Montana Cats Staff

August 17, 2024 by Montana Cats Staff

8/17/24 Williston, ND - For the second consecutive Montana Cats circuit event we had newcomers breaking through for a tourney championship!  This time it was brothers; Kyle and Daniel Brown, both of Billings, MT. who showed up and showed out.  The Brown's were fishing the "Williston section" for the first time in their lives and were not even able to get their planned day of pre-fishing in on Friday.  Due to boat problems on Friday morning, the anglers had to spend the whole day tracking down tools/parts in Williston and getting their boat ready in time for tournament day.  This did not deter the dedicated anglers and they still managed to put together the best day out of an entire 43 boat field.  

July 20, 2024 by Montana Cats Staff

7/20/24 Sidney, MT - For 16 years Steve and Ashley Harris have brought mid-summer fun to Sidney, MT. in the form of a Catfish Tournament on the Yellowstone River.  The annual Monster Cat Roundup is practically a religion for those that carve out the same weekend every single year to spend it in the Eastern Montana wilderness chasing BIG fish.  The Montana Catfish Association is one big family and this event and the greater Sidney area make up a large part of our organization.  This year's weather would cooperate and bring a clear sunny day to Richland County.  In return, the field of 48 would have the best day of fishing in tournament history. 

June 01, 2024 by Montana Cats Staff

6/1/24 Glasgow, MT - When an event reaches 25 years it is commonly referred to as that event's "Silver Jubilee".  It's only natural to want something special to happen when celebrating a quarter century of growth and sustained success.  That something special happened in 2024.  The Milk River Catfish Classic celebrated its 25th tournament in simply incredible fashion.  

May 11, 2024 by Montana Cats Staff

5/11/24 / Huntley, MT- The 18^th Annual Yellowstone Challenge kicked off the 2024 Montana Cats tourney circuit off this past weekend in grand fashion.  The Friday night festivities were highlighted with a social/Calcutta at the first-time tourney headquarters Longbranch Bar & Casino in Ballantine.  Paula and staff played gracious hosts & their outdoor venue provided a perfect backdrop for the Montana Catfish Association annual kick-off event.

August 19, 2023 by Montana Cats Staff

8/19/2023 (Williston, ND) – This year's Missouri River Catfish Clash proved to be the most difficult fishing in the 13 years of the event.  41 boats competed in the tournament and only nine teams would break the 20 lb. barrier.  Nothing less than 30+ pounds had ever taken the tournament championship at the "Clash", until this year!  Joshua Pruitt, Bismarck, ND., and Caleb Wells, Williston, ND. would ultimately grind out the victory.  They become only the second team to ever win a Montana Cats event while bringing four fish into a five fish weigh-in.  Their 4-fish basket tipped the scales at 25.12 lbs.; narrowly defeating last year's Champion, Eric Braunberger, Miles City, MT., and his partner Aaron Roble, also of Miles City.  The Miles City duo weighed in 25.03 lbs. on five fish.  

July 24, 2023 by Montana Cats Staff

7/15/23 - Sidney, MT. - It was another great day on the Yellowstone River for the Annual Monster Cat Roundup!  This year provided more unique challenges for the 37 teams in attendance.  It happened to be the 3rd highest river levels in the 15-year history of the event as the streamflow hovered at 30,000 cubic feet per second.  Only the inaugural year and the flood year of 2011, provided higher water.  Our recent cooler summer temps also kept the water temperature nearly 8 degrees cooler than the tournament average.  Despite those obvious differences, fishing still proved to be quite difficult for much of the field.   
One team stood above all others, however, as the father-son duo of Todd Lindsay, Laurel, MT., and JJ Lindsay, Billings, MT., absolutely obliterated the field with a heaping basket of cats that tipped the scales at 37.03 lbs.  It proved to be nearly 11 lbs. clear of the runner-up team and marks the 2nd largest margin of victory in tournament history.  Todd turned an incredible trick on tournament day as he landed the TWO largest Cats of the day. An 11.08 lb. whopper and a 9.14 pounder to go with it.  Todd remarked, "It was 10:00 AM and we had 37 pounds.  After that, we did continue to catch 5 pound fish and we could have had a 2nd basket of nearly 25 lbs."  This marks the first Montana Cats Circuit win for the Lindsay family and one this is extremely well deserved!  Todd, JJ, and Kellie have been cutting their teeth on the circuit for 5+ years and they are not afraid to put in the time.  Congratulations to the whole family.

June 04, 2023 by Montana Cats Staff

Glasgow, MT 6/3/23 -  Just when you think you've seen it all, the Cat Classic will surprise you with conditions one might deem "impossible".  After two consecutive years with unseasonably low water; we had nearly record river flows and at least minor flooding throughout tournament boundaries as the main channel and it's tributary creeks swelled with the onslaught of early summer rainfall.  The Tampico section in particular, saw rapid overnight rise, going from 2,000 to 5,000 CFS from midnight on Friday to Midnight on Saturday.  The previous record flows for tampico was just 2,800 CFS 2010 and 2012.  Every section, downstream of Beaver Creek, was dramatically effected during tournament hours.        

