28 teams showed up to Robert Allen Ramp Sunday to see if they could best the rest of the field on a stingy Mark Twain Lake. Division sponsored by 154 Marine.
The lake has been in flux, all spring into summer, rising due to above normal precipitation, then the Corps dropping it back down, so multiple days of “stable conditions” have been few and far between, making it difficult to rely on any one pattern or area to get consistent fishing.
Taking the top spot today was the team of Don and Gary McFetridge. Don and Gary started their day on the lower end of the lake in cleaner water fishing shad colored spinnebaits and chatterbaits in the 1 to 6foot range, around flooded brush, putting 3 keepers in the boat. With the bright high skies, that pattern fizzled around 9 o’clock, so the team made an adjustment, moving up to the mid-lake area with dirtier water and swapping out their shad-colored baits for darker ones, the team finished out their limit weighing 13.64 pounds. Included in their bag was the Wilson Truck Sales Big Bass of the tournament weighing 4.07 pounds. Total winnings for 1st place, Big bass, and side-pot was $2,030.00
Finishing in the Runner-up position was the team of Charlie Kunkle and Keith Williams. Charlie and Keith found success fishing main lake flats, with flooded bushes and grass in 2 to 5 feet of water, their baits of choice were Texas and shaky-head, rigged Brushogs and 7inch worms. Keith stated that the better bites were coming on the deeper submerged bushes that you could only see with Livescope or side imaging. The teams 5 fish limit weighed 12.97 pounds. Keith Williams also earned the Highest Finishing Skeeter honors, as the team competed out of his 2024 FXR21. Winnings totaled $1,210.00 for second place and second side-pot and Skeeter incentive money.
Taking the 3rd position today was the team of Jeff Schultz and Chris Barylski with 5 Bass weighing 12.90 pounds. The team had found a solid topwater bite in practice. However, that bite fizzled with Sunday’s clear skies. Jeff and Chris made an adjustment a found success dragging a Tackle-Max Timber Rattler in 6-to-10-foot depths and caught some keepers on a Rattle Trap. Winnings totaled $700.00
Fourth place went to the team of David and Dustin Kampschroeder with 11.49 pounds winning $320.00
Fifth place went to Steve Chiaurro and Richard Dannegger 11.30 pounds winning $208.00 plus a $100 gift certificate from Country Inn Resort for being the highest finishing team staying at Country Inn Resort.
28 Teams, 70 fish, 8 limits.
Our next and final Mark Twain tournament for the 2026 season, sponsored by 154 Marine, is July 12, 6am take-off Robert Allen ramp. It will be the last chance for teams to earn points to qualify for the Mark Twain Lake Belt Battle Championship scheduled for September 12th.
Host Lodging for Joe Bass Team Trail at Mark Twain Lake is Country Inn Resort. Angela Pratt and her team will take great care of you. Call (573)267-3800
For trail updates, schedule changes and results Like us on Facebook & Instagram.
Photos
Results
| Place | Team Members | Fish | B/F | TotWgt | Pts | Payout |
| 1 | Don McFetridge – Gary McFetridge | 5 | 4.07 | 13.64 | 220 | $2,030.00 |
| 2 | Charlie Kunkle – Keith Williams | 5 | 3.42 | 12.97 | 219 | $1,210.00 |
| 3 | *Chris Barylski – Jeff Schultz | 5 | 2.99 | 12.9 | 218 | $700.00 |
| 4 | David Kampschroeder – Dustin Kampschroeder | 5 | 3.07 | 11.49 | 217 | $320.00 |
| 5 | Steve Chiaurro – Richard Dannegger | 5 | 3.27 | 11.3 | 216 | $208.00 |
| 6 | Keith Hendrix – Rusty Rothweiler | 5 | 3.36 | 11.09 | 215 | |
| 7 | Larry Rothwiel – Steve Smith | 5 | 9.59 | 214 | ||
| 8 | Steve Weber – Sam Phillips | 4 | 3.33 | 9.36 | 213 | |
| 9 | Kenny Wilkinson – Sammy Closser | 5 | 9.32 | 212 | ||
| 10 | Kaiden Davenport – Klayton Marty | 4 | 9.14 | 211 | ||
| 11 | Doug Buhr – Mike Tucker | 4 | 8.4 | 210 | ||
| 12 | Brad Dooley – Gary Koenig | 3 | 3.62 | 8.22 | 209 | $110.00 |
| 13 | Adam Dawdy – Pace Dawdy | 3 | 5.98 | 208 | ||
| 14 | Dominic Perotti – Nick Perotti | 3 | 5.6 | 207 | ||
| 15 | Phil Rothermich – Roman Liteski | 2 | 5 | 206 | ||
| 16 | Matt Bryant – Scott Walker | 2 | 3.71 | 205 | ||
| 17 | Alston Golian – Brandon Carter | 2 | 3.54 | 204 | ||
| 18 | Phil J Zimmerman – Phil M Zimmerman | 2 | 3.46 | 203 | ||
| 19 | Tyler Hermes – Richard Hermes | 1 | 3.43 | 3.43 | 202 | |
| 20 | Mike Smith 2 | 0 | 20 | |||
| Rick Buffington – | 0 | 20 | ||||
| Kurt Denningmann – Chad Denningmann | 0 | 20 | ||||
| Lonnie Franklin – Kyler Benne | 0 | 20 | ||||
| Preston Hartung – *fished aalone | 0 | 20 | ||||
| Dennis McFetridge – Scott McFetridge | 0 | 20 | ||||
| Dave Strutman – Rick McGuire | 0 | 20 | ||||
| Mathew Waller – Connor McBride | 0 | 20 | ||||
| Deno Ek – James Medlock | 0 | 20 |
*alternate