Team Shipman Wins King Kat Region 1 Championship on Wheeler
Catfish anglers from several states traveled to Wheeler Lake at Decatur, AL for a King Kat Tournament Trail event presented by Bass Pro Shops Cabela’s. Decatur Morgan County Tourism hosted 24 teams that gathered to test their catfishing skills against other anglers and Mother Nature.
Anglers fishing the June 25-26 Region 1 Championship were vying for $16,480 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.
Day one proved to be the toughest of the two tournament fishing days. It was hot and muggy with rough water. Day two was humid with an overcast sky and variable winds. Anglers reported the fishing conditions were better on day two.
Travis and Wayne Bodine finished day one in the lead with 94.39 pounds. Joe and Demetria Westbrook had Big Kat on day one with a 33.26 pounder. Given Wheeler Lake’s reputation for big fish, a field of outstanding anglers, and 40 pounds or less separating the top 10 teams set up the shootout on day two which proved to be a better bite for many anglers.
First Place and Big Fish
Teaming up to take the top spot were David, Hunter, and Haydon Shipman. After setting in 4th place after day one they weighed a two-day total of 230.48 pounds to earn the top spot and a check for $10,000. Their bag included Big Kat of the tournament at 93.19 pounds.
“Wheeler was just what we expected this time of year,” reported David Shipman. “We knew it would be a tough bite. Hunter and I got fresh skips at Pickwick so fresh bait may have helped us.”
Given the southeast winds and the fish on spawn, they decided to fish the area of the nuclear plant. They reported having a few bites while prefishing on Thursday, but Friday morning proved to be tough.
“We only had 2 bites all day Friday,” David said. “Both bites were before noon. “We weighed out with only 2 fish and debated going home.”
Even with only 2 fish on Friday the team was still in 4th place so they decided to stay and fish day two.
“It was a good thing we decided to stay,” joked David. “It was still a very tough bite but we got 4 bites on Saturday. We used 44 skipjacks for 6 bites in two days but we kept fresh bait on all the time. We caught our 4th fish at 2:00 pm. We were at the intake area suspending in about 28 feet of water. There’s always some current there and I think that helped out a bit.”
David ended by thanking B’n’M Poles, Barnes Marine, and Drift Master Rod Holders for their support.
Second Place
The runner-up spot went to Wayne and Travis Bodine. The father/son team had a two-day total weight of 140.97 pounds to earn the second-place spot and a check for $4,000.
Wayne and Travis fished up by the Guntersville Dam in 30 to 40 feet of water. They used skipjack for bait and multiple methods during the two days of tournament fishing.
Their weekend was much like the 2019 King Kat Classic which they won. They didn’t have the opportunity to prefish so they just ground it out.
“We got in late the day before and didn’t get to prefish,” confirmed Wayne. “We got up early on day one and trailered to Guntersville Dam and tried to catch fresh bait. The result was 1 skipjack, so thankfully we bought some frozen bait that we had on hand for about 5 months.”
“We trolled some, walked baits, and suspend drifted some,” continued Wayne. “We got a lot of short bites, those that are hard to catch. I think the fish were messed up because of the spawn. It was not an early or late bite for us. We caught fish scattered all through the day as we fished back and forth for about a mile below the dam.”
When they lost power to the trolling motor they used their Cat River Anchor to fish on the rope. Wayne also mentioned his X-Treme Bait Tank and its ability to keep his fish alive and healthy.
“We use our X-Treme Bait Tank all the time,” Wayne said. “Those fish come out of there at weigh-in ready to knock your socks off.”
Day two was a repeat for Team Bodine. They were back up at 3:00 am and did the same thing. The only difference was they lost their trolling motor earlier because the batteries didn’t have time to fully charge. Day two was a tougher bite for them and they only put 5 fish in the boat all day but still finished in second place.
“Travis and I want to thank Willie Pranker and the crew,” concluded Wayne. “Folks probably don’t know just how much work it takes to put on a tournament.
Third Place
The team of Doug Walker, Jack Woodall, and Jaylee Partin earned the third-place spot with a two-day weight of 127.30 pounds. The Kentucky team earned a check for $1,500.
The team fished near the power plant and the inlet in 20 to 30 feet of water. They did some trolling and some anchoring with skipjack to catch 10 fish in the two days of tournament fishing.
Fourth Place
Jack Leo and Luc Duffey from Delaware, OH teamed up to bring 119.13 pounds to the scales and earn the fourth place check of $500.
Leo and Duffey fished near the dam in 30 feet of water. They were using skipjack for bait to catch 15 fish for the weekend.
Epilogue
Tournament director, Willy Pranker thanked Decatur Morgan County Tourism for their support of the tournament.
“As always, we enjoy coming to Decatur and Wheeler Lake,” stated Pranker. “The anglers love it too because of its reputation as a big fish destination.”
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, Gamma Line, Driftmaster Rod Holders, Ego Nets, EFX Graphics, Catfish Now, Fin n’ Frames, Cat River Anchors, Smooth Move Boat Seats, Power-Pole, and Lowe Boats.
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.
