Montana Catfish Association - News & Updates

June 09, 2012 by MT Cats Staff

Savage, MT 6/9/12 – The 9th Annual Savage Volunteer Fire Dept. Catfish Tournament is officially in the books and this years leader board truly tells the tale. In a year where records seem to be falling left and right on the Montana Cats Tour, the Savage tournament proved to be no different. Never before had so much weight been brought to the scales. Once again anglers were only able to weigh-in their five biggest slot fish, as only 12″ to 18″ cats count towards your final tally. Anytime you can land over five pounds it is a very successful day on the water and anything near six and you very well could be looking at a championship. This year it took nearly six pounds just to squeak into the top six and take home some prize money.

Local anglers, Chad Mueller, Brady Mueller, and Justin Verhaselt would rise above the rest and turn in a new tournament record, 7.83 lbs, besting the previous mark set by Brenner, Brady, and Jason Flaten in 2006 at 7.74 lbs. The trio pointed to the use of chicken livers and targeting current seems as their keys to the championship. Brady and Chad are some of Montana’s most accomplished catfish tourney anglers and were excited to sit atop the mountain after many years of knocking on the door. Brady has a runner-up finish at the Monster Cat Roundup in 2010, a 12th place finish in last years Milk River Catfish Classic, and a top-five finish at last years Inaugural Missouri River Catfish Clash, while Chad is a two-time runner up at Sidney’s Monster Cat Roundup in 2009 and 2011. A well deserved title indeed.

Taking runner-up honors was the tournament veteran crew of Brenner Flaten, Chad Dawson, and Cade Flaten. Finishing well off the pace, they weighed in a five catfish limit at 6.50 lbs. The three anglers felt fortunate after the events culmination, as they did not have a single slot fish in the boat before noon. Rounding out the top three was another local squad: Don Mastvelten, Kirk Sanders, and Donny Dillman. They pushed for 2nd place honors, coming up just short with 6.45 lbs. Despite not be able to weigh-in a slot fish, Brandon Mueller was able to bring even more success to the Mueller family this past weekend. Brandon cashed-in on the tournaments big fish pot when he weighed in a 14.435 lb. Yellowstone trophy. It is one of the bigger fish ever weighed in at the Savage tournament and Brandon’s personal best after many years of chasing kitties in the Sidney area. Congrats on a fantastic catch Brandon!

There are a few things that you can always count on when it comes to fishing. A great time in Savage, Montana on the second weekend of every June is one of them certainties. The folks with the Savage Volunteer Fire Dept. are first class and put on a top shelf event year in and year out. If you are an avid tournament angler and would like the challenge of targeting “slot fish” for a change, it is time to start making your plans. We can assure you it will not disappoint. Anglers who have fished the tournament the previous year always have the first chance at registration, so if you are new to the party, do not wait long as it fills its 60-team field very quick. Come and enjoy an incredible calcutta that you have to see to believe and enjoy a farm-raised catfish feed after a long day on the water. Please enjoy the top six results from this past weekend’s event below.

June 01, 2012 by Montana Cats Staff

In perhaps the greatest weekend in Montana Cats Circuit history, two young anglers proved the future of Montana catfishing is in good hands. The 13th Annual Milk River Catfish Classic events kicked off on Friday night on Glasgow’s famous front street with the annual catfishing social and calcutta of the fishing teams.

May 12, 2012 by Montana Cats Staff

One of the most loaded fields of Catfish anglers in tournament history competed in the 6th Annual Yellowstone Challenge this past weekend. The bite, however, had slowed considerably throughout the week and it stifled many of the veteran competitors. Nearly half of the thirty-seven team field experienced just how un-cooperative Yellowstone River cats can be some days. It didn’t take long for tournament champions Rod Seder and Kurt Weber to get into the swing of things at the Challenge.

May 04, 2012 by MT Cats Staff

Lewellen, NE 5/5/12 – The water is back up on Lake McConaughy and it seems to only be benefitting the area catfish population. When the catfish are active, the annual Nebraska Catfish Classic held on Lake Mac and the North Platte River is tough to beat. The 15th Annual took place this past weekend, headquartered once again out of the Oregon Trail Trading Post in Lewellen, Nebraska. Darrell and the crew kicked off the weekend with a free fisherman’s feed, followed by the Calcutta and social on Friday night. The weather cooperated with sunny skies opening up to provide an 80-degree day for all to enjoy.

