when summertime water and ambient air temperatures climb into the 80’s and even 90’s, the daily catch limits are reduced to ensure all of our tournament caught bass are released alive and healthy back into our Lake Santee fishery.

The team of Chandler Jennings and Bryce Lower once again proved they are a force to be dealt with when the fish begin to seek out the deeper haunts to escape the summer heat. The pair brought three bass to the scales totaling 13 POUNDS to take top honors! Second place went to another pair of fishing hammers, Scott and Matt Perkins, who captured second with 12.94 lbs. while Chuck Sieg and Paul Bruns took third with 12.32 pounds. In an ironic twist, Team Perkins and Chuck & Paul tied for the big bass award with each team presenting a 5.18 lb. giant bass as part of their catch.

For those who are interested in statistics, the Top Three teams all caught well over a four-pound average per largemouth bass for the day. Some may ask why this would be important. Largemouth bass of that size are true alpha-predators in the natural food chain of our watershed. As everyone is aware, we at Lake Santee are in a constant fight to control the gizzard shad population which could easily threaten our water quality if left unchecked. These large bass are vital in helping control that population because they are some of the few predators which can successfully target the larger gizzard shad our lake contains. Follow our USA Bassin’ anglers’ lead and PLEASE PRACTICE CATCH & RELEASE on all of Lake Santee’s largemouth bass.

We would be remiss if we did not take a moment to thank our tournament sponsor, Brownie’s Marine in Fairland IN, for their continued & unwavering support of our tournaments. Brownie’s Marine has been in the boating business for six decades, bringing quality service as well as knowledgeable sales to our Hoosier State. If your family is in the market for a new or preowned watercraft or perhaps needs factory-certified service on your boat, look no further than Brownie’s Marine!

We would also like to acknowledge and thank the large number of spectators who always join us for each tournament’s weigh-in at the main beach shelter house. What a great way to interact with our community neighbors and share our love of tournament bass fishing! Please join us, won’t you?

Until next time, we would like to remind everyone that more can be learned about our events on our website, usabassin.com or by checking out our Facebook page, Lake Santee Bass Tournaments and please… Remember To Take A Child Fishing!…

God Bless,

Chip & Lisa Ayers

July 21, 2024

The results from the July Brownie's Marine Lake Santee Division event are posted!

Keep watching for a detailed report on how the winning teams caught their fish.

God Bless,

Chip & Lisa Ayers

July 5, 2024

With Memorial Day in the rearview mirror, summer is now in full effect and with that… So are the USA Bassin Lake Santee Division Bass Tournaments.  Our third event of the season was held on Sunday, June 16th and, oh-boy, it was a HOT one!  

Sixteen teams took part in the tournament and with temperatures forecast into the 90’s, the determination was made prior to the event to reduce the limit of keeper-size bass to three from the standard 5 fish limit.  The decision was met with the USA Bassin anglers’ overwhelming approval as ensuring the continued health of our phenomenal bass fishery is everyone’s priority one!  By reducing the number of bass held in a tournament boat’s livewell, the stress the fish may experience during the tournament is exponentially reduced which helps guarantee their survival upon their release at the end of the tournament back into beautiful Lake Santee to be caught again and again!

The team of Chandler Jennings and Bryce Lower didn’t let the lowered limit lessen their expectations for a winning bag as the pair brought three bass to the scales which totaled 14.10 pounds and included the day’s Big Bass, a 5.46 pounds giant to take the title.  (Do the math on that average size!!)  Well done, gentlemen!

The brother team of Cody and Colt Pettitt have seemed to hit their stride as they once again had Top 3 finish coming in second place with their three bass catch totaling 11.34 lbs.   Leroy and Dan McQueen brought three bass to the scales weighing 11.16 lbs. to finish a close third. Congratulations to all our anglers on a hot & humid day!

Once again, a huge Lake Santee community THANK YOU goes to Michael Massey and all the wonderful folks at Brownies Marine in Fairland, IN for graciously sponsoring our tournaments.  Whether you are in the market for a new or pre-owned watercraft, searching for certified & factory-trained service professionals, or trying to locate that hard-to-find boat accessory, look no farther than Brownies Marine in Fairland, IN… just a short drive up I-74!

Be sure to check out all the opportunities which USA Bassin provides for anglers on the website, usabassin.com. Also, for more information about our bass tournaments, follow our Facebook page at Lake Santee Bass Tournaments.

Until next month, please follow our anglers’ lead and PRACTICE CATCH AND RELEASE ON ALL OF LAKE SANTEE’S BASS and remember to take a child fishing.

