Inclement weather may have made the catfishing better at Camden, SC.
Catfish anglers from eight states traveled to Lake Wateree for a King Kat Tournament Trail presented by Bass Pro Shops Cabela’s. Twenty-six teams gathered at Camden, SC to test their catfishing skills against other anglers and Mother Nature.
As is often the case, Mother Nature did her part by taking the temperature from 100 degrees on Friday to 70 degrees on Saturday with 10-15 mph winds. The rain fell all day long. Some teams suggested that the change in weather actually made the fishing better.
Competitors were vying for $6,870 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.
Results for the Top Catfish Teams
Princeton, WV anglers Richard Wimmer and Kevin Hubbard claimed the top spot at Camden with a total weight of 102.22 pounds. The first-place winners earned a check for $3,000 after arriving on tournament day with no time to prefish.
“We fished the edges of the river channel above Beaver Creek,” reported Wimmer. “All our fish came from the top of the channel while the bait was climbing.”
“We NEVER had a bite after 10:30,” emphasized Wimmer. “We arrived in Camden on tournament day and never got on the water for pre-fishing or getting bait. We got some dead perch that were left over from a Friday tournament angler. That’s all we had for bait.”
The team recognized their Boy Custom Rods, Lowrance Electronics, and Monster Rod Holders for performing well in their victory. They landed a total of 8 fish on the day.
The runner-up spot went to Zach Taylor from Rock Hill, SC and Ken Kennamer from Indian Land, SC. They brought 96.56 pounds to the scales in their new Excel StormCat 230 to earn $1,500. Their bag included Big Kat of the tourney at 42.70 pounds to add $520 to the payday.
Taylor and Kennamer found their fish above the State Park where they were targeting fish on the river channel in 12-25 feet of water.
“We had been fishing all week and catching a bunch of numbers,” said Taylor. “But prefishing water temperatures got up to 90° and the bite shut down. On tournament day a cold front came in and the fishing was even worse.”
The team scanned a spot where they had been catching fish earlier in the week and found large schools of catfish piled up on each other (a big flat off a river channel) but they could not develop a serious bite. They just ground it out.
“We made the same drift six times in a row,” explained Taylor. “We never left that spot because we figured at some point during the day, they would start feeding but never did. We managed to pick off 6 fish and it ended up being enough for second place and Big Fish.”
“We had a very nice fish get off that could’ve been a game changer. But hey, aren’t they always big when the get away,” joked Taylor. “I had a great time with Mr. Ken and looking forward to fishing many more tournaments with him.”
Third place went to Jason Sullivan from Central, SC and Barry Moore from Liberty, SC. They teamed up to bring 94.12 pounds to the scales and earn a check for $1,000.00.
Sullivan and Moore fished Colonel Creek targeting fish where the creek channel met the river channel. They began fishing on the rope early before changing with the weather and drifting after 10:30.
They felt like the fishing got better after 10:30. Perch and gizzard shad were used to land more than 20 fish on the day.
Dean Birch and Ethan Varnadore from Chester, SC weighed in 78.32 pounds to earn the fourth-place check of $350.00.
They found their fish between the State Park and June Creek. The river ledge was key to catching fish. They were drifting across the ledge and getting bit when the bait went up the ledge. The team used white perch for bait and reported landing a lot of fish but they just did not find any good-sized ones.
The Remaining Top Ten Teams
5th Place – Brain Thomas and Jimmy Thomas Jr. – 74.02
6th Place – Mac Moneta and Bill Sutton – 71.64
7th Place – Bradley Williams and Robin Williams – 58.08
8th Place – Ned Davis, Jr. and Ned Davis Sr. – 58.08
9th Place – Ray Waldrop and Tracey Waldrop – 56.46
10 Place – Tyler Lee and Adam Johnson – 56.42
Epilogue
Tournament director, Jeremy Coe thanked Suzi Sale and the City of Camden for having the trail visit twice this year.
“Camden and Lake Wateree have become a home away from home for the King Kat trail,” said Coe. “We always look forward to returning.”
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.