May 13, 2023 by Montana Cats Staff

5/13/23, Huntley, MT- The Yellowstone River is the longest free flowing river in the lower 48.  In it’s most Western reaches it boasts trophy class trout.  The further east it meanders, the water temperature rises.  The combination of rising water temps, plentiful forage fish and attractive underwater structure transforms the Yellowstone from a Trout haven, into one of the finest Channel Catfish destinations in the region.  The primary Channel Catfish populations in the Yellowstone span from the confluence near Williston, ND to as far West as Huntley, MT.  The western boundary of this long free flowing beauty is where the Yellowstone Challenge Catfish tournament has taken place the past 17 years, the second Saturday in May. 

August 20, 2022 by Montana Cats Staff

8/20/2022 (Williston, ND) – They needed a big day.  They delivered.  Eddie White and Eric Braunberger, both of Miles City, MT., were trailing four other fishermen for this year's Angler of the Year honors heading into the final event of the season.  Anything less than a tournament championship would have probably meant falling short of the coveted prize.  At the end of the day, their run and gun approach pounding "cover" paid off with a Missouri River Catfish Clash title.  The champs weighed in 32.21 lbs. on five Channel Cats to give them exactly what they needed to secure AOY honors.  

July 22, 2022 by Montana Cats Staff

7/16/22 - Sidney, MT. - There always seems to be two mainstays at the Monster Cat Roundup.  The anglers should always expect a challenging bite and they should never forget the sunscreen.  This year provided more of the same.  The summer heat peaked in the mid 90's this time around, but despite those difficult conditions it is safe to say the 50-boat field won this version of the battle!  Twenty teams weighed in over 20 lbs. breaking the previous record of seventeen teams with 20+ pounds in 2020.  Teams reported solid weights, but limited numbers.  In what has become customary at this post-spawn event, a five fish limit presented it's own unique challenges.     
No one "cracked the code" quite like Glendive anglers, Cole Plouffe and Brett Burman.  The veteran Catfishermen deployed a mobile strategy that helped them land over 40 catfish throughout the duration of the event.  Those are numbers unheard of in this Sidney section for this time of year.  Cole stated, "We caught over 20 Cats in one spot and had 35+ pounds by 10:00 AM".  It is the first Monster Cat Roundup title for either angler, but it is a 6th tournament championship for Plouffe during his Montana Cats Career.  Moving himself into a tie with Chad Dawson and the Wise Guys (Bobby and Robert) for 3rd All-Time in career circuit victories.  Congratulations gentleman on a great day on the water!    

June 05, 2022 by Montana Cats Staff

Glasgow, MT 6/4/22 -  Low water.  That was the theme for this year's version of the Milk River Catfish Classic.  How would the fishermen adapt?  Would fishing become increasingly difficult?  Would teams still find a way to put together impressive baskets of fish?  Yes, fishing proved to be very difficult on an otherwise beautiful evening, however, many teams adapted and simply found a way.  Eighty teams brought 276 cats to the scales at the famous midnight weigh-ins in downtown Glasgow.  Forty two teams caught their limit of five Channel Cats, but only five teams brought in over 20 lbs.  Those numbers, unfortunately, bore a stark resemblance to the low water years of the early 2000's.    

May 14, 2022 by Montana Cats Staff

The 16th Annual Yellowstone Challenge Catfish Tournament kicked off the 2022 Montana Cats tour this past weekend in Huntley.  The total 60 team field filled weeks in advance, a clear indication of the excitement surrounding this year’s event.  The teams gathered on Friday night at the NEW tournament headquarters at the beautiful Rhoadside Event Center in downtown Huntley for the rules meeting and Calcutta.  If the “chatter” at the initial meeting were any indication, this year’s event would present a whole NEW set of challenges.  

Area drought conditions created uncharacteristically LOW flows, which required not only NEW fish locating re but requirements also superb boat navigation skills.  The week leading up to competition days saw flows as low as 4K CFS.  For comparison’s sake, the 2019 tourney boasted 40,000 CFS flows on the high side, more than 10X for flows for the 2022 event.  It’s these constant changing river conditions year-to-year and day-to-day, especially early season, that force anglers to adapt their skills to maximize catch rates.  

August 21, 2021 by Montana Cats Staff

8/21/2021 (Williston, ND) – Low Water. That was the theme of the 11th Annual Missouri River Catfish Clash held in Williston, North Dakota over the weekend.  The event came into question mid-week due to the low water levels and issues with the boat launch at tournament headquarters.  Thankfully, Montana Cats worked collectively with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department to ensure safe access for all the anglers and assured that the event would go on as planned.  Despite conditions that had not been seen over the last decade of the event, and a drop in prop boat attendance, 42 boats still signed up to give it a go.  

July 17, 2021 by Montana Cats Staff

7/17/21 - Sidney, MT. - The Yellowstone River is very low and recent temperature's have been unseasonably scorching.  With those conditions unlikely to change over the weekend, the Montana Catfish Association Board of Directors held discussion early this week and took unprecedented action to protect the health of the fish during the event.  For the first time in the 13-year history of the event, the 5-fish limit was reduced to just 4 for this year's event.  The change would allow anglers a better chance to keep their fish healthy and return them safely to the river after weigh-ins.  Mission accomplished!  It was a highly successful event once again.  Despite 96 degree heat, the Montana Cats anglers passed the test with flying colors and proved yet again that they are committed to keeping the fish in great shape.    

