Catfish Tournament in Alabama is More Than Fishing
by Ron Presley
Photos courtesy of Christmas For Kids Tournament
The Christmas for Kids Charity Tournament is a demonstration of a caring catfish community. The real winners are the kids and families that benefit from this annual event.
The catfish community is known for having a collectively warm heart and a sense of giving that goes well beyond the joy of fishing. Ten years ago a tournament with the sole mission of supporting families and children in the local community began.
Two men, Steve Dobbs and Cad Daly, both with an interest in catfishing and a desire to contribute to their community, started that first tournament. Seven teams showed up to support the cause and they raised enough funds to sponsor 1 family and 2 teenagers with some Christmas Cheer. Each year more volunteers stepped up to lend their support and extend the reach of the event.
Registration began at Ingalls Harbor at 5:30 am. Fishing hours were 7:00 am to 3:00 pm with the scales opening at 4:00 pm at Ingalls Harbor. The awards ceremony, a raffle, and a meal followed the weigh-in at Dry Creek Marine in Trinity Alabama.
Joey Middleton and Rosa Lee Langley donated the plaques for the winners. The awards would go to the biggest fish in 5 categories. The categories included Big Cat (1st, 2nd, 3rd), Top Vet, Top Youth, and Top Female, and Closest to 20 Pounds.
The proceeds from entry fees, bait sales, food sales, raffles, and donations go to purchase Christmas presents and meals for less fortunate families in the surrounding area. Lists of needy persons are obtained from schools, churches, and state resources to determine the actual beneficiaries.
Twenty-five (25) teams launched out of Ingalls Harbor in Decatur AL on tournament morning. Teams were allowed to bring two fish to the scales. One fish would compete for Big Fish honors the other would compete for the closest to 20 pounds without going over.
Anglers were competing for bragging rights, plaques, and various prizes that had been donated to the event. Of course, the real winners are the kids and families that benefit from the generosity of the members of the catfish community who participated in Christmas for Kids. Nevertheless, the anglers had a great time, caught some quality fish, and made memories that would last a lifetime as they supported a great cause.
Big Cat 1st Place, Top Vet, and Top Female 
The team of Ron Goucher and Priscilla Grant had the winning strategy for Big Cat with a weight of 51.36 pounds. Goucher also won the Top Vet award and Priscilla won the Top Female award.
Ron is no stranger to Alabama fishing or the Christmas For Kids Tournament. Ron is the owner/operator of REEL EM UP LLC and was also a donor to the event. For Priscilla, it was her first catfish tournament but most likely won’t be her last. It looks like a strong beginning to many more catfishing adventures for her.
Ron and Priscilla began tournament day pulling Park’s Planer Boards. They were rigged with REEL EM UP dragging weights and fishing deep ledges using skipjack for bait. After about 20 to 30 minutes they realized the active fish were small and they changed their presentation.
“We were pulling in bare hooks because of the small fish,” recalled Ron. “So we started cutting the tails off large skip jack which gave the larger fish a little more time to find the bigger baits.”
Priscilla caught the biggest fish of the day at 9:15 that morning. They also boated and culled 30-, 37-, and 38-pound blues. Their best fish, the 51.36-pounder, gave them the win in the one-fish competition.
“The best part of the tournament was the excitement of reeling that big cat in and landing him in the boat,” noted Priscilla. “I am new to catfishing. I began less than 6 months ago and I am loving it. The best part of the tournament was getting to weigh in and finding out we had the biggest fish. This was a whole new experience for me and I’m hooked.”
“All the money raised from this tournament is used to buy Christmas presents for children in need,” concluded Ron. “We want to thank Chris Sapp and all the different sponsors that donated products to the event.”
Big Cat 2nd Place 
The runner-up spot went to John Bowman and Andy Perry with a Big Fish of 40.68 pounds.
Big Cat 3rd Place (Tie) 
There was a tie for 3rd place. The team of Lewis Miller and Tony Parker brought the same weight to the scales as Jim and Sherry Sexton (No Photo Available). Both teams weighed a 37.88-pound blue.
Big Cat Youth 
The Top Youth award went to young Jaxon Champion.
Closest to 20 Pounds
Jeff Helm and Jamie Henderson got closest to 20 pounds without going over with a 19.46-pound blue.
Epilogue:
Like all the others before, the 10th Christmas For Kids Tournament was special because it’s about providing a Merry Christmas for some kids and less fortunate families. The boat count was down a little from last year, but the tournament raised nearly $9,000 for the cause thanks to their many sponsors.
Events like this require a dedication to the cause by the leadership, the volunteers, and the participants. Edmond Crowden directed the event with assistance from Tika Crowden, Brent Jones, Carolyn Jones, Chris Sapp, and other volunteers. The individuals participating in this event were willing to share their time and treasure to make someone’s Christmas merrier.
“All the anglers caught a ton of fish,” said Carolyn following the tournament. “But the big fish were hard to come by. The weather was perfect and sunny with temperatures in the upper 70s with light winds.”
“It is so great knowing that all of these people are fishing for a good cause,” continued Carolyn. “They are all eager to help make Christmas better for these kids. Hanging out with friends, meeting new friends, and hearing the fishing stories are a bonus.”
The best part of Christmas For Kids is the generosity of the sponsors and the fishermen,” concluded Edmond Crowden. “I want to thank them all for their support.”
Planning has begun for next year. You can mark your calendar for November 1, 2025, if you would like to join the fun and support this worthwhile cause. Keep up to date with the Christmas For Kids Tournament by following them on their Facebook page.
