Points raced tightens at Quincy
As Joey Heckrodt and Jerry Cox took the top spot at Quincy, the King Kat points race tightened to set up a shoot out on the Ohio River next week. Three teams were are tied at 383 points following the Saturday, August 19, 2017 event.
“The Angler of the Year Points Race is as close as it has ever been with the top 3 teams tied at 383,” reported the King Kat Facebook page. “It’s all going to come down to the very last tournament which is next weekend on the Ohio River in Paducah, KY.
Heckrodt and Cox competed against a strong field of catfish angers to take the Quincy crown. They competed against anglers from 6 different states. Up for grabs was $5,420.00 in cash and prizes and the opportunity to compete in the 2017 Northern and Southern Championships.
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 be held October 6 and October 7, 2017 at Lake Wateree, Camden, South Carolina.
Results for the Top Teams
Tournament day was characterized by sunny skies with temperatures in the high 80’s. A mild SE wind at 5mph blew over a lower than normal river with a slight current.
Joey Heckrodt and Jerry Cox, both of Whitehall, Illinois weighed in 72.24 pounds to earn the $3,000.00 cash prize. They fished Pool 22 just below the dam at Quincy. They fished from the anchor using goldeye for bait. They chose their top 5 fish from only 6 that they caught for the day.
Second place went to Jim Gillenwater of Keokuk, Iowa and R.D. Trout of LeHarpe, Illinois with a total weight of 63.40 pounds. The team fished on Pool 20 up toward Keokuk Dam. They caught a total of 6 fish while drifting in 30 feet of water. using a variety of bait to earn $1,500.00. They stated that this was the first year in a while that there wasn’t any current. Gillenwater stated that over the past few years, at this time of year, there had always been a current.
Alex Nagy of Warsaw, Illinois and Brandon Schadt of Bluegrass, Iowa took third place. They weighed 58.46 pounds and earned $500.00. Nagy and Schadt also fished in Pool 20 below the Keokuk Dam. They caught five fish for the day, bumping baits in various depths of water. They used mooneye for bait.
In fourth place were Chris Souders of Oak Hill, Ohio and Nick Conaway of Lucasville, Ohio. They are also one of the teams tied in the points race. They weighed 55.06 pounds, which included Big Fish of the tournament. Souders mentioned the lack of current as the difference in the tournament. The team placed second in the tournament last year and fished in the Quincy area again this year. They caught their fish on the rope in 30 feet of water using skipjack for bait.
Souders and Conaway join Carl Morris Jr., Rob Parsons, and Shannon Colley in the tie for the points race. All have accumulated a total of 383 points. The dramatic finish for the 2017 AOY will be August 25 and 26 in Paduka, KY on the Ohio River.
AOY is an individual award and the possibility exists that there could be a tie. “It’s kind of confusing right now,” said tournament director, Jeremy Coe. “If there’s only one angler with the highest points it’s awarded to them individually, but if both partners have the same amount of points the honor will awarded to both. All of that is probably going to change next year and be more understandable. But for now, the 3-way tie with only one tournament left is interesting to say the least.”
King Kat officials sent a special thank you to Holly Cain and the staff with the Quincy Convention and Visitors Bureau for making this event possible!
KING KAT NATIONAL SPONSORS:
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.
Information on the championships and other King Kat activities can be found on their website at www.kingkatusa.com. Anglers can follow the trail on the Cabela’s King Kat Facebook Page.