June 05, 2021 by Montana Cats Staff

Glasgow, MT 6/5/21 - The Cat Classic is the gift that keeps on giving!  Simply unbelievable.  On a week where it seemed big fish would be hard to come by, it proved to be anything but.  With very lower water conditions and a heat index in the 90's for the days leading up to the tourney there was an expectation among anglers that this years tourney would be a real challenge and the resident population of catfish in the Mighty Milk would be tight lipped on tourney night.  Leave it the Cat Classic to throw everyone a wrench and come out swinging.  The fishing was fantastic again this year for the 80-team field as twenty eight teams weighed in over 20 lbs. of fish!  That ties the all-time record set in 2017 and 2019.     

May 08, 2021 by Montana Cats Staff

The Montana Catfish Association hosted the 15th Annual Yellowstone Challenge this past weekend in Huntley, MT.  Friday night kicked off with the rules meeting, social and Calcutta.  Anglers and fans took the time catching up with old friends and meeting new ones in the process.  The Challenge filled it's 60 team field for the first time since 2015 once again lived up to its name.

August 15, 2020 by Montana Cats Staff

8/15/2020 (Williston, ND) – After 10 years, the Missouri River Catfish Clash can still take an anglers breath away!   The beautiful stretch of water from the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers to the far west reaches of Lake Sakakawea is simply outstanding and continues to produce trophy Channel Catfish year in and year out.  This year's event capped a decade of impressive performances by some of the finest catfish anglers throughout Montana and the Dakotas.  49 teams enjoyed a fine day on the water with twenty teams weighing in at least twenty pounds.  

July 18, 2020 by Montana Cats Staff

7/18/20 - Sidney, MT. - They've done it again!  Back in 2018, KaCee McPherson and Nicole Peterson both of Savage, MT., became the 1st All-Female Champions in Montana Cats history when they took down a field of 60 teams at the 10th Annual Monster Cat Roundup.  Last weekend, at the 12th Annual Monster Cat Roundup in Sidney, the ladies put an even more dominant performance together.  On the back of the largest Channel Cat ever weighed in during the 21-year history of MT Cats Circuit events; KaCeee and Nicole weighed in a whopping 31.75 lbs., besting a field of 57 teams by just under 2 lbs.  Making it even more unbelievable, the anglers only weighed in 4 fish after accidentally culling out a 5th fish near 6 lbs. The mistake occurred during a hectic last 20 minutes of the event.  

June 06, 2020 by Montana Cats Staff

6/6/2020 (Glasgow, MT)- What an unforgettable weekend!  The 21st version of the Milk River Catfish Classic is one that won't soon be forgotten.  Normal flows, warmer weather, and an impeding storm were just some of the things on the minds of this year's anglers as they prepared for battle.  Thankfully, the high winds ultimately subsided on Saturday evening and the rains effected only a small portion of the tournament boundaries. The stage was set for another great night of fishing on the Milk!  Once again a full field of 80 teams competed in the 8-hour shootout.  At the end of the evening, 72 of the 80 teams would weigh in fish; with 24 teams topping the 20 lb. barrier.  307 Channel Catfish hit the scales on Saturday night and ALL were returned safely to the Milk River. 

May 09, 2020 by Montana Cats Staff

5/9/20 (Huntley, MT) – The 2020 Montana Cats tourney season kicked off this past weekend with the 14th Annual Yellowstone Challenge in Huntley.  This year provided a welcome break from the turbulent river conditions present the past couple years.  51 jet boats entered and 41 teams weighed fish.  After the dust settled, an impressive 14 teams finished with a basket over 20 lbs. (over a 5 lb. average).  

In the end, the leaderboard was littered with tourney veterans.  Last year’s Milk River Catfish Classic champion Steve Harris partnered with 2 time Yellowstone Challenge champion Nick Fortier.  Their 24.15lb basket was good enough for fifth place.  Former Challenge champion Rod Seder and his brother Rob claimed 4th place with 25.97 lbs.  That marks the ninth time Rod has placed in the top 15 in the Yellowstone Challenge.  

August 17, 2019 by Montana Cats Staff

8/17/2019 (Williston, ND) – Since 2011, the Missouri Catfish Clash has given local anglers a chance to consistently battle with BIG Channel Cats.  It is no longer a secret.  Tournament boundaries stretch from the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri River's in far western North Dakota and head east to the western reaches of Lake Sakakawea. offer fisherman a chance at a trophy nearly every time their baits hit the water.  It's a given every single year for the champion team to have a basket with over a 7+ lb. average and it's no surprise that the event is one of the most popular on tour.

This year the event had 53 boats, up 13 from 2018, as anglers from Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin battled on a cool, wet unseasonable day.  Many of the tournament fisherman were on the water pre-fishing on Friday and enjoyed sunny skies and upper 80 degree temperatures.  Saturday featured a high in the low 60's with rain sporadic throughout tournament hours.    