God Bless,

Lisa & Chip Ayers

June 19, 2024

The results from the June tournament have been posted. 

(Three (3) bass limit / Sixteen (16) inch minimum size limit)

Stay tuned for a detailed report!

God Bless,

Lisa & Chip Ayers

June 7, 2024

After several seasons, the brother team of Colt and Cody Pettit were finally able to take home the gold at the May 19th USA Bassin tournament at Lake Santee! The Pettit’s were able to best the sixteen other teams with their 16.27 lb. catch of five largemouth bass. Congratulations on a great day Cody & Colt!

The father/son duo of Butch and Marco Mikesell returned to their fish-catching ways with a solid bag of fish which totaled 12.26 lbs. to secure a second-place finish while another brother team of Leroy and Dan McQueen rounded out the Top Three with their catch of 11.29 pounds. The father and son team of Scott and Matt Perkins were able to capture the Big Bass award for the 4.92 lunker, narrowly edging out Chandler Jennings and Bryce Lower for the day.

By combining a pair of strong finishes, the team of Joe Ford and his fiancé, Michelle Simpson, are currently leading the race for the Divisional Champion Award presented by Brownie’s Marine in Fairland, IN. The full standings may be found at USABassin.com on the Lake Santee IN-47 Division page or by following our Lake Santee Bass Tournament page on Facebook.

A huge Lake Santee THANK YOU goes out to Tournament Wear of Ocklawaha, Florida for providing our beautiful plaques as well as Michael, Rob, Steve, Scott, and all the fantastic folks at Brownie’s Marine for their continued support of our community! Don’t forget to contact Brownies when your watercraft is in need of maintenance, service, and repair. Their factory-certified technicians are standing by to help!

Our next tournament will be held June 16th. Make plans to be a part of the fun either by participating or joining us for the weigh-in which will begin at noon at the main beach shelter house. 

As always, please follow our anglers lead and PRACTICE CATCH AND RELEASE ON ALL OF LAKE SANTEE’S BASS!

Also, remember to take a child fishing when ever possible… It’s hard to get into mischief when they are engaged in the beauty of our lake and it’s fishery.

Until next time,

God Bless,

Lisa & Chip Ayers

May 19, 2024

The May 19, 2024 tournament results are posted.

Congratulations Team Pettit!

God Bless,

Lisa & Chip Ayers

April 25, 2024

Be sure to check out the pictures from the April tournament under the Photo Section!

April 23, 2024

Sunday, April 21st saw the kickoff of the 2024 USA Bassin season at our beautiful Lake Santee and the turnout for the tournament was fantastic with seventeen teams taking part in the event. While the temperature at takeoff may have been a very cold 36 degrees, the fishing was hot, as every team managed to weigh in keeper size bass!

A huge crowd gathered at the weigh in to watch the father/son team of Ronnie and Brynt Tuley capture the top spot with five bass which totaled 18.30 pounds. Joe Ford and his fiancé, Michelle Simpson, took second with a 17.81 lb. limit while the team of Chuck Sieg and Paul Bruns held on for third with four bass which weighed 16.40 lbs.

Perhaps the biggest excitement of the day was another father/son team, Matt & Scott Perkins, who weighed in the largest bass ever brought to the scales in a Lake Santee tournament, a 7.30 lb. behemoth!  

As one may have noticed, our tournaments are a great way for families to enjoy bass fishing together. Over three-quarters of our teams are routinely made up of family members fishing together.

We must once again send out a giant THANK YOU to Michael Massey and all the fantastic folks at Brownies Marine in Fairland, IN for sponsoring our tournaments. Whether you are in the market for a new or pre-owned watercraft or searching for certified, factory-trained service professionals, look no farther than Brownies Marine. 

For more information about our bass tournaments, follow our Facebook page at Lake Santee Bass Tournaments.

God Bless,

Lisa & Chip Ayers

April 21, 2024

The April 21st tournament results are posted!

Stay tuned for a breakdown on how the top teams caught their fish!

God Bless,

Chip & Lisa Ayers

IMPORTANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THE USA BASSIN LAKE SANTEE DIVISION

Lake Santee is a private lake managed by a home owners association, the Lake Santee Property Owner’s Association.  With that being said, all rules and bylaws enacted by the homeowner’s association must take precedence, first and foremost.  We have received several inquiries concerning eligibility to take part in our tournament.  According to the by-laws, only boats registered to property owners who are members in good standing of the association are permitted access to the lake.  In addition, one member of the tournament team must be an association member or immediate family member (spouse, child, etc.).  This rule, unfortunately, does sometimes exclude participation by teams who don’t meet those requirements.

