Twisted Cat Win Goes to Kyle Johnson, Bobby Lee, and Zac Sharp
by Ron Presley,
Photos courtesy of Twisted Cat Outdoors by Tom Stolze
Three of the top 6 teams were family teams.
The latest stop for the Twisted Cat Outdoors Fishing Series was conducted at Pekin, IL. On Saturday, August 26, 2023. The action began Saturday morning at 5:00 a.m. with a boat check at Ray Dennison Chevrolet. Following the livewell check anglers could choose between the Pekin Ramp and Kuchies.
Fishing hours were 7:00 am to 3:00 pm and anglers had to be in the weigh-in line at the Pekin boat ramp by 4:30. Fishing was allowed in any waters reachable by boat but anglers could not fish below the Beardstown Bridge. A legal limit of 5 fish could consist of any combination of channel cats, blue cats, or flatheads.
Thirty-six teams registered to fish the Illinois event. The weigh-in began at 3:00 p.m. under the bridge in Pekin.
First Place and Big Fish
Kyle Johnson, Bobby Lee (Chiller Bait Tanks), and Zac Sharp claimed the top spot with a total weight of 67.37 pounds. Their efforts earned them a check for $4,800.
The team began fishing downriver from Pekin by anchoring on some main river cover. They were targeting water that ranged from 10 to 20 feet deep with deeper water being most productive. They caught a few channel cats early before Zac hooked up with a flathead that weighed around 15 pounds.
“Fishing was faster than expected,” reported Johnson. “We had found ourselves with a quality limit of channel cats fairly early. We had a few unproductive anchors and decided to drag bait.”
Dragging was producing fish for the team but they didn’t find the big kicker they were looking for. They went back to anchoring on cover with live shad from their Chiller Bait Tank and got a pleasant surprise.
“After a few successful anchors we caught 3 blues,” said Johnson. “Blues are not generally the target species. Bobby and I had never previously caught a blue cat on this part of the river. We planned to fish for big channels and the others would be a bonus if they came. We chose to fish with small enough live shad that a channel, flathead, or blue would eat it.”
“It was nice to have some cooler weather for a change,” revealed Johnson. “It did rain on us pretty hard but I don’t much believe in weather being a factor in fishing. We got very lucky and had a once-in-a-decade day of fishing for the Illinois River. Catching 3 blues and a flathead in what we see as a channel cat tournament was pretty incredible.”
“We would like to thank our wives, Cassie, Stacey, and Shannon,” concluded Johnson. “Thanks for taking care of our young families while we went to play. No way we could do it without their support!”
Second Place and Big Fish
The runner-up spot went to Nate and Lily Blint with 50.17 pounds. Their bag included Big Fish of the tournament at 20.54 pounds. They earned a check for $2,400 and added $500 more for the Castaway Customs MWSC Big Fish.
Third Place
Third place went to Joe Ludtke and Joe Coventry with a total weight of 34.01 pounds. Ludtke and Coventry earned the 3rd Place check for $1,440.
Fourth Place
Mike, Kassi, and Timothy Kuehl brought a total weight of 32.90 pounds to the scales to claim the 4th Place check of $720.
Fifth Place
Michael Yuvan and Hunter Monterastelli teamed up to bring a total weight of 32.55 pounds to the Twisted Cat scales. They earned a check for $528.
Sixth Place
Another family team, Adam, Chris, and Brayden Hart scored in the money with a total weight of 31.68 pounds. They earned 6th Place and a check for $432.
Final Thoughts
The Pekin, IL event was the 8th of the 2023 season for Twisted Cat Outdoors. It attracted 36 teams from several states to battle it out on the Illinois River.
With 2 tournaments left in the season, qualifying anglers are beginning to look forward to the year-ending, no-entry-fee, invitation-only, championship at Lake Ouachita, AR. Anglers will vie for championship honors and $35,000.
For more information on Twisted Cat Outdoors visit their website or follow them on Facebook. If you have tournament questions call Alex @ 573-723-2127.
Their next tournament will be a Jack and Jill Tournament out of Canton, MO on September 2, 2023. Teams for this event can be 2 adults max (1 Male/1 Female) with as many 16-year-olds and younger as the boat passenger limits allow. Teams can also consist of father/daughter combinations, etc. Give Alex a call at 573-723-2127 if you have any questions.
