TCO Win at St Joseph, MO Goes to Eddie Henney and John Berglund
by Ron Presley,
Photos courtesy of Twisted Cat Outdoors by Tom Stolze
Big Fish honors went to John E. Orr and Kristie Orr with a 78.76-pound blue.
Twisted Cat Outdoors (TCO) catfish tournament trail visited St. Joe, MO for another Missouri River event. A total payout of $18,500, included 500 added money for Big Fish from Castaway Customs MWSC. The event was part of a series of tournaments that will qualify 50 anglers for the TCO Classic.
As part of the American Catfishing Association (ACA) Tournament Alliance, ACA member anglers who compete in Twisted Cat events have a chance to win a new SeaArk Boat and earn points that could result in additional cash and prizes.
The event attracted 60 teams representing 146 anglers from 10 states. Five of those anglers were ladies and 3 were youth anglers. The Missouri River lived up to its reputation and produced some of the biggest weights ever for TCO. Seven teams brought in over 100 pounds in 3 fish.
“The weigh-in was a truly remarkable feat,” said tournament director, Alex Nagy. “That success demonstrates the skill of our anglers, and the quality of the river. On top of that, two anglers achieved their personal best during the tournament, adding to the excitement and setting new benchmarks for our series.”
When all the weights were recorded 22 of 35 teams brought a bag to the scales where a total of 1634.4 pounds was weighed. A nearly 80-pound plus blue took the Big Fish honors. Less than 9 pounds separated 1st and 2nd place and it required nearly 150 pounds, in 3 fish, to take the win.
First Place 
Eddie Henney and John Berglund teamed up to take the top spot at St. Joe. They ended the day with a 3-fish limit of 144.66 pounds to claim the victory. The team earned the first-place check of $7,200 for their day of fishing.
Henney and Berglund ran Henney’s SeaArk ProCat 200 about 240 miles as they navigated their way to the top of the leaderboard. The hot weather challenged them to take good care of the fish and a mechanical breakdown gave them a scare as they raced to the weigh-in.
“We got out earlier in the week and did some scouting,” reported Berglund. “We found a stretch of river holding some good fish but it was a long way from St. Joe.”
Given their scouting information, they loaded the boat with extra fuel and planned to make a long run on tournament day. They knew it was a gamble but with all the fishing pressure close to the ramp they planned to get away from the other anglers.
“We had enough time to make two passes on a stretch of revetment,” noted Henney. “We were bumping in about 18 feet of water and caught our fish between 9 and 11 am. The bite shut off as the day went on.”
The weather was sunny and hot and the team had a long run back to the weigh-in. They kept oxygen on the fish all day to keep them in good shape.
“With all the traveling we had about 5 hours to fish and it paid off for us,” added Berglund. “We caught 8 or 9 fish, which is a pretty good day on the Missouri River.”
“The water was on the fall and it was an overall tough bite,” added Henney.
With a good bag in the boat, they headed back to weigh-n. Knowing they were cutting it close on time Henney was hammer-down on the 200 HP Suzuki. They found themselves running behind a barge that was pushing upriver.
“We were running full throttle behind a barge and hitting 4-foot waves,” explained Henney. “Boat problems delayed us but we made it to the ramp with only 2 minutes to spare.”
“The boat was taking a beating,” clarified Berglund. “We had an oil alarm go off and put the motor into limp mode. Our hearts sank because we knew we had a Top 5 bag. We never thought the weight was enough to win against the caliber of fishermen on the river.”
Fortunately, the alarm stopped and the team was running again. They got up to speed and passed the barge. They made it back to weigh-in with a deck full of empty gas cans as the last team to the scales in a dramatic finish to a day of fishing.
“Being the last boat to the weigh-in we knew it was going to be close to take the lead,” concluded Berglund. “I’d like to thank my wife Kristi for all her support. We also thank our sponsors for their support and products that keep us in the game. So a huge thank you to Monster Rod Holders, Rippin Lips Fishing, and Parks Planners. The big guy upstairs was definitely looking over us and we are truly blessed to come out with the win.”
“It was a stressful day,” concluded Henney. “We did more driving than fishing. The Suzuki was wide open for over 6 hours, but the day was rewarding. Twisted Cat always puts on a great event and we always look forward to the next one.”
Second Place 
The runner-up spot at St. Joe went to Justin Clark and Evan Yount with a total weight of 135.99 pounds. They earned the 2nd-place check for $3,600.
Third Place 
Third place went to Casey Hayes and Dustin Sturges with a total weight of 129.62 pounds. They earned a check for $2,400.
Fourth Place 
Kaleb Mcadams and Chris Baker nailed down their place with a total weight of 121.76 pounds. The team earned the 4th place money of $1,260.
Fifth Place 
The 5th-place team was s John Jamison, Kevin Parks, and Justin Neece. The Kansas team weighed 113.62 pounds to earn the 5th place check for $1,140.
Big Fish 
Big Fish honors at St. Joe went to John E. Orr and Kristie Orr. They traveled from their home in South Dakota to fish the tournament. The team finished in 8th place and earned a check for $600. Their bag included Castaway Customs MWSC Big Fish honors which added $500 more to their payday. Although that made for a successful tournament, John also claimed his new personal best blue at 78.76 pounds.
Note: To view more Tom Stolze photos and more winners from the event visit the Twisted Cat Outdoors Facebook page.
Final Thoughts
The Twisted Cat Outdoors tournament on the Missouri River in St Joseph, MO was one of the most exciting events in the trail’s history. The competition was fierce as anglers chased a share of a 100% payback totaling $18,500.
The Twisted Cat Outdoors points series is turning into a real nail-biter with so many anglers still in the hunt for the top spots. Each event is getting more competitive, and the St. Joseph stop has added to the intensity.
“I want to extend a huge thank you to the city of St. Joseph for their overwhelming support,” offered Nagy following the tournament. “The energy was incredible, and I couldn’t be more proud of how this event turned out. The local community really showed up and their enthusiasm made this event even more special.”
“Congratulations to all our winners,” concluded Nagy. “As always, I can’t thank our anglers, sponsors, and followers enough for their continued support. We look forward to seeing everyone on August 31st in Canton, MO, for our next event. It’s shaping up to be another exciting day on the water and I’m excited to see what’s in store!”
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 discusses tournament action and features Twisted Cat Outdoors anglers and industry leaders.