July 20, 2019 by Montana Cats Staff

7/20/2019 (Sidney, MT) – With near perfect weather and stable to slightly dropping water in the forecast, anglers could only hope that the fish would cooperate for the 11th Annual Monster Cat Roundup in Sidney this past Saturday.  Fisherman knew it would still prove to be difficult, however.  As is customary at the Roundup, Channel Catfish were in the middle to nearing the end of their spawn and water temperatures were hovering in the upper 70's.  This traditionally causes fish to become a bit tight-lipped and makes the anglers take extra precaution with each of their individual catches.  A good working live-well aerator on the boat or in a large cooler becomes essential to every team.  Anglers also introduce fresh water at every stop and can be seen introducing ice and frozen water bottles to their water storage system throughout the day.  All of this with the intent of weighing in five healthy fish at the end of the day and returning them all safely to the water at the conclusion of weigh-ins.    

June 01, 2019 by Montana Cats Staff

6/1/19 (Glasgow, MT) - The 20th Annual Milk River Catfish Classic was historic in more ways than one.  In the weeks leading up to the tournament, the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce announced a “New” event in conjunction with the Catfish Classic.  The Inaugural Milk River Catfish Days brought a whole new flavor to downtown Glasgow that lasted the entire weekend.  The community enjoyed two nights of live music, a pancake breakfast, a bloody mary and breakfast burrito brunch hosted by the Elks, a Corn hole tournament for both youth and adults, a beer pong tournament, a catfish fry catered by the Cottonwood, the school’s out carnival hosted by the Children’s Museum, a 1 Mile / 5k Race called the Catfish Crawl, a pitching booth hosted by the Glasgow Reds, Catfish “Crazy Days” for vendors and retail stores alike, a youth fishing tournament at Home Run Pond, and a youth outdoors clinic hosted by the Hi-Line Sportsmen. All of the aforementioned events added to the traditional; Friday night Calcutta, Social, and Street Dance, the 20th Annual Cat Classic, and the “Famous Midnight Weigh-ins” to make this year’s version one that will not be soon forgotten.

This year’s 80-team field was filled during the first month of open registrat

May 14, 2019 by Montana Cats Staff

5/11/19 Huntley, MT- Catfish enthusiasts packed into CowBoys Bar & Casino for the annual kick-off tourney to the Montana Cats tour this past Friday evening.  Through the duration of the Calcutta/social, the crowd experienced overcast and rainy conditions, threatening to play a familiar scene on most historical Yellowstone Challenge tourney weekends.  Competition day, however, was an entirely different story.  Seventy degree temps, light winds and moderate river flows were a welcome change over the course of this year’s affair.  The 2018 Yellowstone Challenge boasted RECORD flows of over 40,000 CFS.  The 2019 version punched the meter at just over 10,000 CFS.  That is in large part why this event is such a CHALLENGING competition.  Unpredictable spring weather and flows consistently throw a wrench in even the most seasoned catfish veteran’s plans.

August 23, 2018 by Montana Cats Staff

The 8th Annual Missouri River Catfish Clash took place in Williston, ND. over the weekend as 40 boats hit the water on a beautiful sunny day. The Clash never seems to disappoint in terms of the number of catfish caught or the overall size of the fish and this year was no different. An impressive, NINETEEN teams weighed in over TWENTY pounds. Only once before in the tournament’s 8-year history has there been more 20-pound baskets brought to the scales. (23 in 2013) To make things more exciting, thirty-five of the forty teams weighed in fish and big cats tipped the scales with regularity.

August 22, 2018 by Montana Cats Staff

Congratulations goes out to KaCee McPherson and Nicole Peterson both of Savage, MT on winning the 10th Annual NE Montana Monster Cat Round-up today in Sidney with 33.28 lbs! It’s a truly historic victory. McPherson and Peterson are the first “all female” team champions in Montana Cats Circuit history. They are also the first shore team to ever win a MT Cats event outside of the Milk River Catfish Classic! Until today, there had never been a shore champ at the Yellowstone Challenge, the Missouri River Catfish Clash, or the Monster Cat Roundup. Very impressive! The ladies stayed in one spot all day and it produced early and often as they had over 30 lbs.

June 07, 2018 by Montana Cats Staff

Big Fish. The 19th Annual Milk River Catfish Classic will be remembered for two words. Big Fish. For the first time in Montana Cats Circuit history, six (6) cats were weighed in over 10 lbs. in a single event. 14 year old, Jake Kuka, led the way with his 12.26 lb. pig, his award winning “Jumbo Whiskers” is the 4th largest in Classic history. Montana Cats Circuit veteran, Bobby Wise of Billings, added an 11.6 lb. kitty. The catch earned him the “Big Whiskers” award for the 2nd largest of the evening. One other 11+ lb. cat was landed to go along with three other 10+ pounders. Simply unbelievable.

May 12, 2018 by Montana Cats Staff

Over its 12 years in existence, the Yellowstone Challenge catfish tournament has proven time & time again to be incredibly unpredictable. This year was not an exception. The record snow pack, high temps and rain showers the night of the event, set the stage for a rip roaring Yellowstone River. The increased flows peaked around 40K CFS on tournament day, over doubling the flow from the previous week. The floating debris, 40 degree temps and increased flows forced the anglers to cover more water and increased the numerous challenges presented.