Rest assured, no one in attendance will soon forget what they witnessed at the weigh-ins. For the second year in a row, the tournament record was broken, however, this time it went down by over ten pounds. Kevin Robertson and Doug Canning placed their 10-fish limit on the scale and watched it dial up to an amazing, 92.68 lbs. The duo had a balanced basket with nearly every fish over 9 lbs., and their biggest coming in at 10.4 lbs. They pointed to using live minnows and having some valuable pre-fishing as the keys to the impressive victory. Both men were excited to finally claim the tournaments top prize after competing in the event for over a decade.

Perhaps the bigger prize is the bragging rights they have now acquired over their sons, Nathan Robertson and Jeremy Canning, who came in nipping at their heals with an equally amazing basket of fish, tipping the scales at 91.78 lbs. Nathan and Jeremy came up just short of taking down their elders, but can be proud of the fact that they weighed in the second biggest weight in the fifteen years of the event. They were aided by the big fish of the day, a 12.14 lb. bruiser. Focusing their efforts up the North Platte River, the teammates managed to catch, what they estimate to be, over 100 catfish on the day and were not able to keep more than two rods in the water at any time. Both of the top two teams had the benefit of Air Boats to navigate the rough terrain that the North Platte is known for, especially in low flows, as was the case this year.

Rounding out the top three was Mark Canning and Alex Canning with an impressive 10-fish basket at 80.92 lbs. Incredibly, thirteen teams brought in over 60 lbs. and over half of the 52-team field weighed in over 30 lbs. The day proved difficult for some of the teams, however, as eighteen teams failed to weigh fish. Every year teams have to make the all-important decision on whether to concentrate their efforts in the lake or make their way up the river. The decision can often make or break a team’s ultimate success and this year was no different.

Any prospective catfish tournament anglers looking for an early season event that is fun, profitable, and accommodating look no further than the Lake Mac Cat Classic making its return for a sixteenth time next year on Saturday May 4th, 2013. Darrell and the crew at the Oregon Trail Trading Post will treat you right and you will make a few friends in the process. Please enjoy the complete results and podcasts from this past weekend below.

April 03, 2012 by MT Cats Staff

The sun is beginning to peak through in Big Sky Country. That can only mean one thing to all of us here. Its almost catfishing season! For many of us, this open water season cannot arrive fast enough. Due to last years harsh winter season and the record-breaking snowfall it seems as if it’s been two years since some of us have hit the water. That winter had a major effect on last seasons warm water fishing. Many of the rivers and streams across Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas were nearly unfishable for a lot of the spring and summer months, or at the very least, a precarious situation for many. Those that did brave the conditions, however, were treated to some of the finest catfishing in recent memory. Even the surrounding reservoirs reached all-time peak levels and provided anglers with a new obstacle when targeting their favorite species. The Montana Cats Circuit was also affected greatly. A record setting Yellowstone Challenge beat the rough high water conditions and went off without a hitch last May. The same could not be said for the remaining three events on tour. For the first time in history, Montana Cats was forced to move an event to a later date. The 12th Annual Milk River Catfish Classic faced a “100 year flood” on the Milk River and was forced from its customary 1st weekend in June, and moved to mid July. The tournament did not disappoint, however, despite the change of plans as the 2nd greatest weight in tournament history hit the scales. The Monster Cat Roundup, held in Sidney in July and the Inaugural Missouri River Catfish Clash held in August, out of Williston, ND, were both held in flood conditions, but the catfish didn’t seem to mind as new tournament records were achieved and the bars were raised high for future years to come. Outside of the tournament scene, positive fishing reports came from every direction as late summer and fall gave way to more stable river conditions. One body of water in general, the Milk River, seen three cats of greater than fifteen pounds pulled from its depths. This is unheard of for the modern day Mighty Milk. All three genuine trophies were released to fight another day. Fort Peck Reservoir and the Yellowstone River also boasted numerous large fish in the summer of 2011.