Team Bear With ME
Over the years, Team Bear With Me has molded into a bonafide group of anglers with the passion and determination to achieve the unachievable.
With having netted in multiple tournament and championship wins, these fishermen continue to prove that they're a boat focused on the top spot.
'Bear With Me earns big win at Ludington Legends Memorial Tournament'
2022
One team though followed a plan none of them felt comfortable with and came in with a box that left the crowd shocked. Bear With Me had a 113.05 pounds box with a big fish of 26.9 pounds.
“We sat down, and we didn’t really like it, but we just kept hitting fish so we couldn’t really leave it,” said Captain Adam Howell. “We just kept plugging away and by 8:30 we had three good fish and we were thinking about leaving it but we hit another good one so we were just committed to the same water all day.”
Despite their discomfort with staying in one spot, the team walked up the weigh-in cheering and laughing. As Howell lifted each fish out of the cooler, he would raise it in the air and let people cheer before placing it in the bucket.
As the last fish went in, the crowd applauded for the team that outweighed the competition by more than 30 pounds.
“Pretty much you just need a special fish and some luck,” Howell said. “We hit our biggest fish at 1:30 with no time left.”
Bear With Me is a Ludington team who enjoys this tournament each year. The captain’s father, Barry Howell, said it’s difficult because the teams have to choose five of their biggest fish. This time they had around 16 good fish to choose from.
“It was a good team effort,” he said. “It’s our home port, so it’s an awesome tournament to be a part of. Best tournament on the Great Lakes.”
Courtesy of the Ludington Daily News
2023
'Bear With Me repeats as
Ludington Legends champion'
Being a back-to-back winner of the Ludington Offshore Classic’s Legends tournament had Barry Howell, owner of Bear With Me, excited and proud of the captain and crew.
Bear With Me won the event in 2022 and defended its title in 2023 edging out 77 other boats in the Ludington Legends Tournament on Thursday.
The Ludington Legends is a one-day tournament in which teams can weigh up to five fish. In previous years, it was called the Ruboy Shoot-out named in honor of Pete Ruboyianes, a well-known charter captain in Ludington. It was renamed in 2022 to honor some of the other famous boat captains from Ludington that have passed away.
“To back up last year’s win is very hard to do,” said Howell. “This is a credit to our team, how we fish, my son (Adam the captain of the boat).”
“We hit a special fish on a rig that you would not normally hit on that rig,” Adam said. “We hit two 25-pounders back to back and that is what you need. You need two things to win: you need to be good and have your fish but you also need special fish. We had a lot of fish today, but we did not have that special fish. We fished it right to the end and ran the boat hard today.”
Adam said the story goes back 10 years ago when he and his dad were just getting into fishing, they had a little 21-foot boat. We would have a hard time even catching five fish during the Ruboy Thursday tournament.
“My dad’s goal was always to win Ruboy Thursday,” Adam said. “Last year was cool to win the Ruboy and to back it up this year it feels a little more special.”
Adam said for him it has been all of the relationships that he has built through fishing.
“As we stepped up to a bigger boat and all of the people we talked to and networked with,” he said. “For this tournament to honor Pete Ruboyianes, Jerry Lee, Doug Strzynski and the guys paved the way for salmon fishing out of Ludington.”
On Thursday Bear With Me caught five fish weighing in at 99.35 pounds just nipping Livin the Dream by 1.3 pounds.
Courtesy of the Ludington Daily News
What It's All About
There isn't a feeling in the world like when you hear the zing of a 400 Copper take off or landing that 28lb king you've spent the last hour and a half fighting in 8-footers while it's down pouring. But when it comes to fishing, it's not just about the big catch or winning another title, it's about the time that you've just spent out on that big beautiful lake, laughing with family and friends, and taking in every single second of that moment making memories that will last forever.
To start making your memories, give Captain Adam a call and book your day on the water today!