ACA Cream of the Crop
The American Catfishing Association met at CatCon to present the 2022 ACA Tournament Alliance points champions.
The American Catfishing Association organized more than 175 catfishing teams into 4 divisions to compete in a national points race. The awards were presented at the First Annual ACA Awards Banquet held at the Catfish Conference in Louisville, KY on February 25th, 2022. The ACA also inducted 7 members into the newly formed Catfish Hall of Fame.
The 4 divisions in the ACA Tournament Alliance consist of Division 1 (75 Boats and up), Division 2 (30-74 boats), Division 3 (15-29 boats), and Division 4 (5-14 boats). This structure is based on a trail’s history of entries.
Sponsors are an important part of the Alliance. SeaArk Boats stepped up to provide a giveaway boat. Every time an ACA member fishes an ACA event they are awarded a chance to win a SeaArk/Suzuki/Marine Max boat and trailer package.
Other sponsors in addition to SeaArk Boats are Abu Garcia, Ugly Stick, Berkley, Garmin, B’n’M Poles, Offshore Tackle, Bill Dance Outdoors, and RigRap.
Cash prizes were given for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, places and sponsor prizes for 4th and 5th. Winners came from all parts of the country. CatfishNOW is pleased to recognize and congratulate all the winners beginning with the overall winners across divisions.
Overall Points Winners
1st Place — Lonnie Fountain
2nd Place — Nathan Paul Trammel
3rd Place — Doug McAnally
4th Place — Donnie Fountain
5th Place — Lawrence “Doc” Lange
Division 1
1st Place — Rob Benningfield
2nd Place — Mac Moneta
3rd Place — Ray Waldrop
4th Place — David Kingsmore
5th Place — Richard Bradley Tucker
Division 2
1st Place — Jonathan Keats
2nd Place — Terry Holding
3rd Place — Cory Peterson
4th Place — Jeff King
5th Place — Mary Jane Wood
Division 3
1st Place — Secondy Howard
2nd Place — Ronnie Charles Dixon
3rd Place — Nathan Trammel
4th Place — Adam Michael Wright
5th Place — Jaushua Gillis
Division 4
1st Place — Cody Lee Haynes
2nd Place — Jonathan Rodgers
3rd Place — Steven Ray Herne
4th Place — Lucas Dewayne Gibson
5th Place — John Howard
Final Thoughts
It had never been done before in the history of recreational fishing. The creation of an alliance of independent tournament events and trails became a reality in the fall of 2020. The stage was set for a national points race where ACA members could compete. The results were celebrated in February of 2021.
“We were so happy to pass out awards to 25 anglers representing 4 different divisions from all over the country,” stated ACA Co-Director, Mr. Steven Miller. “Thanks to supporting sponsors like Ugly Stik, Abu Garcia, and Berkley, the ACA awarded over $50,000 in cash and prizes to these accomplished catfish anglers.”
More anglers will be competing in the points race in 2022 as new trails join the ACA Tournament Alliance and new anglers join the competition. It is a great way for catfish anglers to compete against the best of the best all across the country. Good luck to all the anglers in 2022. Maybe you can be on the stage accepting cash and/or a trophy at the next awards banquet.
For more information on the points race, the tournament alliance, or the ACA in general visit their website at https://tm.americancatfishingassociation.com/.
