07-26-2004, 05:07 PM
Anglers are stocking up on goldeyes and sucker minnows, sharpening hooks and testing the waters in preparation for the 17th annual Cats Incredible Tournament, which begins Saturday on the Red River.
This year's tournament features a top prize of $4,000 for the team that weighs in the most catfish over the two days. Teams can weigh five fish daily, including two longer than 24 inches. As in previous years, tournament headquarters will be at the south boat landing below Cabela's in East Grand Forks.
According to Diane Blair, president of the East Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce, this year's tournament field includes 62 anglers who haven't fished the tournament before. Limited to 150 two-person teams, the tournament has drawn competitors from 11 states and one Canadian province, including 14 from Iowa, 13 from Nebraska, five from Montana, two from Missouri, three from South Dakota and as far away as Kentucky and Arizona.
It's a strong testimonial, Blair says, to the tournament's reputation as one of the premier events of its kind in the country.
"It shows how popular the tournament is, and how the interest keeps growing every year," Blair said. "The influx of people also tells me why we had 30 teams on the waiting list."
As the tournament draws near, Blair says there's been some changing of partners, and seven teams dropped out. All quickly were replaced by teams on the waiting list.
"We had no problems filling them, which is not something we were surprised by," Blair said. "We expected them to fill. If we have more drop out, it is getting late enough that they can be hard to fill."
Blair says tournament organizers still are looking for volunteers to help keep the show running smoothly, and the jobs run the gamut from on-the-water officials who patrol the river during tournament hours, to ramp officials and fish handlers.
"We constantly have a good, strong group of volunteers that understand the tournament," Blair said. "We anticipate about 175 volunteers."
There'll be a few familiar faces either missing or in new positions this year, Blair said. Longtime tournament chairman Tom McDonald is fishing this year, and Ruth Ann Schleif and Dick Piker won't be running the weigh station. Schleif has a shoulder injury that prevents her from measuring fish, Blair says, and Piker has a family commitment that will keep him away for most of the weekend, although he'll still be around Saturday morning.
Schleif has stepped into the tournament chair position, while Andrew Kennedy and Heather Bjerken will be running the weigh station, Blair says. Kennedy and Bjerken both are longtime tournament volunteers.
Returning to this year's tournament field are defending champions Larry Barrow and Mike Horken, who weighed in 10 cats for 89 pounds to win last year's catfish crown. Repeating that feat will be difficult, though, as no teams have won the tournament two years in a row.
"We have some very talented fishermen out there and some very strong fishermen," Blair said. "You'll see a lot of the names in the money, but the top three or four are not the same. They change and rotate around. It just goes to show anyone can be in the money. There are no guarantees."
Besides the catfish tournament, weekend events include the Friends of the Greenway Chili Cook-off, Cats Car Show, YMCA walk/run, Cats Music Fest, a petting zoo, Games to go and Mule Train rides.
For more information or to volunteer as a tournament official, contact the East Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce at (218) 773-7481.
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This year's tournament features a top prize of $4,000 for the team that weighs in the most catfish over the two days. Teams can weigh five fish daily, including two longer than 24 inches. As in previous years, tournament headquarters will be at the south boat landing below Cabela's in East Grand Forks.
According to Diane Blair, president of the East Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce, this year's tournament field includes 62 anglers who haven't fished the tournament before. Limited to 150 two-person teams, the tournament has drawn competitors from 11 states and one Canadian province, including 14 from Iowa, 13 from Nebraska, five from Montana, two from Missouri, three from South Dakota and as far away as Kentucky and Arizona.
It's a strong testimonial, Blair says, to the tournament's reputation as one of the premier events of its kind in the country.
"It shows how popular the tournament is, and how the interest keeps growing every year," Blair said. "The influx of people also tells me why we had 30 teams on the waiting list."
As the tournament draws near, Blair says there's been some changing of partners, and seven teams dropped out. All quickly were replaced by teams on the waiting list.
"We had no problems filling them, which is not something we were surprised by," Blair said. "We expected them to fill. If we have more drop out, it is getting late enough that they can be hard to fill."
Blair says tournament organizers still are looking for volunteers to help keep the show running smoothly, and the jobs run the gamut from on-the-water officials who patrol the river during tournament hours, to ramp officials and fish handlers.
"We constantly have a good, strong group of volunteers that understand the tournament," Blair said. "We anticipate about 175 volunteers."
There'll be a few familiar faces either missing or in new positions this year, Blair said. Longtime tournament chairman Tom McDonald is fishing this year, and Ruth Ann Schleif and Dick Piker won't be running the weigh station. Schleif has a shoulder injury that prevents her from measuring fish, Blair says, and Piker has a family commitment that will keep him away for most of the weekend, although he'll still be around Saturday morning.
Schleif has stepped into the tournament chair position, while Andrew Kennedy and Heather Bjerken will be running the weigh station, Blair says. Kennedy and Bjerken both are longtime tournament volunteers.
Returning to this year's tournament field are defending champions Larry Barrow and Mike Horken, who weighed in 10 cats for 89 pounds to win last year's catfish crown. Repeating that feat will be difficult, though, as no teams have won the tournament two years in a row.
"We have some very talented fishermen out there and some very strong fishermen," Blair said. "You'll see a lot of the names in the money, but the top three or four are not the same. They change and rotate around. It just goes to show anyone can be in the money. There are no guarantees."
Besides the catfish tournament, weekend events include the Friends of the Greenway Chili Cook-off, Cats Car Show, YMCA walk/run, Cats Music Fest, a petting zoo, Games to go and Mule Train rides.
For more information or to volunteer as a tournament official, contact the East Grand Forks Chamber of Commerce at (218) 773-7481.
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