Winter Whiskers Win Goes to Chuck Woodall, Jace Guess, and Jeremy Turnes
Top weight of nearly 100 pounds comes in 2 fish and includes a new personal best!
by Ron Presley
Winter Whiskers 2024 launched 37 boats in cold and windy conditions under the direction of Larry Gross, Allen Mosely, and a host of volunteers. The February 17, 2024, event has been active on Old Hickory Lake in north central Tennessee since 2020. The event was created by Dalton Driver out of a perceived need for a catfish tournament closer to his home. Twenty-five boats registered for that first event.
The event changed directors in 2022 when Seth Hedrick stepped up to continue the tournament in its third year. He wanted to continue the tournament in a family-friendly environment that anglers enjoyed competing in.
In 2023 it appeared that the Winter Whiskers might not take place. Hendrick’s work requirements changed and he was on the verge of canceling the tournament. But then the tables turned for the better.
“With a sigh of regret, due to changes in my work life I have to say Winter Whiskers 2024 will not take place,” stated Hendrick in a Facebook post.
Then, just one day later good news came and Winter Whiskers would continue.
“Well, in good fashion good people and good friends decided to step up to the plate and continue the tradition,” said Hendrick in a second post. “Larry Gross and Allen Mosely have decided to step in this year to keep the ball rolling. WINTER WHISKERS 2024 will continue!”
It was great news for the catfish anglers who have become accustomed to fishing the winter tournament on Old Hickory Lake.
“It is a great fishery,” noted Ricky Eislet following the tournament. “You see a lot of huge fish, but you catch a lot of 20 to 25-pound class fish. I look forward to this event each year because it is normally an action-packed day. We probably caught close to 30 fish on tournament day. I definitely hope it continues for years and years.”
Scheduling is an important issue in tournament fishing and Old Hickory Lake is known to be best in late winter and early spring. Current flow usually becomes pretty stable by that time and fish can be caught all across the lake. This knowledge helps attract anglers to the event. This year’s winners were less than a pound under 100 with only 2 fish!
First Place and Big Fish 
The top spot at Winter Whiskers 2024 went to Chuck Woodall, Jace Guess, and Jeremy Turnes. The team brought 99.8 pounds to the scales in only 2 fish to earn the first-place money of $1800. Their bag included the Big Fish of the tournament at 66 pounds to add $740 to their payday.
The winning team began their morning just like they had in many tournaments before. They made a long run downriver to check a few spots where they normally fish.
“We Finally found a few fish and set up on them,” reported Woodall. “We spot-locked that spot for 6 hours and caught 3 fish during that time. We were fishing about 47 to 52 feet deep all day using skipjack and red horse sucker for bait.”
Those 3 fish weighed more than 120 pounds, but one would never reach the scales. With good fish in the well, the team moved closer to the ramp where they would spend some time trying to catch a few more and possibly cull to improve their weight. They never got another bite. When the fishing time was over they returned to the ramp where they would use bump boards to measure their fish.
“We tried 3 different bumpboards,” recalled Woodall. “Our under was right at 34 to 34 ½ inches. We made a tough call and tossed him back. That left us with 2 fish.”
Heading to the weigh-in with 2 fish in the livewell was not exactly encouraging, but Woodall’s son, Jace had landed his new personal best to add some enjoyment to the day.
“I didn’t think it was gonna’ be enough to win,” admitted Woodall. “But I was already settling in on the fact that my son had finally reached the 60-pound club and that’s a good enough accomplishment on the day for me.”
As routine has it, the team took their 2 fish to the scales. They weighed in without even looking to see if they were winning. Then they heard their names called for 1st place.
“We were completely shocked,” revealed Woodall. “I was excited, Jace was excited, and our partner Jeremy Turnes was excited. Jeremy has never had a 1st place win. Jace loved the first-place trophy more than the money.”
“I want to thank Warrior Cat Rods,” concluded Woodall. “They have taken great care of me and Jace. Their fishing rods are some of the best on the market and their customer service is bar none. We couldn’t keep putting fish in the boat without them.”
Second Place 
The runner-up spot went to Team Smoke. Mark Reichenbach Jr. and Michael Robinson brought 96.4 pounds to the scales to earn the second-place check for $1000.00.
Third Place 
Charlie Quinn and Chris Musick teamed up to claim the 3rd place spot. They brought 91.6 pounds to the scales to earn the 3rd place check for $500.
Youth Angler 
The Youth Angler Award went to Michael Reynolds. Nine-year-old Michael (turning 10 on February 25th) is pictured with a 20-pound blue cat.
“Michael was shivering at times,” recalled his dad. “But he kept saying he was fine. He made the last-minute decision to weigh in to get a chance at the youth prize. His decision paid off!”
He won a Hell Cat Rod for his efforts. Don’t forget to wish him a Happy Birthday if you know him!
Fourth Place
The 4th-place team was made up of Ricky Eiselt and Rob Benningfield. The Kentucky team brought 90.2 pounds to the scales to earn the 4th place check for $250.00.
Fifth Place
Rounding out the top five was Brian Folena. He earned the 5th place check of $150 with a weight of 88 pounds.
More Info
For more tournament information and sponsorship opportunities, make contact through the Winter Whiskers page.