August 25, 2017 by Montana Cats Staff

We couldn’t have asked for better conditions for the 2017 Catfish Clash, as 53 boats set out to conquer the Mighty Missouri this past weekend! The Williston section always provides big fish and plenty of them. The days leading up to this year’s 7th annual “Clash” were consistent and in-turn it provided a bit of river stability that all anglers were able to enjoy.

June 19, 2017 by Montana Cats Staff

Summer heat can make for difficult days on the water. For tournament fishing it adds a level of difficulty that is tough to quantify. This year’s 9th Annual Monster Cat Roundup in Sidney was a fine example of what you can expect when you hit the Yellowstone River in mid-July

June 03, 2017 by Montana Cats Staff

It was supposed to be difficult. It was supposed to give anglers problems. Many felt it might even path the way for some teams to win their first ever Catfish Classic. None of it proved true!

May 13, 2017 by Montana Cats Staff

The 11th Annual Yellowstone Challenge Catfish Tournament once again threw the top catfish anglers in Montana a curve ball. With erratic spring weather, this tourney consistently provides inconsistent and unpredictable conditions. This year wasn’t an exception. Due to unseasonably warm temperatures the week leading up to the event, the river swelled to over 30K CFS, with water levels rising near a foot on tournament day.

August 20, 2016 by Montana Cats Staff

The 2016 Missouri River Catfish Clash was off and running Friday August 19th with the catfish social and Calcutta at the Four Mile Bar in Williston, North Dakota. Fifty-one teams showed up for the festivities and plenty of tips and techniques were shared amongst the anglers. A record amount of bidding was the perfect intro to an absolutely stunning day on the water. Tournament fishermen couldn’t ask for much better than 70+ degrees, sunny, with little to no wind. Teams were released in flights of ten beginning at 9:00 am from the Lewis and Clark boat launch just outside of Williston. Most teams struggled early, but they were consistently catching fish every hour from there on out.

July 16, 2016 by Montana Cats Staff

Early on Saturday, Sidney Catfish anglers, Matt Reynolds and Carrie Niblock, didn’t know what the day of fishing would hold. Carrie remarked to Matt early on during the tournament, “how cool would it be to win this thing?”, Matt quipped in return, “I don’t care, I just want my name on one of them t-shirts”.

June 04, 2016 by Montana Cats Staff

The 17th Annual Milk River Catfish Classic lived up to its high expectations this past weekend. As is customary, the festivities began Friday on Glasgow’s famous front street with the fishermen social, calcutta auction, and live band performance. The popular hi-line Phillips County band, “Trial by Fire”, and “Ashes to Ashes”, a premier band from the pacific-northwest, thrilled the crowd throughout the evening.

May 17, 2016 by Montana Cats Staff

Montana Catfish anglers were brimming with anticipation as the second weekend of May was rapidly approaching.  The 10^th Annual Yellowstone Challenge, kicking off the Montana Cats tour annually, was just the event to quench that thirst.  The weekend started off with an action packed night at Pryor Creek Bar on Friday night, highlighted by the evenings Calcutta/social and ended on Saturday night with crowning a rapidly rising catfish duo that is sure to continue making waves in the future.

August 15, 2015 by Montana Cats Staff

This year’s Missouri River Catfish Clash started off with a bang; filling the 60 team field for the first time in tournament history. With extremely hot and windy conditions fishermen were forced with a serious challenge as they were released Saturday August 15th at 9:00 am from the Lewis and Clark boat launch just outside of Williston, ND. Catching fish wasn’t a problem for most teams; however, catching the “BIG” ones seemed to be the challenge.

July 18, 2015 by Montana Cats Staff

Every year the Monster Cat Roundup gets better and better. Steve and Ashley Harris brought this Montana Cats event back to the “Oil Patch” of Montana for the 7th consecutive year. The 60-team field filled months in advance of the 2015 date and there was anticipation in the air for weeks. Anglers from all over Montana and North Dakota littered this year’s powerful field.

June 06, 2015 by Montana Cats Staff

For the 16th year in a row, North East Montana was treated to a great show! The Milk River Catfish Classic took place over the weekend in Glasgow, Montana. Fishermen came from near and far to try and climb to the top of the Cat Classic Mountain and take home the famed “traveling trophy”.

May 09, 2015 by Montana Cats Staff

The week leading up to the 2015 Yellowstone Challenge set up beautifully. Pre-fishing was “off the hook”, coupled with 80 degree temps and bright sunny skies. Everything seemed to be setting up well for the fisherman but then came the dreaded cold front. 80 degree temps were replaced with near freezing temperatures and a dash of rain, however, the frigid temps couldn’t hold back these hardcore Montana Catfishermen from competing in the first Montana Cats event of the season. The drastic shift in temps threw many teams for a loop but others adjusted on the fly and put together some nice baskets of Yellowstone kitties.

August 16, 2014 by Montana Cats Staff

Another memorable Catfish Clash weekend is in books! This past Saturday, forty five teams gathered around the Missouri River at Lewis and Clark Bridge in Williston, ND for the 4th Annual Missouri River Catfish Clash. The Montana Catfish Association once again hosted the event, and for the 4th year in a row, a record number of teams competed.

