Southwest Michigan Steelheaders

06/03/2026

We lost a leader and vibrant member of our fishing community. Come out to celebrate the life of Past Chapter President Jim Bennett this Saturday, June 6 from 3-5 PM at the SJ-BH Elks Club.

https://www.haisleyfuneralhome.com/obituaries/james-bennett?fbclid=IwdGRjcASMUBhleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeBannQnBrvKZ2fDV8f4I77lGOylepMO3CX0FnV0EneRw4a0OmyxBoyflERHE_aem_y0mBhV5h7lgj_vYG1Xpolg

View James "Jim" Martin Bennett's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

05/28/2026

SWMI Steelheaders,

I wanted to reach out with an important update on Trolling with the Troops (TWTT) — and ask for your help.

Right now, we are in a great position… but we still have work to do.
• ✅ 21 boats registered
• ✅ 72 veterans ready to fish
• ⚠️ 51 veterans still on the waiting list

That means 51 veterans are still hoping for the opportunity to get out on the water with us.
________________________________________
🎣 We Need More Boats & Captains
To make this event everything it should be, we need additional captains and boats.

If you are able to participate — even if you’ve been on the fence — now is the time. Your boat can directly make the difference in getting a veteran off the waiting list and onto the water.

👉 Register your boat here:
https://trollingwiththetroops.org/

If you don’t have availability, please consider reaching out to:
• Fellow anglers
• Charter captains
• Friends or contacts who may be willing to help

Every additional boat matters.
________________________________________
Why This Matters
Trolling with the Troops is one of the most meaningful things we do as a chapter. It’s about more than fishing — it’s about:
• Giving veterans a day on the water
• Rebuilding camaraderie and connection
• Saying “thank you” in a way that truly means something
We have the opportunity to step up — now we just need the boats to match the demand.
________________________________________
🍻 Reminder: June 4th Fundraiser at The Buck
Don’t forget — our Give Back Night at The Buck & Brew is coming up:
📅 Thursday, June 4th
📍 The Buck & Brew, St. Joseph
💙 25% of all sales go to support TWTT
Even if you can't captain a boat, this is another great way to support the program.
________________________________________
👍 Final Ask
If you can help — please register your boat today or help us spread the word.

This is one of those moments where our chapter can really show what we’re about.

Let’s get those 51 veterans off the waiting list and onto the water.
I appreciate everything this group continues to do.

— Alan
Alan Douville
President, Southwest Michigan Steelheaders

Free veteran fishing event in St. Joseph, MI on Lake Michigan. Trolling with the Troops pairs veterans with local charter fishing captains.

05/26/2026

Look how these guys do it …

05/15/2026

An event truly worth supporting, helping us fund our annual Trolling with the Troops event where Boat Captains and Crew volunteer to take our Veterans out for a day of fishing, fun, connecting and thanking them for their service. If you can find time on June 4th, please come and enjoy dining at The Buck, where 25% of the proceeds go to those who served us all. Thank you Veterans and we look forward to seeing everyone at The Buck!

05/12/2026

🎣🏆 Congratulations to the Winners of the 2026 Schu's Grill & Bar Shootouts Spectacular – PRO/AM AM Division! 🏆🎣

Another incredible day on the water with an amazing group of anglers — this tournament just keeps getting better every year! 💙

AM Division Winners:
🥇 1st Place ~ Utopia — $1,000
🥈 2nd Place ~ High Priorities — $550
🥉 3rd Place ~ Offline — $350

🎉 And our “first out of the money” winner goes to:
Chris Reid on Climax — taking home the Ice Strong Outdoors 9’ & 10’ diver rods Ice Strong Outdoors!
Now THAT is a great way to just miss and still win big! 😄🎣

👏 We also paid out deeper into the field!
5th – 13th Place each received a $100 Team Dreamweaver Gift Card:
5️⃣ The One
6️⃣ Lester’s Dream
7️⃣ Cinful
8️⃣ Jeanie Ann
9️⃣ Wonder
🔟 Reel Lunatic
1️⃣1️⃣ Northport Nailers
1️⃣2️⃣ Salmon Hound
1️⃣3️⃣ Shenanigans

Huge congratulations to all the teams and a big thank you to the sponsors and everyone who made this event such a success! 🙌

Already looking forward to the next one! 🎣🔥

Tournament Trail

05/11/2026

🎣🏆 Congratulations to the Winners of the 2026 Schu's Grill & Bar Shootouts Spectacular – PRO/AM Tournament! 🏆🎣

What a fantastic day on the water — great competition, great teams, and an all-around incredible event!

Pro Division Winners:
🥇 1st Place ~ Smokeshow — $5,500
🥈 2nd Place ~ Giv-N-the-bird — $2,900
🥉 3rd Place ~ Special Ed — $1,650
4️⃣ Flat Out — $750

And let’s not forget our “first boat out of the money” winner…

🎉 Best Chance Too takes home the Ice Strong Outdoors 9’ & 10’ diver rods! What a way to just miss and still win BIG! 😄🎣

A huge thank you to our new sponsor LeValley Chevrolet GMC for supporting this amazing tournament and helping make it such a success! 💙

We’re so grateful for this incredible fishing community — already looking forward to the next one!

