1st Place~ Mark Farrow of Meredosia, IL and Luke Steen of Dunlap, IL.
This past Friday and Saturday August 27th and 28th, Cabela’s King Kat Tournament Trail held their annual National Championship on the Mississippi River Pool 19 in Ft. Madison, Iowa. In all 156 of the top catfish teams from across the nation competed in this 2 day event for over $53,000.00 in cash and prizes.
Taking first place with a weight of 151.60 pounds was the team of Mark Farrow of Meredosia, IL and Luke Steen of Dunlap, IL. Mark and Luke took home a new Polar-Kraft boat rigged with an Evinrude E-Tec Motor, Minn-Kota trolling motor and Garmin electronics. Along with the $14,000.00 1775 Polar Kraft boat rig, the team received an additional $3,000.00 check for first place. Farrow and Steen also caught big fish of the event with a beautiful 40.75 pound cat, netting a new Minn Kota trolling motor and $600.00 cash for big fish of the tournament. The team had found a dike below pool 19 with 35 feet of water and good current the first day of competition. On day 2 their luck in that area had run out, but were able to catch enough fish up stream to hold on to their lead and win the event.
In second place was the team of Tim Haynie of Corinth, MS and Ron Ricketts of Cumberland, TN with 127.55 pound of catfish. Haynie and Ricketts were fishing in 13 to 21 feet of water using the ole Tennessee River Drifting technique with skipjack as bait below the dam. The team received for second place a new $13,000.00 Polar Kraft 1675 boat rig with an Evinrude E-Tec engine, Minn Kota trolling motor and garmin electronics. The team wished to thank all those that had been such a help to them including angler Phil King. The team caught their fish using the Cabela’s Phil King Series King Kat Rods.
In third place was the team of Buddy Wiesenberger of Quincy, IL and Steve Shelts of Quincy, IL with 122.20 pound. Buddy and Steve were fishing in Pool 19 using cut shad in 2 to 27 feet of water. The team took home a check for $3,000.00 for third place. Taking fourth place was the husband and wife team of Bill and Julie Kunzeman of Concord, IL weighing in 110.10 pound. Bill and Julie Kunzeman were fishing in 30 feet of water to catch their channel cats and take home a check for $2,000.00.
Rounding out the top five was the team of Joe Thomas of Ozawkie, KS and Karl Naylor of Topeka, KS with 102.00 pound. Thomas and Naylor were fishing in the south end of Pool 19 using cut shad in 15 feet of water. They had fished the same area most of the event. The team took home a check for $1,500.00.