Montana Catfish Association - News & Updates

May 07, 2011 by Montana Cats Staff

The Yellowstone Challenge, brought to you by the Montana Catfish Association in conjunction with Cabelas, returned to Huntley over the weekend and welcomed a record 42 boats to the competition. An unseasonably cold spring gave way to three straight days of beautiful weather leading up to the event, and that’s just what the doctor ordered. The weigh-ins provided all the proof one needed to see that the big fish were active and the anglers were in prime form.

April 30, 2011 by MT Cats Staff

Living in Montana, Wyoming, or the Dakotas can be a frustrating experience for the open water angler. Our time on the water is often limited to seven months, followed by a long hard winter filled with only thoughts of big fish and late night camping adventures. Thankfully, the time has officially arrived! With the weather warming and ice beginning to break on our rivers and reservoirs across the region it is time to get excited and gear up for another catfishing season. As accustomed at Montana Cats, the yearly preview article is intended to serve one sole purpose. We want to put spring fishing on your brain! Late March and into early April can be the most overlooked catfish bight in our area, it will provide some of the biggest catfish you will see the entire year. If there is a time to grab a lawn chair or throw an anchor and just sit, this could be your time. Go out and find that hot spot, that wintering location, where the cats are plentiful. Chances are the channel cats haven’t begun their early season transition, and there is a good shot that their strapping on the feedbag. Whether you are a river or a reservoir angler there is ample opportunity for you this spring. It’s up to you to seize that opportunity. Is it time for the second thirty-pound Channel Cat to come out of Montana waters? Can you break your personal record and hook into one that is worthy of “hanging on the wall”? Get out there and enjoy the great outdoors, then swing in and share your adventure and the fishing story with all of us here at Montana Cats.

With a new fishing season also brings a new tournament season! Like so many of us, if you share a love for fishing and an interest in competition, then the Montana Cats Tournament Circuit is for you. 2011 will provide a slight makeover from the previous seasons on tour. The season will once again open up in Huntley, MT with the annual Yellowstone Challenge, however some changes have taken place. This years event will be bumped up to the first weekend in May, it will be Montana Cats first “boat only” tournament, and it will be scaled back to a fifty team limit. The second stop on tour will be the 12th Annual Milk River Catfish Classic in Glasgow, MT and will take place on the first weekend in June. This year’s biggest change is the addition of our first North Dakota event. The Inaugural Missouri River Catfish Clash will be held out of Williston, ND and will be replacing the Bighorn Catfish tournament. It will be held annually on the third weekend in June. The final stop on tour will bring you back to Eastern Montana, to Sidney, for the 3rd Annual Monster Cat Roundup. Moving back to its traditional second weekend in July, the Roundup should be a blast this season and a great culminating event for the association. Enjoy the tournament schedule below. Click on the tournament names below to download the entry forms and join in on all the fun. We hope to see every one of you out on the water in 2011!

December 31, 2010 by Tyler George

Ice fishing season is a time not often associated with the widely misunderstood Channel Catfish. Most anglers limit their quest for the elusive whiskerfish to strictly the warmest months of the year; typically June, July, and August. In fact, most fishermen are under the impression that catfish are simply “bottom feeders”, and the only way to target them would be to use an unimaginable smelly bait. This common misconception could be no further from the truth.

Upon my relocation to the great plains of Wyoming, I began to gather research on possible channel catfishing destinations. After a few Fall scouting trips, one location stood out above the rest. It was Glendo Reservoir, located within beautiful Glendo State Park in Eastern Wyoming. Before I knew it winter was upon Wyoming and I found myself standing on frozen Glendo Reservoir for the first time.

My first ice fishing trip to this body of water was a learning experience to say the least. We hovered over a location where I had done well during open water season, and after searching for what seemed like hours we finally had five holes drilled at our desired depth. As I excitedly dropped my lure down the ten inch hole, I had visions of landing ten to twenty pounders hand over fist all day long. As my lure hit the bottom I reeled up the slack and began a lift-drop-hold cadence. As I began to lift my rod tip the third time I feel dead weight. To my surprise I was latched into a sizable fish. As drag peeled off, my rod pumped towards the ten inch hole. A few tense minutes later and I was posing for photos with my first ever hard-water whiskerfish.

Later that day we drilled more holes

July 23, 2010 by MT Cats Staff

South Sioux City, NE 7/24/10 – What a weekend in Northeast Nebraska as the First Class Cat Attack came roaring into town. For the first time in tournament history, the headquarters were moved across the Mighty Missouri River from Sioux City, Iowa to South Sioux City, Nebraska. It turned out to be a great move! The city of South Sioux couldn’t wait to play host to one of the finest catfish tournaments in the country, and it didn’t disappoint. Over the course of the past six years, the First Class Cat Attack has attracted anglers from all over the mid-western United States for a chance at some catfish fame. The 7th Annual event was no different, as 45 teams from 6 different states converged on the Missouri and Big Sioux rivers. The anglers were once again targeting all three major species of catfish; the Channel, Blue, and the Flathead.

This years version of the Cat Attack provided teams with an all new obstacle to overcome as both rivers were running much higher than normal. To make matters worse, the South Sioux area was hit with another couple inches of rain just days before the event. The added precipitation from the storm had the Big Sioux River bursting at its seams and the Missouri River on a rapid rise. The high water undoubtedly put some teams in a panic and out of some of their comfort levels. As it turns out, the water levels had a drastic impact on the overall catch rate. Not a single team weighed in their limit of 10 catfish, and 20 teams failed to catch a single fish.

There were many teams who seemed to use all of it to there advantage, however, none more impressively than the duo of Travis Carter, of Elk Point, South Dakota, and Dan Foss, of Onawa, Iowa. The impressive teammates focused their efforts in the Missouri River, jumping on the competition early on in the day. They ultimately weighed in eight catfish, six flathead and 2 channels, that tipped the scales at 26.40 lbs., more than 12 lbs. clear of the next

July 17, 2010 by Montana Cats Staff

All eyes were on Eastern Montana once again this past weekend as the Montana Cats Circuit rolled into Sidney for the 2nd Annual Monster Cat Roundup. The Roundup, the 4th leg on the annual tour, burst onto the scene last summer and debuted with 23 teams. This years event ballooned to 35 teams, while continuing to grow into one of the finest catfish tournaments in the state. The weekend kicked off on Friday night with the Social and Calcutta of the fishing teams at the Ranger Lounge in downtown Sidney. The social was once again well attended and provided the perfect leadup to a long day on the water.