Hunt County | Lake Tawkoni, Texas  —

The First Annual Monster Catfish Tournament took place on March 8, 2008, in chilly 25-degree weather at beautiful Lake Tawakoni in East Texas. The morning began slowly as our guides changed the rendezvous point for the tournament at the last minute to reduce travel time on the lake. When we arrived at the staging area, you could feel the excitement in the cold air as complimentary caps and t-shirts were handed out. We were meant to be on the water at 7:00 am sharp, but one of our catfish guides was delayed by Quinlan’s finest, pushing the start closer to 8 o’clock. No one seemed to mind too much as the temperature slowly rose into the upper twenty’s.

Bundle Up

The trick to staying warm is layers—yes, layers of clothing. It’s simple math: when it’s freezing cold, and the boat is traveling around 30 mph, the wind chill quickly becomes unbearable if you’re unprepared. Gloves, goggles, and toboggans are a must. Catfish King Contender Alberto “Anglin” Juarez, who recently moved from Utah to Texas, said, “I thought Texas was hot, not bone-chilling cold!” He was told, “Just wait a little; it will change.” Sure enough, it was a gorgeous 60 degrees on old Lake Tawakoni by the tourney’s end. 

Many of the contestants did very well as others suffered crushing humiliation dealt out by the old lake. On Boat One, up-and-coming Catfish King Contender  Fernando “the Rookie” Posada was unstoppable as “Dark Horse” Freddy Perez struggled to keep pace. On this day, however, “the Rookie” would not hold back as he took no prisoners and landed a forty-pound “reel-burner” winning the “Grand Cat Master Championship.” Jimmy “Catfish Junkie” Scott also had a great day landing several monsters.

Catfish veteran Scott “Bait’n Hook” Brown from Boat Five landed a nice twenty-pounder, which motivated the anglers on his boat for the rest of the tournament. Boat Two, led by AJ “Hawg-Man” Rodriguez, didn’t catch many; he only caught one, but it was a nice “drag-peeler!” On the same boat, Francisco “El Techero” Gonzalez reeled in another 32-pound “drag-peeler.” Suffice it to say, he was seen rubbing down his arms for the rest of the day. 

This year’s Catfish King Award is awarded to Pat “Salty Dawg” Hickey from Boat Four for his massive forty-two-pound catch. The story goes that long-time fishing buddy Sam Sadler was so busy reeling in a smaller fish that he invited “Salty Dawg” to take one of his poles, completely unaware that a mammoth catfish was on the other end! Oh well, thanks for playing, Sammy; as the old saying goes, “that’s the one that got away!”

Catfish Blues

For the contestants who didn’t catch anything, at least they got to hang out with their friends. As for Boat Three, who unfortunately got skunked, they have earned the first-ever “Wayward Angler Award.” For those on Boat Three, there’s no reason to fret, despair, or fall into depression, as rookie sensation Fernando Posada has set up free training classes for Wayward Anglers. Out of the goodness of his heart, “the Rookie” will teach advanced courses in finding, baiting, and catching monster catfish. 

Special Thanks

We extend our gratitude to JC “Southpaw” Rodriguez, Jackie “Kitty-Hunter” Murphy, Steve “Peanut” Nelson, Tommy “Tom-Cat” Blanzedt, and Ruben “Rusty-Hook” Amesquita for their efforts in making this first Monster Catfish Tournament a reality. In total, over fifty catfish were caught during the event, especially focusing on those weighing more than 15 pounds. These larger fish were carefully returned to the lake, allowing them to continue growing and supporting the ecosystem. The tournament was a resounding success, enjoyed by all participants, and we are hopeful for many more events like this in the future to promote community spirit and a love for fishing.