Hinkle, Johnson Win Morse Finale; Smith, Rhoades Claim Indiana North Championship

CICERO, Ind. — The Fishers of Men Indiana North Division closed out its 2026 regular season Saturday, Aug. 22, at Morse Reservoir in Cicero, with Hink Hinkle and Brook Johnson taking the tournament victory while Corey Smith and Danny Rhoades secured the season points championship.

Hinkle and Johnson brought a five-fish limit to the scales weighing 15.12 pounds, giving them a 1.26-pound victory in the sixth and final stop of the Indiana North season. Their winning bag was anchored by a 4.82-pound bass, which also earned the team Big Bass honors for the tournament.

Behind the winners, the battle for the remaining top positions was exceptionally tight.

Smith and Rhoades finished second with five fish weighing 13.86 pounds, while Garrick Straber and Mikael Robbins were just nine-hundredths of a pound behind in third with 13.77 pounds. Gary Straber and Jeffery Hackler finished fourth with 13.74 pounds, meaning only 0.12 pounds separated second through fourth place.

Sam Maxwell and James Pitts rounded out the top five with three fish weighing 7.54 pounds.

In all, eight teams weighed fish during the finale, combining for 28 bass and 75.63 pounds.

Anglers had changing weather conditions to contend with throughout the day. The National Weather Service forecast for Hamilton County called for partly cloudy skies and a slight chance of showers early before conditions became mostly sunny later in the day. Winds shifted from the west to northwest and increased as the day progressed, with gusts forecast around 21 mph.

Nearby Indianapolis weather observations showed the region reached 82 degrees Saturday, with 0.03 inches of precipitation recorded. Winds averaged 9.4 mph, with sustained winds reaching 21 mph and northwest gusts as high as 27 mph. Thunderstorms, light rain and fog were also recorded during portions of the day.

While the Morse tournament decided the final event winner, it also settled a close season-long points race.

Entering Morse, Smith and Rhoades led the division with 992 points through five tournaments, followed by Garrick Straber and Robbins with 990 and Gary Straber and Hackler with 988. Jason Smith and Garnett entered fourth with 972, while Carl and Sharon Davis were fifth with 971.

Under the championship format, a team fishing all six tournaments is permitted to drop its lowest point finish. After adding the Morse results and applying the drop, Smith and Rhoades finish as the 2026 Fishers of Men Indiana North Division points champions with 996 points. Their 196-point Geist result becomes their dropped tournament.

Garrick Straber and Robbins finish second with 992 points after dropping a 196-point result, just three points behind the champions. Gary Straber and Hackler finish third at 988 points after dropping one of their 197-point finishes.

Jason Smith and Garnett finish fourth with 974 points after dropping their 191-point result, while Carl and Sharon Davis round out the top five with 973 points after dropping a 193-point finish.

Final 2026 Indiana North Points Standings

Corey Smith/Danny Rhoades — 996

Garrick Straber/Mikael Robbins — 992

Gary Straber/Jeffery Hackler — 988

Jason Smith/Brandon Garnett — 974

Carl Davis/Sharon Davis — 973

The final calculation gives Smith and Rhoades the championship by three points after a six-tournament season that remained undecided until the final weigh-in at Morse Reservoir.

Teams fishing in 3 or more events in the division or 5 throughout the FOMNTT team format can fish the regional event to be held September 18-19, 2026 on Indian Lake in Ohio.