Watts Brothers Claim Victory in Kansas Catfish Tournament
by Ron Presley
Photo Credit: Catfish Chasers Tournament Series
Long-running catfish tournament on Milford Reservoir marks 20th anniversary.
The Catfish Chasers Tournament Series hosted their 20th Anniversary Milford event on Saturday. March 23, 2024. The event attracted 42 teams on tournament day in an event that in recent years is capped at 50 boats.
This one was special. There are probably not many trails that can boast of 20 consecutive years of tournaments on a given body of water but that’s exactly what occurred on Milford. The Catfish Chasers Tournament Series has a long and successful history.
“Catfish Chasers Tournament Series was founded in 2004,” reported founding director David Studebaker. “Our very first event took place at Milford Reservoir. We had 13 boats of like-minded friends getting together to fish and razz each other.”
The trail grew through the years to accomplish many milestones. One year they hosted the largest catfish tournament in the country with 202 teams. Another year they provided the highest prize payout of more than $130,000. Yet another year produced a great memory for an Olathe, Kansas woman and the tournament participants.
“Likely the most memorable thing that has happened at Milford was having a lady angler catch the largest officially weighed fish from a lake in Kansas,” noted Studebaker. “Stephanie Stanley caught a blue cat weighing 82.6 pounds.
A quick check of the record books indicates that Stephanie’s catch is still recorded as a lake record. Incidentally, her husband Robert, a long-time participant in the Catfish Chasers Tournaments holds the State Record for Blue Catfish at 102.8 pounds but it was caught in the Missouri River.
Given the history of Milford, anglers anxiously anticipate an opportunity to compete on the popular lake. A legal tournament bag consists of 5 fish with no more than two over-slot per team. Milford protects the blue cats with a slot from 25 to 40 inches with only 1 over 40 inches per angler.
Anglers were greeted with a morning low of 31 degrees which warmed only to 48 as the day went on. Winds blew mostly from the east at 8 to 10 miles per hour but gusted as high as 20 mph as anglers competed for a total purse of $15,000.
First Place 
The top spot at Milford went to the brothers Watts. Clinton and Kyle Watts teamed up to bring 108.50 pounds to the scales and earn First-Place honors on a cold Kansas day.
“It was a much colder morning than we had thought it was going to be,” joked Clinton. “We had actually under-dressed for the occasion. It was around 30° F at launch and it sleeted on us around 1:30 pm. The wind blew at about 10-20mph at times.”
The team experienced an early bite as they drifted pulling planner boards in 49-degree water. They were targeting water in the 16- to 20-foot range for their big fish.
“The big bite was on very early for us,” recalled Clinton following the tournament. “Start time was at 7 am and we had our two big fish by 8:15 am. We made two more passes to see if we couldn’t cull one of them.”
Shortly after noon the team stopped looking for big fish and turned their attention to under-slot fish which would be under 25 inches. They found them in 9 to 12 feet of water.
“We caught a bunch of fish between 25 and 35 pounds,” Clinton said. “We even called our mom on FaceTime so she could watch us doubled up with a 34- and 28-pound fish. She’s our biggest fan!”
The Watts brothers used fresh-cut shad all day. They changed their strategy to anchor fishing (spot-lock) to finish out their limit on the smaller fish. They run MulTBar Rod Racks with Smackdown Rod Holders.
Third Place 
Third place was a family thing. John W, John E, and James Orr brought in 93.85 pounds to earn their spot with a bag that included 2 overs at 42 and 46 pounds and 1 under.
Big Fish 
Big Fish honors went to Chad Thompson and John Coffman. They recorded a 57.40-pound brute to claim the Big Fish of the Tournament award.
For more winners and photos, including Top Youth, Top Female, and Top Veteran, visit the Catfish Chasers Tournament-New Facebook page.
Final Thoughts
The current status of the Catfish Chasers Tournament Series is the result of adjustments over the years to find a model that favors anglers. Days of the 100-plus boats are gone for the Catfish Chasers anglers. Organizers now cap their events at 50 teams to make the experience better for the anglers with more room on the water.
“This past weekend was the 20th consecutive event year at Milford,” confirmed Studebaker. “We had 42 teams. Two of those teams weighed more than 100 pounds and the Big Fish was 57.4 pounds. The lake is still a viable fishery after all these years and an anticipated destination with a lot of local support.”
“I started it alone,” concluded Studebaker. “But Craig Collings was a large contributor to the later success. He retired last year after 10 years of being my fishing partner, promotions manager, and one of my best friends.”
Tournaments are not successful without sponsors and Catfish Chasers Tournament Series has developed a long list of sponsors that helps them bring quality tournaments to the anglers. They include Geary County CVB, Acorns Resort, Big Cat Fever Rods, Parks Planer Boards, Fleagle Electric, Monster Rods Holders, Tackle Bandit, Snag Snappers, Sooner Automotive, The Groom Shack, Nebraska Wild Cats, and Dustin Johnson. They all contribute to the success of the trail. Check them out for the products and services they provide and thank them for their support of the catfish community.
The next Catfish Chasers Tournament Series will be on April 6, 2024, on Perry Lake.
To learn more about the Catfish Chasers Tournament Series follow them on Facebook or visit them at their website.
