TRENTON, Mich. (July 11, 2005) - Boater Steve Clapper of Lima, Ohio earned $3,596 Saturday as winner of the Bass Fishing League Michigan Division bass fishing tournament on the Detroit River. The tournament was the second of five regular-season Michigan Division events and featured 109 boaters vying for the win, which earned Clapper 200 points in the Boater Division.
Clapper's winning catch of five bass weighed 23 pounds, 4 ounces. He was fishing deep rock piles with goby lures on the north shore of Lake Erie when he caught his limit of bass. Clapper earned an additional $545 as winner of the Boater Division big-bass award, thanks to a 5-pound, 14-ounce bass, plus another $1,000 as winner of the Ranger Cup award.
Finishing second was Scott Dobson of Clarkson with five bass weighing 22 pounds, 5 ounces that earned him $1,798. Thomas Moleski of Elkhart, Ind., claimed $1,177 as the third-place finisher thanks to five bass weighing 20 pounds, 13 ounces. In fourth was Joe Balog of Harrison Township with five bass weighing 20 pounds, 8 ounces worth $915, and finishing fifth and earning $752 was Robert Barta of Deerfield with five bass weighing 19 pounds, 3 ounces.
Dan Manypenny of Streator, Ill., bested 109 Co-angler Division competitors to earn $1,798 as the co-angler winner, thanks to five bass weighing 19 pounds, 14 ounces that he caught on a tube bait.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Jay Ahonen of Ortonville (five bass, 18 pounds, 7 ounces, $899); Homer Stephens of Nobelsville, Ind. (five bass, 17 pounds, 9 ounces, $587); James Gargis of Mishawaka, Ind. (five bass, 17 pounds, 6 ounces, $458); and Travis Edgar of North Webster, Ind. (five bass, 16 pounds, 10 ounces, $376).
Michael Kramer of South Bend, Ind., earned $273 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 5-pound, 8-ounce bass he caught on a goby tube bait.
The Michigan Division's next event will be held July 30 on Muskegon Lake near Muskegon, followed by an event on the Detroit River near Trenton Aug. 20. The Michigan Division will wrap up its regular season Sept. 10-11 with a two-day Super Tournament on the Detroit River near Trenton.