July 19, 2014 by Montana Cats Staff

Dreams do come true. One of Sidney’s hometown catfish specialists, Brady Mueller, is now just a prime example. After fighting and clawing his way up the leader board at all of the Montana Cats Circuit events over the years, Brady finally stood on top of the mountain this past weekend. Teaming up with another local, Joe Carpenter, the anglers put together an impressive limit of fish.

June 07, 2014 by Montana Cats Staff

You might ask; is there a weekend that is quickly becoming synonymous with Eastern Montana?  What about the 1st Saturday of every June?  Ask your average Joe, especially in North-Eastern Montana, and chances are they know the Milk River Catfish Classic will be exploding on the Glasgow, Montana area for a few days.

May 10, 2014 by Montana Cats Staff

The Montana Catfish Association kicked off their first of four tournaments this past weekend with the Yellowstone Challenge in Huntley. With the mighty Yellowstone fluctuating over 10,000 CFS the week leading up to the Challenge and dropping steadily throughout competition day, the difficulty level was ramped up significantly. Couple that with 40 degree ambient temp, 30 MPH wind gusts and 53 degree water and that’s just downright cruel.

August 25, 2013 by Montana Cats Staff

The 2013 Montana Cats Circuit came to a conclusion over the weekend and the culmination will not soon be forgotten. In what will go down as one of the most impressive days of fishing in circuit history, twenty-three teams brought in over twenty pounds to the scales. You are staring at a top ten finish in the Clash in years past with those types of numbers, but it was going to take much more than that in 2013!

July 13, 2013 by Montana Cats Staff

The 5th Annual Monster Cat Roundup was quite the show this past weekend in Sidney, MT. The event had a little bit of everything. New records in both total weight and big fish, a record number of boats, a circuit veteran crew winning their first ever tournament championship, and a hailstorm. Yes this was a memorable event for all involved.

June 01, 2013 by Montana Cats Staff

Sticking to the typical theme of unpredictability, the Cat Classic was back to its old tricks again this past weekend. Seemingly, every year, the anglers find themselves wrestling with rapidly rising waters or steadily plummeting conditions while also keeping an eye on the ever-changing weather conditions throughout the tournament week.

May 11, 2013 by Montana Cats Staff

The Montana Catfish Association hosted the 7th Annual Yellowstone Challenge Catfish tournament this past weekend in Huntley. After a long and grueling winter, the anglers were anxious to get out on the water and compete against some familiar faces. Several talented out of town teams, coupled with an abundance of veteran local anglers battled for the right to call themselves Yellowstone Challenge champs. This was perhaps the most star-studded cast in Montana Cats history, with over 19 individual catfish championships scattered throughout the field.

August 18, 2012 by Montana Cats Staff

The 2012 version of the Montana Cats Circuit will always be known as the year of the “RECORD”. For the third time this year a new standard was set. And for the second time this year, one of the fishermen was Chad Dawson. Chad, of Dickinson, ND. joined forces with Lars Sorensen, of Williston, ND., to take down the field at the 2nd Annual Missouri River Catfish Clash held over the weekend in Williston. The duo focused their efforts on submerged cover and deep water to land over twenty catfish on the day.

July 17, 2012 by Montana Cats Staff

The 4th Annual Monster Cat Roundup was held over the weekend on the beautiful Yellowstone River. Continuing with this year’s tournament theme, every record was smashed at the event. 2012 has truly been an unforgettable year for the Montana Cats Circuit and the Roundup would not be outdone. The highlight of the weekend was seeing tournament participation rise to 49 teams just before the Friday night calcutta at the Ranger Lounge, with 42 of those teams fishing from boat. The previous record had been 35 teams, competing at the 2nd Annual event in 2010. With increased team numbers, comes increased competition.

June 02, 2012 by Montana Cats Staff

In perhaps the greatest weekend in Montana Cats Circuit history, two young anglers proved the future of Montana catfishing is in good hands. The 13th Annual Milk River Catfish Classic events kicked off on Friday night on Glasgow’s famous front street with the annual catfishing social and calcutta of the fishing teams.

May 12, 2012 by Montana Cats Staff

One of the most loaded fields of Catfish anglers in tournament history competed in the 6th Annual Yellowstone Challenge this past weekend. The bite, however, had slowed considerably throughout the week and it stifled many of the veteran competitors. Nearly half of the thirty-seven team field experienced just how un-cooperative Yellowstone River cats can be some days. It didn’t take long for tournament champions Rod Seder and Kurt Weber to get into the swing of things at the Challenge.

August 20, 2011 by Montana Cats Staff

The 2011 Montana Cats Circuit came to a dramatic conclusion over the weekend with the Inaugural Missouri River Catfish Clash in Williston, ND. In the state’s first ever Montana Cats event, there was plenty of familiar faces to go around. Featuring twenty-one teams from Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota the tournament would prove to be highly competitive. As is customary with all circuit events, the weekend kicked off with a calcutta of the fishing teams. The calcutta and social were sponsored and hosted by the 4-Mile Bar. Following the auction, the rules meeting was conducted by tournament director, Steve Harris, of the Montana Catfish Association.

