Montana Catfish Association - News & Updates

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.

August 20, 2011 by Montana Cats Staff

The 2011 Montana Cats Circuit came to a dramatic conclusion over the weekend with the Inaugural Missouri River Catfish Clash in Williston, ND. In the state’s first ever Montana Cats event, there was plenty of familiar faces to go around. Featuring twenty-one teams from Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota the tournament would prove to be highly competitive. As is customary with all circuit events, the weekend kicked off with a calcutta of the fishing teams. The calcutta and social were sponsored and hosted by the 4-Mile Bar. Following the auction, the rules meeting was conducted by tournament director, Steve Harris, of the Montana Catfish Association.

July 16, 2011 by Montana Cats Staff

What a weekend! In what can only be described as outstanding, the 12th Annual Milk River Catfish Classic weekend is officially in the books. 2011 was no ordinary year for the Classic. Due to a “100 year” flood on the mighty Milk because of record snowfall and an unseasonable amount of spring rain, the Cat Classic was rescheduled for the first time in tournament history.

July 09, 2011 by Montana Cats Staff

The 3rd Annual Monster Cat Roundup took place in Sidney, Montana over the weekend. The festivities were once again kicked off on Friday night with the social and calcutta of the fishing teams at the Ranger Lounge. A record number of people showed up to bid on their favorite anglers and enjoy some good fishing conversation. Jerry Andreason and Jessie Williams with Good Ol’ Boys Auctioneering put on a show with the calcutta and provided some good entertainment for the crowd. Tournament director, Steve Harris, of the Montana Catfish Association, presented the rules and regulations. As the opening night came to a close there was some nervous anticipation in the air and plenty of excitement to get it all started.

June 10, 2011 by MT Cats Staff

Savage, MT 6/11/11 – The 8th Annual Savage Volunteer Fire Dept. Catfish Tournament brought an all-new ball game this year. Only two weeks prior to the event, the Savage area was dealing with all-time record flows and high water. This in turn dramatically changed the traditional tournament landscape. Anglers had to deal with extremely high fluctuating waters, impassible muddy banks, and unstable weather leading up to the tournament. The prevailing thought was that it would be a struggle to catch the illusive “slot fish” needed to take home the top honors. (teams are only allowed to weigh-in 12″ to 18″ channel catfish) When anglers gathered on Friday night for the annual calcutta, the tournament organizers promised the event would go on as planned and it would be a success. 61 teams filled the competition nearly six weeks in advance. Despite the weather and high water, there was the usual excitement in the air.

This year’s event would smash tournament records, unfortunately in a way the anglers would like to avoid. Their thoughts and concerns came true as it turned out to be the most difficult Savage tournament on record. The statistics were staggering; only eleven teams would catch a fish, and twenty-one total catfish would hit the scales. Not a single team weighed in their limit of five “slot fish”, and one 17″ slot fish would be good enough for sixth place and a spot in the prize money. Tournament veteran, Jim Messer, would captain the championship squad. Jim’s team weighed in four cats at 5.175 lbs., blowing away the field by more than 6 tenths of a pound. Shawn Conradsen captained the runner-up squad, catching four fish at 4.455 lbs. Local angler, Bink Miller, cashed in on a separate cash pool reserved for the big fish contest. Bink’s big cat tipped the scales at 7.955 lbs.

As is customary at the Savage catfish tourney, the fire dept. hosted the community and tournament anglers to a farm raised catfish feed following the weigh-ins and award presentation. Despite the high water, the event once again went off without a hitch. The fire dept. and the whole community of Savage should be commended for their outstanding hospitality and ability to put on such a fun-filled event. The 9th Annual Savage Volunteer Fire Dept. Catfish Tournament will return to Savage on Saturday, June 9th 2012. As a reminder, returning teams will be mailed entry forms next April, they will have until May 1st to fill out the form and return. On May 1st the tournament will open to the public and new anglers will be able to join in on the fun. Hope to see you all next y