With all that being said, THERE ARE NUMEROUS LOTS FOR SALE at Lake Santee!  These lots can be purchased for very reasonable prices and, in doing so, allows the owner(s) full access to the lake and all included privileges.  Interested parties may contact the Lake Santee Property Owners Association office at (812) 527-2943 six days a week to learn more about the community and obtain lists of lots for sale and local real estate agents' contact information.

If you are interested in becoming a part of one of the Midwest’s premiere bass fishing lakes, take a few minutes and research Lake Santee.  As tournament directors, our goal is to include as many anglers in our events, not exclude them.  However, we must abide by the association’s bylaws to do so. 

Thank you to everyone for their understanding in this matter.

God Bless,

Chip & Lisa Ayers

April 16, 2024

LESS THAN ONE WEEK REMAINS!!!

Teams are encouraged to obtain their 2024 memberships prior to the morning of our first tournament. This can best be accomplished by doing so online. But, REMEMBER, 2024 cards will be mailed from the office via USPS so there could be a delay in receiving them prior to the event should you choose this option so plan accordingly! Cards will be available on the morning of the tournament for teams who choose to register the day of the event as well. 

We are extremely happy to announce that Michael Massey and all the wonderful folks at Brownie's Marine in Fairland, Indiana will once again be the title sponsor for the 2024 Lake Santee Division! Brownie's Marine be providing the 2024 Division Champions with beautiful one-of-a-kind plaques for being the top points earning team for the entire season as well as awards for each and every event of the 2024 season. WOW! Thank you, Michael!! These beautiful awards have been designed by Tournament Wear of Ocklawaha, Florida.

If you are in the market for a new or pre-owned boat, be sure to check out Brownies Marine just up the road in Fairland, IN. You won't be sorry! Also, REMEMBER... as one of America's Top Thirty White River Marine Dealers, Brownies' Marine has factory trained and certified service technicians on site to service all you watercraft's needs!

God Bless,

Chip & Lisa Ayers

March 6, 2024

We are extremely happy to announce that Michael Massey and all the wonderful folks at Brownie's Marine in Fairland, Indiana have once again graciously agreed to be the title sponsor for the 2024 Lake Santee Division! Not only will Brownie's Marine be sponsoring each tournament's First Place and Big Bass awards, designed by Tournament Wear of Ocklawaha, Florida, but they will also award the 2024 Division Champions beautiful one-of-a-kind plaques for being the top points earning team for the entire season.

If you are in the market for a new or pre-owned boat, be sure to check out Brownies Marine just up the road in Fairland, IN. You won't be sorry! Also, REMEMBER... Brownies has factory trained and certified service technicians on site to service all you watercraft's needs!

God Bless,

Chip & Lisa Ayers

February 10, 2024

USA Bassin fishing friends, mark your calendars! The USA Bassin Brownies Marine Lake Santee Division schedule for the 2024 season has been finalized and is now posted on the website. Thank you to everyone who gave their valuable input on the 2024 dates.

We have our 2024 membership cards available. Please feel free to contact us prior to the first event to obtain your 2024 membership and avoid the morning rush at our first tournament!

God Bless,

Chip & Lisa Ayers

IMPORTANT INFORMATION CONCERNING THE USA BASSIN LAKE SANTEE DIVISION

Lake Santee is a private lake managed by a home owners association, the Lake Santee Property Owner’s Association.  With that being said, all rules and bylaws enacted by the homeowner’s association must take precedence, first and foremost.  We have received several inquiries concerning eligibility to take part in our tournament.  According to the by-laws, only boats registered to property owners who are members in good standing of the association are permitted access to the lake.  In addition, one member of the tournament team must be an association member or immediate family member (spouse, child, etc.).  This rule, unfortunately, does sometimes exclude participation by teams who don’t meet those requirements.

With all that being said, THERE ARE NUMEROUS LOTS FOR SALE at Lake Santee!  These lots can be purchased for very reasonable prices and, in doing so, allows the owner(s) full access to the lake and all included privileges.  Interested parties may contact the Lake Santee Property Owners Association office at (812) 527-2943 six days a week to learn more about the community and obtain lists of lots for sale and local real estate agents' contact information.

If you are interested in becoming a part of one of the Midwest’s premiere bass fishing lakes, take a few minutes and research Lake Santee.  As tournament directors, our goal is to include as many anglers in our events, not exclude them.  However, we must abide by the association’s bylaws to do so. 

Thank you to everyone for their understanding in this matter.

God Bless,

Chip & Lisa Ayers