July 16, 2011 by Montana Cats Staff

What a weekend! In what can only be described as outstanding, the 12th Annual Milk River Catfish Classic weekend is officially in the books. 2011 was no ordinary year for the Classic. Due to a “100 year” flood on the mighty Milk because of record snowfall and an unseasonable amount of spring rain, the Cat Classic was rescheduled for the first time in tournament history.

July 09, 2011 by Montana Cats Staff

The 3rd Annual Monster Cat Roundup took place in Sidney, Montana over the weekend. The festivities were once again kicked off on Friday night with the social and calcutta of the fishing teams at the Ranger Lounge. A record number of people showed up to bid on their favorite anglers and enjoy some good fishing conversation. Jerry Andreason and Jessie Williams with Good Ol’ Boys Auctioneering put on a show with the calcutta and provided some good entertainment for the crowd. Tournament director, Steve Harris, of the Montana Catfish Association, presented the rules and regulations. As the opening night came to a close there was some nervous anticipation in the air and plenty of excitement to get it all started.

May 07, 2011 by Montana Cats Staff

The Yellowstone Challenge, brought to you by the Montana Catfish Association in conjunction with Cabelas, returned to Huntley over the weekend and welcomed a record 42 boats to the competition. An unseasonably cold spring gave way to three straight days of beautiful weather leading up to the event, and that’s just what the doctor ordered. The weigh-ins provided all the proof one needed to see that the big fish were active and the anglers were in prime form.

July 17, 2010 by Montana Cats Staff

All eyes were on Eastern Montana once again this past weekend as the Montana Cats Circuit rolled into Sidney for the 2nd Annual Monster Cat Roundup. The Roundup, the 4th leg on the annual tour, burst onto the scene last summer and debuted with 23 teams. This years event ballooned to 35 teams, while continuing to grow into one of the finest catfish tournaments in the state. The weekend kicked off on Friday night with the Social and Calcutta of the fishing teams at the Ranger Lounge in downtown Sidney. The social was once again well attended and provided the perfect leadup to a long day on the water.

June 05, 2010 by Montana Cats Staff

WOW! What an unbelievable night of fishing on the Mighty Milk River this past weekend! 80 teams kicked off the festivities in Glasgow Friday night with the social and calcutta of the fishing teams held at the Montana Bar. The city of Glasgow buzzed with anticipation throughout the entire day on Saturday, as teams could be seen almost anywhere in preparation for the big event.

May 08, 2010 by Montana Cats Staff

What a weekend! When the Montana Catfish Association was searching for a catchy nickname for their newly found tournament back in the fall of 2006, they settled on “The Challenge”. Little did we know, it would turn out to be the perfect fit for this annual Yellowstone River event. The tournament is held on the 2nd weekend of May every year, which usually ensures unstable weather. Additional challenges include the fact that its held during mid-day and in typical very unstable river flows. This years version was no different for the field of 60 teams.

July 11, 2009 by Montana Cats Staff

The Inaugural Monster Catfish Roundup is officially in the books! The weekend kicked off much like the other MT Cats Tour events, with a Friday night Calcutta held at the Ranger Bar in downtown Sidney. This year’s event was an instant success, as 23 teams set out on the river at 7:00 a.m. Saturday morning.

June 06, 2009 by Montana Cats Staff

This year’s event provided an all-new obstacle for fisherman as the weather hovered around 40 degrees with a constant drizzle throughout the tournament. Couple that with the fact that the Milk River flows had taken a major downturn over the last week, due to irrigation and a lack of precipitation. It was going to take a brilliant effort to bring in a large stringer.

May 09, 2009 by Montana Cats Staff

The Yellowstone Challenge continues to grow at an all-time high, this was evidenced by the nice crowd gathered around the Minnow Bucket in Huntley this past Saturday. This years 3rd Annual event provided fun and thrills for all the ages involved. The 60-team limit was filled 3 weeks in advance of the event, as anglers rushed to assure their entry. The local anglers are becoming more excited about catfishing and if this year’s tourney is any indication, we should see continued growth and positive changes into the future.

June 07, 2008 by Montana Cats Staff

Who would take home the 9th Annual Catfish Classic championship…..rookies, tourney vets or past champions? Relatively stable weather and good river flows were sure to provide plenty of drama and huge Channel Cats for the traditional downtown midnight weigh-ins. One of the unique challenges this tournament poses, is the astounding amount of river miles within the tournament boundaries.

May 10, 2008 by Montana Cats Staff

The annual Yellowstone Challenge is in the books and there were many impressive stringers recorded on this beautiful 65-degree day. A record 51 teams set out on the section of Yellowstone River stretching from the mouth of the Bighorn River to the East bridge in Billings. Bank and shore anglers were allowed to compete; as most teams experienced mixed results throughout the day, encountering a somewhat sporadic bite. Billings anglers, Ryan Smith and Kevin Van Donsel, took home the championship with an impressive four fish limit of 30.4 lbs., earning themselves a check for $700. They would also take home the Big Fish Prize, a large backyard grill valued at $300, for their Channel Cat weighing in at 10.4 lbs.

