WEST OLIVE, Mich. (Aug. 9, 2004) - Jim Liechty of Fort Wayne, Ind., earned $3,906 Saturday as winner of the third regular-season Bass Fishing League Michigan Division bass fishing tournament on the Grand River near West Olive. He caught five bass weighing 12 pounds, 8 ounces to claim the win and 200 points in the Boater Division.
Liechty is riding quite a hot streak, having won the July 10 Michigan Division event on the Detroit River and following that up with an EverStart Series victory on the same fishery two weeks later. For this Saturday's win, Liechty also earned a $1,000 bonus from Ranger Boats as the highest-finishing participant in the Ranger Cup incentive program, and he earned another $500 from Yamaha because his boat is powered by a Yamaha outboard. Garmin also awarded him $1,000 for using only Garmin electronics during the event.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Mark Flick of Delton (five bass, 12 pounds, 2 ounces, $1,953); Brian Rand of Mattawan (five bass, 11 pounds, 13 ounces, $1,328); Daniel Boersema of Muskegon (five bass, 11 pounds, 7 ounces, $1,016); and Thomas Overholt Jr. of Grand Rapids (four bass, 11 pounds, 1 ounce, $859).
Overholt earned $715 as the Boater Division big-bass award winner thanks to a 3-pound, 15-ounce bass he caught on a football jig.
Mike Haws of Osceola, Ind., claimed $1,817 as winner of the Co-angler Division with a five-bass catch weighing 12 pounds, 10 ounces that he caught on Senko.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Simeon Stearns of North Vernon, Ind. (five bass, 10 pounds, 3 ounces, $908); Stephen Roth of Syracuse, Ind. (four bass, 8 pounds, 11 ounces, $618); Rick Kovary of Waterford Township (two bass, 6 pounds, $472); and Kevin Burkhalter of Decatur, Ind. (three bass, 5 pounds, 6 ounces, $400).
Kovary also earned $323 as the co-angler big-bass winner with a 4-pound, 4-ounce bass he caught on a tube.
The Michigan Division's next stop will be Aug. 21 on the Detroit River in Trenton, and the regular season will come to a close Sept. 18-19 with a two-day Super Tournament on the Detroit River in Trenton.