Thanks to the GREAT sponsors who donated to the 2011 Spring MadWags Tournament

[djkimmel]

It is so very important for anyone who enjoys this free site to always consider the companies that make this site possible and events like the MadWags Memorial Members Tournament more fun. Please remember to check out the GreatLakesBass.com Sponsors to see some of the excellent companies that provide great products and services while making this site possible.

Please choose them whenever possible and make sure you tell them you are doing so because of their support for GreatLakesBass.com. I can't stress how critical this is to keep this site going now more than ever.

Please join me in also thanking the following companies who have generously donated prizes for the 2011 MadWags Memorial East on Lake St. Clair despite these very challenging times. Updated 5/23/2011 3:41PM

Grandt Rods (jagbigdog, BrianB and WillyC) For their support and the donation of the special prize - the Grandt Rods Stealth rod personalized to the 1st MadWags Memorial tournament, won by River Rat. Enjoy the high end fishing rod!

TJ's Outdoors Filming (gunner7848) For donating the great Lake St. Clair video package won by new member suckerslayersears.

Economical Bass Baits for donating a GIANT box of Ecomonical Bass Baits that went to a large number of the participants during the 2011 spring event. Tubes, stick worms, plastic worms, jigs, tube jigs, hooks, drop shot weights, large combo kits, you name it! It was in there!

Drop Shot Dennys Bait and Tackle (517-930-1632 macbass on GLBass, macbass0012 at yahoo.com) macbass always generously donates his high quality baits including the NEW Ditch Bug custom creature bait!

Case Plastics (caseman) Case always donates very generously and this year was no different. They sent a large box with a great variety of tubes, worms, stick worm, O-Wacky tools, o-rings and more!!

Independent Tackle (independentMike) independentMike donated 20 Rod Gloves so each of the top 10 team received 2 of these cool rod protectors! Thanks Mike! And thanks for fishing. Hope your young son had fun too!

Garneau Baits (Garneau Baits) Garneau donated their killer new Bed Bugs to two lucky winners chosen at random - congratulations to Revtro and jerkbait!

Revolution Baits (River Rat) Scott donated a great assortment of his custom, quality soft plastics made right here in Michigan!

WaveSpin reels Once again, WaveSpin reel donated a high end DH 3000z no tangle reel won this time by Eric for his 5-4 big smallmouth bass! WaveSpin will be more involved throughout this year as the sponsor of the new picture contest to be announced this week!

Big Bass winner Eric also was very fortunate to win the best landing net on the market today - the Leverage Landing Net generously donated by old$chool (Todd Koehler). This is the net I've been looking for for years! One handed operation with the forearm rest that gives you the leverage to lift these big smallies! Easy storage since the Leverage Landing net collapses down! Easy deploy! Just push and rotate to open and extend fully! Better for the bass and tangle free because it's rubberized and knot-less! The ultimate landing net you have been looking for!

The Mangler (TheMangler) Another new sponsor advertiser of GreatLakesBass.com who generously donated a selection of their unique spinner baits. The Mangler just renewed for the rest of the year! Please check out their unique lures at www.themangler.com covering bass, crappie, trout and other fish!

joshimoto son and Angling A.I. Long time member Josh Clark donated a selection of his custom Drop Shot Minna's and a complete, custom aluminum mold he made himself to make your own custom soft plastic worms! Contact joshimoto son if you need molds for making your own secret lure, maybe creating a custom mold to improve on an existing bait?!? Josh has the equipment to do it for a great price!

Xtreme Bass Tackle (877-485-2223 WayneC) WayneC always helps out and this time donated his new No Secrets on Lake St. Clair DVD (congrats to capt charlie's charters) and a special GreatLakesBass.com Lake St. Clair custom bait combo pack! The new combo packs make it easier for anglers to get the best selection of lures in one reasonable package!

Nemesis Baits (McCarter) Nemesis Baits has always helped out too whenever we ask. Nemesis has really added to their selection of handmade and custom-designed and poured soft plastics, high-end jigs and spinnerbaits. Many participants were lucky to receive some of these lures. Each one was designed over a long period of testing and tweaking to get them just right!

