TCO Win at Pekin, IL Goes to Gary Faletti and Scott Tregoning
by Ron Presley,
Photos courtesy of Twisted Cat Outdoors by Tom Stolze
Big Fish honors went to the team of Dylan Lawson and Beau Brady.
Pekin, IL, and the Illinois River were the destinations for a Twisted Cat Outdoors (TCO) catfish tournament. The event was part of a series of 12 events planned for the year that culminate with the TCO Classic which will host 50 qualifying anglers.
The event attracted 55 teams representing 126 anglers from 9 states. The Illinois River at Pekin is a mostly channel cat river with flatheads thrown in from time to time. Pekin is a 100 percent payout event. Castaway Customs added $500 for Big Fish and Dennison Chevrolet, Buick, and GMC added $2,500 to the pot making for a big angler payout.
Recent high water changed the landscape some, but the good news was that the water was receding as tournament day approached. Accordingly, the boat check was moved from the Pekin Boat Ramp to the Pekin Boat Club. After launching the anglers could legally fish any waters reachable by boat but were not allowed to boat/fish below Beardstown Bridge. Official competition hours were 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM with anglers required to be in the weigh-in line by 4:30 PM. A legal bag consisted of 5 fish consisting of channel cats, blue cats, and/or flatheads.
When all the weights were recorded a difference of about 2 pounds separated 1st and 2nd place, and a difference of less than a pound separated 2nd and 3rd place. A total of 1100.06 pounds was weighed during the tournament.
First Place 
Gary Faletti (Faletti Outboard Repair) and Scott “Trigger” Tregoning teamed up to take the win on the Illinois River. They brought 35.35 pounds to the scales to claim the top spot and earn the 1st place money of $7,500. They also claimed 20% of the Calcutta win to add another $689 to their pockets.
The team began fishing around some structure and got a couple of fish but nothing big. The wind challenged them a little and move the boat around when they were on spot-lock.
“We spot-locked about 10 feet away from some structure,” noted Faletti. “The bait had to be cast up in it or you would not get a bite.”
They also spent some time scanning in hopes of locating some active fish. Without success, they moved to some deeper water.
“We weren’t having much luck so we decided to move to deeper holes,” reported Faletti. “The fish were just pecking at the bait and dropping it. We finally tried some fallen trees over a shallow area and started catching some fish. We were fishing in about 15 feet of water.”
Faletti and Tregoning were mostly using larger baits. Their major baits were mooneye and creek chubs pinned to 6/0 and 7/0 circle hooks. All the big takedowns on his custom-made Fal Kat’z Rods were in deeper water. They also checked out the ridges and found fish but they just didn’t want to bite.
“We tried trolling too,” continued Faletti. “We caught more small fish trolling, but I think the big fish are in the spawning beds. We really had to let the fish take it and reel down on them. Setting the hook did not work.”
“The tournament was great,” concluded Faletti. “We did not catch any bigger fish until about 10:00 am. Most of the day was filled with short bites and we lost a few but we managed to catch about 40 fish on the day.”
Faletti went on to thank Fish Bite Rod Holders for his custom holder and mounts. Faletti operates Faletti Outboard Repair – 815-878-7569) and also custom builds Fal Kat’z Rods.
Second Place 
The runner-up spot was won by Shawn Kelly, Shane Kelly, & Dave Bogatitus. They put their talents together to bring in a bag that weighed 33.34 pounds to earn the 2nd place check for $4,000.
Third Place 
Third place went to solo angler Joe Yuvan. He finished the day with 32.98 pounds to earn the 3rd place check of $2,500.
Fourth Place 
Randy Templeton & Pete Moreland pulled down the 4th place money with a total weight of 32.78 pounds to earn a check for $1.500.
Fifth Place 
The 5th-place team was Mike & Brennan Yuvan. They teamed up to bring a total weight of 32.68 pounds to the scales and earn the 5th-place check for $1,300.
Big Fish 
Big Fish of the tournament was weighed by Dylan Lawson and Beau Brady. It weighed in at 21.80 pounds.
“After a day of things not going our way we were lucky enough to land on this fish at 2 P.M.” reported B’n’M prostaffers Lawson in a Facebook post. “This fish came off of a Slunger Cat Outdoors pre tied Kentucky rig and a B’n’M Fishing Bomber rod! I say this time and time again but it is a deadly combo when there’s a tough bite! Though we landed big fish we only had one other fish to go with it. A lot learned and a hard day of fishing ending pretty good!”
The team rigged their B’n’M poles with Boss Kat SRD20 hooks.
Note: To view more Tom Stolze photos and more winners from the event visit the Twisted Cat Outdoors Facebook page.
Final Thoughts
The Illinois River at Pekin was the sixth stop on this year’s TCO schedule. The next event is scheduled for Perryville, MO on July 6, 2024. Twisted Cat anglers compete during the year to qualify for the championship based on their top 4 finishes during the year. Then the annual points race winner will be determined at the championship.
Qualifying anglers always look forward to the year-ending, no-entry-fee, invitation-only, TCO championship. This year’s championship will be held out of Helana, AR on November 2, 2024.
Tournament Director Alex Nagy termed the Pekin, IL event a “Huge Success!”
“This past holiday weekend, Pekin, IL hosted an outstanding fishing tournament on the Illinois River,” stated Nagy. “This marked our second event in Pekin, and we saw impressive growth from last year’s 36 teams to this year’s 55-boat field. The competition was fierce, and the payouts were exceptional.”
“Twisted Cat Outdoors ensures a 100% payout of the entry fees back to the anglers, with additional prizes to sweeten the pot. CastAway Customs sponsored a $500 big fish prize, and Ray Dennison Auto Dealership generously contributed $2,500, making the stakes higher than ever.”
TCO also held a Friday night Calcutta at the captains’ meeting. It added an exciting twist to the event and raised nearly $4,000 as participants bid on their own team or others in auction-style bidding. The first-place team took home more than $8,000!
“I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the anglers who support Twisted Cat Outdoors,” concluded Nagy. “Without your participation, this series wouldn’t be possible. I also want to express my gratitude to our sponsors. As I always say at these events, please reach out and thank our sponsors, even if you don’t use their products. Their support helps the sport grow! Thank you all for making Pekin an incredible success!”
For more information on Twisted Cat Outdoors visit their website or follow them on Facebook. You can also tune in to TCO on Monday nights for a live show at 7:00 pm on Facebook and YouTube. Nagy will recap the tournament and feature Twisted Cat Outdoors anglers and industry leaders.
