Dains, Evans, Mantanya Win King Kat on Truman Lake
The winning bag included Big Kat.
Catfish anglers from several states traveled to Truman Lake at Clinton, MO for a King Kat Tournament Trail event presented by Bass Pro Shops Cabela’s. Seven teams gathered to test their catfishing skills against other anglers and Mother Nature.
Anglers fishing the August 28, 2021, Region 3 event were vying for $2,540 in cash and prizes, an opportunity to qualify for regional competition, and the opportunity to qualify for this year’s King Kat Classic Championship on the Red River at Natchitoches, LA, November 5-6, 2021. The Classic features a guaranteed payout of $125,000 in cash and prizes.
Anglers fishing the Truman Lake tournament were greeted with hot and humid weather. The water temperature was in the 80s and a light breeze gave some relief to the anglers. In the interest of fish health, the tournament allowed only three fish to be weighed. Two could be over the length limit and one had to be under.
Not only did competing anglers have to abide by the length limit, but a protected slot exists on Truman also. The lake and its tributaries have a daily limit of no more than two blue catfish longer than 34 inches. There is also a protected slot measurement of 26 inches to 34 inches. Any blue catfish that fits in this slot must be released unharmed immediately.
First Place and Big Fish
Teaming up to take the top spot on Truman were Adam Dains, Tyler Evans, and Corey Mantanya. The three anglers brought 60.32 pounds to claim the win and earn a check for $1,500. Their bag included Big Kat of the tournament at 29.28 pounds.
“We fished the Grand Arm of the lake,” reported Dains. The weather on tournament day was very hot but there was a nice breeze all morning long and into the afternoon.”
The team did well in the morning catching lots of slot fish and a few unders. They were drifting flats using gizzard shad for bait.
“Around 11 am we decided to make a move,” recalled Dains. “We anchored on a shallow flat near a channel ledge. That move paid off and we were able to boat 3 large fish over the slot by 12:30.
Gizzard shad was again the bait of choice when they switched to fishing on the rope. The third and last fish on that anchor was the 29.28-pound fish that held up as Big Kat of the tournament.
“Since it was a 3-fish weigh-in (2 overs/1 under ) we made the decision to trailer in and weigh in early,” explained Dains. “All of the fish were returned to the lake very healthy.”
“Thanks for putting on a good tournament,” concluded Dains. “We had a great time.”
Second Place 
The runner-up spot went to Levi and Eric Sasse. The Vandalia, IL team brought a total weight of 30.55 pounds to the scales at Bucksaw Marina & Resort to claim the second-place spot and earn a check for $600.
Team Sasse fished Coopers Creek in shallow water. They found their fish dragging cut shad from the shallow water into deeper water. They caught around 30 fish on the day with several of them in the protected slot of 26 to 34 inches.
Third Place 
The third-place spot went to Wallace Maier from Morrison, IL, and Nathan Thornhill from Gillespie IL. They teamed up to bring 17.26 pounds to the scales and earn a check for $300.
Maier and Thornhill Fished near the Longshoal area. Their fishing method of choice was dragging. The team targeted water ranging from 12 to 15 feet deep. They used cut shad for bait to catch around 60 fish on the day. Many of those fish were in the
Epilogue
Tournament director, Willy Pranker thanked Rick and Tanya from Bucksaw Resort and Marina for their assistance and support of the tournament. He also thanked Clinton County Tourism for hosting the 2021 event.
The 2021 Championship
This year’s King Kat Classic Championship will be held on the Red River at Natchitoches, LA, November 5-6, 2021. The Classic features a guaranteed payout of $125,000 in cash and prizes. The points race is set to pay $30,000 to the top 20 places based on the competitor’s top-five finishes.
National Sponsors
Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s King Kat Tournament Trail sponsors include: Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s, Mercury Marine, Mustad Hooks, Humminbird, Minn Kota, Gamma Line, Driftmaster Rod Holders, Ego Nets, EFX Graphics, Catfish Now, Fin n’ Frames, Cat River Anchors, Smooth Move Boat Seats, Power-Pole, Lowe Boats, Crockett Creek Beef Jerky, and Garmin.
For more information on the championship and other King Kat activities visit their website at www.kingkatusa.com. Anglers can also follow the trail on the King Kat Facebook Page.