05/09/2026

🎣🏆 **Congratulations to the Winners of the 2026 Schu's Grill & Bar Shootouts Spectacular – Open Division!** 🏆🎣

What an incredible tournament — amazing fishing, great competition, and a fantastic community on the water!

Here are your winners:

🥇 **1st Place** ~ Best Chance Too — $15,000
🥈 **2nd Place** ~ Fin Scout — $5,000
🥉 **3rd Place** ~ Blue Chip — $3,500
4️⃣ **Reel Paradise** — $1,750
5️⃣ **Salmon Row** — $1,500
6️⃣ **Lucky Strike 2** — $1,250
7️⃣ **Utopia** — $1,000

👏 Huge congratulations to all the teams!

This tournament continues to deliver — **catch 7 fish and it pays 7 places!** What a format! 🎉

And we’re not done yet…

🎣🔥 **Today is the Schu's Grill & Bar Shootout Pro/Am Tournament!** 🔥🎣
Boats return at **1:30 PM** — come join us for the **weigh-in and awards** at **West Basin Marina near the Yacht Club**.

Let’s keep the excitement going — see you at the scales! 🎣💙

Tournament Trail

05/06/2026

It’s our stop this week for Tournament Trail, and what a better way to kick things off for the Schu's Grill & Bar shoot out then our week long entry for the Sport Track Physical Therapy and Human Performance Fish pic of the month contest!

This is our way of showing appreciation to all the fishermen and fisherwoman that make this club/fishery in St Joe so amazing.

We will be going live next Wednesday to select a random member for the monthly $50 gift card to one of our great local tackle stores ClearH2O Tackle, TACKLE HAVEN, Charlie's Fishin Hole

How it works

Must be an active SWMI Steelheader to win. You can sign up/ renew @

https://swmisteelheaders.com/membership/

✅ share and like this original post

✅ comment your Fish Pic and any details about your catch, we all love a good fish story!

✅ tag two of your fishing buddies in your comment

✅ tune in next Monday as we go live to randomly select a member to win the $50 gift card

Let’s see them fish pics! Let’s build this page and our club to help create the best fisheries we can here in South West Michigan!

05/03/2026

MSSFA Southwest Chapter – Member Action Requested

Many of you may have seen recent discussion around new legislation introduced in Lansing (House Bills 5801 and 5802) that could change how commercial fishing is regulated on the Great Lakes. As anglers who care deeply about healthy, sustainable fisheries, this is something we’re paying close attention to.
Michigan’s sport fisheries don’t just provide recreation — they support local jobs, charter businesses, marinas, bait shops, tourism, and coastal communities across the state. Those resources took decades of careful management and cooperation to rebuild, and protecting them matters to everyone who fishes the Great Lakes.
As President of the MSSFA Southwest Chapter and a St. Joseph resident, I share these concerns and encourage our members to stay informed and speak up respectfully as constituents if they choose.

What members (and everyone) can do:

Take time to read about HB 5801 and HB 5802
Consider how changes to commercial harvest could affect sport fishing opportunity and local economies
Reach out to your elected representatives and share your perspective as a Michigan angler

Representatives for the St. Joseph / Southwest Michigan area:
State Representative (House District 38)

Rep. Joey Andrews
📧 [email protected]
State Senator (Senate District 17)
Sen. Jonathan Lindsey
📧 [email protected]

When contacting them, a short, calm message carries the most weight. Share:

That you are a Michigan angler and constituent
Why healthy sport fisheries matter to you and your community
Your hope that long‑term conservation and public access remain priorities

MSSFA is not about politics — it’s about protecting the fisheries we all depend on. We’ll continue to monitor this closely and keep members informed as more details emerge.

If you’ve already reached out or have reliable information to share, feel free to comment so others can stay informed as well.

— MSSFA Southwest Chapter 🎣

🔗 Official bill page:
https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2026-HB-5801

https://legislature.mi.gov/Home/GetObject?ObjectName=2026-HB-5802

The Michigan Legislature Website is a free service of the Legislative Service Bureau in cooperation with the Michigan Legislative Council, the Michigan House of Representatives, the Michigan Senate, and the Library of Michigan. This site is intended to provide accurate and timely legislative informa...

04/30/2026

🎣🔥 Schu’s Pro/Am – Saturday Just Got Even MORE Interesting! 🔥🎣

Alright anglers… we’ve got a twist you’re going to LOVE (especially if the fish don’t cooperate 😉).

At this Saturday’s Schu's Pro/Am Tournament, there’s a prize for the FIRST BOAT OUT of the money in both the PRO and AM division!

Yep… you read that right.

If you just miss placing in the tournament, you could still walk away a winner thanks to our awesome sponsor
👉 Ice Strong Outdoors

Matt and Laura Strong are stepping up and donating a 9’ and 10' diver rod to the first team out of the money 🎉

Talk about the BEST way to “lose” out on tournament money 😄

These are high-quality rods built for serious anglers — definitely something you want on your boat!

We can’t thank Matt & Laura enough for supporting the tournament and this amazing fishing community 💙

So whether you’re chasing the leaderboard… or accidentally winning the “first out” prize… it’s shaping up to be an incredible day on the water.

Who’s ready to fish?! 🎣🔥 Be sure to register: https://swmisteelheaders.com/shootouts-spectacular/