Troll Perfect - Perfect Outdoor Products Also new to GreatLakesBass.com - Troll Perfect fo Perfect Outdoor Products makes your electric trolling motor easier to manage and less tiring by reducing torque on Minn Kota or MotorGuide motors. Check out this helpful product to improve your fishing experience at www.trollperfect.com.

The Bait Bar donated several of their aluminum, sharp-looking bait hangers you can install inside your boat to hang all your best jigs and spinnerbaits safely, making them easier to get at more conveniently!

Jeff Cheetam's Custom Crankbaits (Cheetam) The artiste donated a couple of his high end custom painted crankbaits to the winners of the 2011 MadWags Memorial Members Tournament. See why I refer to Cheetam as the artiste by checking out his picture gallery on the forum.

bassfan586 is new to custom painting lures but I can't tell by looking at his work. He generously donated a good number of his custom-painted crankbaits and minnows that went to a number of the top teams and members. Check out his airbrushing gallery on the forum.

ROI Outdoors used his connections to donate a big list of great additional baits and tackle:
Kustom Kicker Jigs Unique - the finest, hand tied, wire-wrapped silicone and rubber jigs on the market by a GreatLakesBass.com member Dan Hatchew!
Ram Custom Baits High end, tough hand-poured polyurethane foam crankbaits made in Michigan by another GreatLakesBass.com member Aaron Mast!
River2Sea donated a few prize packs including their great football jigs! River2Sea makes some very realistic fishing lures!
TBF of Michigan donated a free entry to their new 2011 TBF Open Series entry to either of the two tournaments - Lake St. Clair or Muskegon (won by suckerslayersears)!

Team S.W.A.G. jigs {csfishslayer, jerkbait) donated a nice selection of their specialty bass fishing tackle to our participants! Quality jigs, spinnerbaits and fishing tackle!

Red DiRT Bait Company donated a selection of their very nice, top quality spinnerbaits through member mjm6.

Airway Lanes in Waterford (fbenn12122000 248-674-0424) once again provided bowling prizes to GreatLakesBass.com. I owe Frank an apology because I did not actually award them to someone. BUT, the good news is that means they are available to give out to other lucky members in an upcoming contest for everyone! Thanks to Frank Benning and Airway Lanes in Pontiac Michigan for always helping out!

dartag is now making some custom swim jigs that he says will really catch the bass. I'm a big swim jig fan and I love to see all the ingenuity of the GreatLakesBass.com members and their homemade, custom creations! Thanks for sharing a good number of your new jigs dartag!

Jay-MadWags generously donated 3 used, but still very nice fishing rods won by random, lucky participants. Thanks Jason and I'm very glad you and Liza fished with us!

I may have forgotten someone considering how long this list is and how short my memory is. If I forgot you, I sincerely apologize and give you permission to send me a snippy message to set me straight (meaning I'll add you to this list too)!!

I know all of you would fish anyway, but it sure does spice things up nicely when all these companies so generously donate items for your enjoyment at their cost!

THANKS so much to all of these great companies and all of the sponsor advertisers without who GreatLakesBass.com would have to shut the doors! Please. Please. Please consider the companies that make GreatLakesBass.com possible whenever you can and thank them too!

[Firefighter Jeff]

  Hmmmm  I need to get better at fishing or buy a rabbits foot. Not sure how I missed out on not winning any of the many prizes.  But, I did have just as good a chance as everyone else on the raffles.  I'd like to thank all thr sponsors.  There are a lot of quality products sold and made by the GLB members and sponsors. Maybe I'll get lucky at the fall Open.    That being said, which sponsor do I solicit to buy some xr50s and a couple xraps??   

[djkimmel]

Try Mike's Rx Baits for those first - not sure if he has those exact models or not? (800) 856-5814 He has some Rapala on the online store but not everything he has in the physical store may be listed online right now.

If he doesn't have them, you could get them through D & R Sports or

Bass Pro Shops.

Bass Tackle Depot (link over on the right edge of the page) has XR50's but does not have XRaps.

I'll make sure you win something this fall!!

[mikesmiph]

Me Too, Me too lol

[djkimmel]

Okay. Okay.