Sunny skies with temperatures in the 80’s greeted catfish anglers to Camden, SC, the location of the latest Cabela’s King Kat Tournament Trail event. The two-day Super Event began on Lake Wateree, SC, Friday, April 28, 2017 and finished on Saturday, April 29, 2017. Winds at 5 -10 mph on Friday and 10 – 15 mph on Saturday provided near perfect weather for the competitors. In the end it was the fisherman’s friend of patience and determination that proved to be the wining strategy.
More than 120 anglers, from 6 different states, competed for the $11,000.00 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 return to Camden on October 6 and October 7, 2017 on Lake Wateree.
Legal waters for the event was all of Lake Wateree. Anglers could fish from 6:30 am until 3:00 pm on each day of the two day event. All anglers are required to be in the weigh-in line by 4:00 pm at Clearwater Cove Marina in Camden. In the interested of conservation and protection of trophy catfish, only live fish were weighed and all are released following weigh-in.
First place went to Gene Gaston and Damon Gibson with 193.22 pounds. Gaston and Gibson were setting in 2nd place after day one with a bag of 100.90 pounds that included the day one Big Kat of 38.12-pounds. The team earned $4,000.00.
“We anchored down both days,” reported Gaston. “We used shad and white perch to catch our fish in the part of the river called Cedar Creek. We were targeting a ledge of the creek channel in depths ranging from 12 to 32 feet deep.”
The Chester and Richburg, SC team caught about 17 fish for the tournament, 5 on day one and 12 on day two. “We sat on that spot both days and were very patient,” said Gaston. “Using shad heads for bait was the key for catching the larger fish.”
“The current would slack off at times during the day,” added Gibson. “No current made for a tough bite.”
“Gotta say, the best thing that I had on my side was Jesus!” said Gaston. “He gets all the glory.”
The second-place spot went to David and Larry Henderson, both of Rock Hill, South Carolina. Team Henderson had a total weight of 179.30 pounds to earn $2,000.00. The team fished Cedar Creek, anchoring in 25 feet of water, targeting rock piles and using shad for bait.
David said, “As long as you got the bait in front of the fish you were going to get a bite. They were not very picky.”
The team reported that the boat traffic was a big factor in their fishing. It forced them to move fishing spots at times. The team caught 20 fish for the weekend.
John Terry of Gastonia, North Carolina and Jamie Williams of Fort Lawn, South Carolina took third place after leading on day one. They weighed in 176.26 pounds and earned $1,000.00. Terry and Williams also fish the Cedar Creek area targeting fish over structure in 35 feet of water. They used shad and white perch for bait to land about 20 fish for the weekend. They anchored on day one, but tried multiple techniques on day two.
The fourth-place spot went to Jimmy Holbrook of Gibson, GA and Christopher Wolfe of Fort Lawn, SC. They moved from 12th to 4th with a good day two that included a change of strategy.
“We knew after the morning of the first day that the area we were fishing wasn’t working,” said Holbrook. “We decided to move to a river section. Christopher said he knew an area that he thought we could catch some good fish. We moved and stuck to that area, and it paid off.”
The team found their fish in 17 to 30 feet of water. They were anchored using shad and white perch for bait that was from Jamie K. Outdoors. They weighed in 173.54 pounds and earned $700.00.
Lonnie Fountain of Ranger, GA and Donnie Fountain of Jasper, GA took fifth place with 163.12 pounds. They earned $500.00 for their efforts. The team fished in Cedar Creek first, fishing further up the creek than most of the teams. They found their fish in 12 feet of water while anchored. They used shad and white perch for bait. They caught more fish on day one than on day two.
Other winners were:
6th place – George and Karen Lindsay, 157.18 pounds – $400.00.
7th place – Tyler Lee, 148.16 pounds – $350.00.
8th place – Richard Warskow and Christopher Lunsford, 145.70 pounds – $300.00.
9th place – Clay and Jason Henderson, 145.20 pounds – $200.00.
Big Fish of the Event went to Evan Martin and Larry Godwin. Their day-two fish weighed 42.54 pounds and earned $1,180.00, plus a 30 gallon X-treme Bait Tank.
Tournament Director, Jeremy Coe had a special thank you to Suzi Sale and staff with the City of Camden for hosting the event and making these tournaments possible. “The City of Camden has definitely made us feel like we were at home and the anglers love coming to fish Lake Wateree. We are looking forward to returning for the Southern Championship, October 6 and 7, 2017. Also, a thank you to Matt and Melissa Miles with Katfish for being present all weekend and taking care of the anglers apparel needs.”
King Kat’s national sponsors include:
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.
For more information call Cabela’s King Kat Trail at 502-384-5924. You can also check out their website at www.kingkatusa.com and visit the Cabela’s King Kat Facebook Page.
For more information on the Camden area visit classicallycarolina.com or visit the Facebook pages at Camden – Kershaw Tourism Office or Eat, Shop, Stay, Play Camden.
