An early bite led Team Grose to top honors at Jeffersonville, IN.
Catfish anglers from eight states traveled to the Ohio River for a King Kat Tournament Trail Super Event presented by Bass Pro Shops Cabela’s. Fifteen teams gathered at Jeffersonville, IN to test their catfishing skills against other anglers and Mother Nature.
Competitors were vying for $3,700 in cash and prizes, and an opportunity to qualify for the $120,000 Classic Championship to be held November 1 and 2, 2019, on the Tennessee River (Wheeler Lake) at Decatur, Alabama.
The weather turned off hot in the mid-90s making the water temps high too. Winds picked up both days into the 10-20 mph range giving anglers an additional challenge to go with very light river current which tends to make the fishing tough. Nevertheless, some good fish came to the scales.
Results for the Top Catfish Teams
Chris and Mike Grose relied on an early day-two bite to claim top honors at Jeffersonville, IN. The Glenwood, WV team finished day-one in second place before scoring a two-day total weight of 210. 74 pounds to earn first place and a check for $2,000.
Team Grose fished south past Leavenworth targeting fish in 40 foot of water on ledges. It was unseasonably warm for the end of September.
“It was a hot two days,” reported Chris. “The water temperature was in the high 70s to low 80s. We were dragging skipjack both days in 40 foot of water and deeper on the Cannelton Pool.”
“The fish were scattered,” continued Chris. “They followed a pattern of moving out in the river as the day progressed. The fish were aggressive, hitting baits at a fast speed. The bite was better in the morning before noon. We just kept baits in the water and attempted to present them to as many fish as we could. We landed 11 fish on Friday and 6 on the final day.”
The runner-up spot went to Justin and Gerald Hedges from Waddy, KY and Rodney Hall from Shepherdsville, KY. They teamed up to weigh 182.62 pounds in the two-day event. They earned a check for $ 900.
The three-angler team fished the Leavenworth area of the Ohio River. They were drifting and dragging skipjack to land around 20 fish for the weekend. They found their fish by targeting ledges and structure in 40-45 feet of water.
The team of Tom Petrowski and Henry Neafus claimed the third spot at Jeffersonville, IN. The Brooks, KY team weighed a two-day total of 163.78 pounds and earned a check for $ 500.00.
Petrowski and Neafus fished right below the McAlpine Dam. They targeted their fish in the heaviest current. On day-two, they bumped all day using skipjack to land 16 fish for the weekend.
The Big Kat award went to Paul Petrowski from Louisville, KY and William Conway from Shepherdsville, KY. They weighed a 52.62-pound Ohio River Blue to claim bragging rights and earn a check for $ 300.00.
The Remaining Top Catfish Teams
4th Place – Lawrence Taugher and Terry Raymer – 150.56
5th Place – Wayne Bodine and Travis Bodine – 137.54
6th Place – Will Sylvester and Russell Sylvester – 125.04
7th Place – Jody Beavin and Homer Lane – 120.50
8th Place – Willie Smith and Nick Anderson – 108.80
9th Place – Carl Morris Jr. and Rob Parsons – 107.90
10 Place – Paul Petroski Jr. and William Conway – 106.74
Epilogue
Tournament director, Jeremy Coe sent a special thank you to the City of Jeffersonville and Clark-Floyd CVB for making this a great event as always.
National Sponsors
Bass Pro Shops Cabela’s King Kat Tournament Trail sponsors include: Bass Pro Shops Cabela’s, Excel Boats, Mercury Marine, Mustad Hooks, Humminbird, Minn Kota, B’n’M Poles, Gamma Line, Driftmaster Rod Holders, Ego Nets, Xtreme Bait Systems, Clear Boards, EFX Graphics, Catfish Now, Fin n’ Frames, WavePro, and Crown Trophy
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.
