Catfish anglers fishing the Cabela’s King Kat Tournament Trail were greeted with inclement weather as they started their search for Delaware River catfish. The early morning storms cleared in the afternoon. The tournament finished with sunny skies, temperatures in the 80’s and winds blowing a stiff 13 – 15 mph.
The June 24, 2017 event took place in Chester, Pennsylvania where more than 50 anglers from 6 states, competed. On the line was $5,440.00 in cash and prizes, and the opportunity to qualify for the 2017 Cabela’s King Kat Northern and Southern Championship.
This year’s Northern Championship will be held September 22 and 23, 2017 at the Cumberland River (Old Hickory Lake), Gallatin, Tennessee. The Southern Championship will be held October 6 and October 7, 2017 at Lake Wateree, Camden, South Carolina.
Results for the Top Teams
Anthony Fisler and Jay Trexler, both of Gibbstown, New Jersey took first place with 54.30 pounds to earn $3,000.00. The team fished down river in Delaware, finding their fish in 30 feet of water. They had all channel cats with the largest one weighing 13 pounds. The team anchored next to structure using various cut baits to land over 50 fish for the day.
Jason Miller of Sellersville, Pennsylvania and Karen Watson of Telford, Pennsylvania took third place weighing in at 48.36 pounds to earn $500.00. The team ventured north from Chester, fishing above the Trenton Falls. They targeted fast water and large rock and wood piles in 14 – 20 feet of water. Miller and Watson used panfish for bait to catch 10 fish on Saturday.
Lee Dickerson of Middletown, Pennsylvania and Keith Rippeon of Fairfield, Pennsylvania took third place with 36.16 pounds. They earned $500.00 for their finish. The team fished above Trenton in 12 – 16 feet of water. Dickerson and Rippeon anchored on drop offs in the rocks and fishing current seams with live and cut bait to land their fish.
Fourth place went to Bill Damask and Billy Trainor.
King Kat organizers sent out a special thank you to Drake Nakaishi and all the city employees who make this event run smoothly. Also, a special thank you to all the city council members for being a big part in the event. Thank you to Harrah’s for allowing King Kat to use their facilities and also for being a local sponsor of the event.
Thank you to all the local sponsors for making it possible to have this event: City of Chester, Chester EDA Harrah’s, Monroe Energy, Murphy Ford, Cabela’s, GWSI, HealthMats, ROE, Chester Water Authority, RV&B Engineers, The Social Lounge, The Nakaishi Group, and Bochetto & Lentz Law Firm.
NATIONAL SPONSORS:
Cabela’s The World’s Foremost Outfitter, Alumacraft, Adventure Products EGO Nets, RigRap, B ‘n’ M Poles, Minn Kota, Mercury Marine, Mustad Hooks, Driftmaster Rodholders, Gamma Line, Humminbird Electronics, World Fishing Network – WFN, Rippin’ Lips, Keep Alive, Cat River Anchors, Sunsect Sunscreen & Insect Repellent, Humminbird Lakemaster Maps, Digital EFX Wraps, Tentology, Crown Trophy, Gill Rainwear, Catfish Now, Whisker Wear and Allen Company.
Information on the championships and other King Kat activities can be found on their website at www.kingkatusa.com. Anglers can follow the trail on the Cabela’s King Kat Facebook Page.