March 21, 2008 by Montana Cats Staff

3/21/08- Yes…..it’s that time once again. Break out your tackle and round up some of your favorite bait, its catfishing time! As the month of March comes to a close, the ice is beginning to break loose on Montana’s lakes and rivers. When April arrives, the bite will be heating up and it will be time to go out and look for some monster cats. With that in mind we would like to update you on the direction of the website, association and tournament schedule for the 2008 season.

2007 was a great year that included positive progress for the Montana Catfish Association. The website continued to grow at a rapid pace and the message board activity reached an all-time high. The Montana Cats field staff also expanded to five members in 2007, with the inclusion of Nate Molstad and Steve Harris. Steve and Nate bring a wealth of experience and a love for the sport of catfishing to the current staff.

We are open to suggestions on improving the association now and in the future. Look for memberships to become available by 2009. We are also seeking ways to improve and expand our website. We hope to include Podcast interviews and Youtube video on the site this year. Video footage of fishing trips, tournament weigh-ins as well as podcast interviews of tournament participants will be a way to increase web traffic and improve viewers online experience. We also hope to update the tackle section to include reviews on: catfish reels, hooks and boats. The Cat Waters section will be updated to include the: Powder River, Tongue River/Reservoir, and Missouri River. We also hope to include a new apparel section that will include: caps, t-shirts, decals, etc.

June 02, 2007 by Montana Cats Staff

When catfisherman talk about 6.5 inches they are usually referring to the size of their sucker minnows, not the amount of rain that fell in the month of May in the Glasgow area. The record rainfall had a HUGE effect on the fishing conditions, with the river reaching near flood stage in much of the tournament boundary

May 19, 2007 by Montana Cats Staff

The Yellowstone Challenge marked the first ever Catfish tournament in the Billings region. Local anglers who participated in the inaugural tournament were eager to get out on the water to catch some huge cats and capture bragging rights. 42 teams in all (mostly local) braved the high water conditions for an afternoon of good fun and competition. The field was essentially split, with half the field fishing from shore and the other half from boat.

July 22, 2006 by Montana Cats Staff

East Grand Forks, MN 7/22/06 – The Red River of the North is widely considered the premier Channel Catfish water in the world. The Red didn’t disappoint as the Montana Cats Pro Staff, along with Montana Cats member Steve Harris, made the seven hour trek across North Dakota to compete in the annual Red River Valley Catfish Club Tournament. Brady Flaten and Steve Harris made up the first team and the brother combination of Jason and Brenner Flaten comprised the second. Conditions weren’t ideal with low waters, extreme temperatures and the fish in post-spawn mode which provided numerous challenges for the Montana anglers. Pre-fishing proved puzzling as the fish weren’t necessarily congregated in one specific area. Both teams, however, enjoyed great success pre-fishing on Friday, boating numerous fish over the 10 pound mark. Confidence was high and anticipation great. Strategy would prove to be a huge aspect in this and every Red River tournament. Three fish would be weighed with one of those fish having to be under the 24” mark. Due to state regulations there would also be no sorting or culling fish in the live well. This would force anglers to make the tough decision on whether not to keep or release the fish after landing it. 35 teams took off from the South landing at 7:00 A.M. and had to return by 3:00 P.M. The team of Brady Flaten and Steve Harris, however, didn’t need the full allotted time weighing their three fish in at 10:30. The strategy of not putting anything in the live well less than 15 pounds before noon turned out to be successful. Brady and Steve turned back 3 other fish over 10 pounds before finally boating their final fish of 16.8 lbs. Three fish consisting of 16.8, 15.8 & 3.6 totaled 36.2 lbs good enough for 4th place. Brenner and Jason Flaten turned in a fish of 14.2 and 3.2 for a tournament total of 17.2 lbs. Boat trouble and the tough decision of turning a fish of 9 lbs back summed up the day for the brother combo. The Red River Valley Catfish Club put on an outstanding tournament and a good time was enjoyed by all. If you have any questions about this tournament or the Red River in general, please feel free to post on the message board.

June 10, 2006 by Montana Cats Staff

Savage 6/10/06- The Yellowstone River is the longest free flowing river in the lower 48 States and it boasts some of Montana’s best Catfishing. It was put to the test this Saturday during the 3rd Annual Savage Fire Dept. Catfish Tournament. The folks at the Savage have put forth a ton of effort to get this fishing extravaganza organized and running. This years event included a pre-tournament social, Calcutta, fishing tournament, catfish feed and numerous door prizes. The tournament rules allowed teams of 1-3 and the quirky rule of targeting 12 to 18″ Cats (5 fish limit). Normally this would not be a difficult task, however, the Yellowstone has an average fish size much larger than that. It was a rainy afternoon with as much as 1 1/2 inches of rain falling on the contestants heads. Most teams weighed fish but staying under the slot limit was difficult for many. 39 teams braved the wind and rain to fish for the mighty Channel Cat. Brady Flaten, Brenner Flaten & Jason Flaten, fishing in a 2006 River Pro, were able to find the right combination. They finished with a 5 fish total weighing 7.74 pounds, which was good enough for the tournament title. This tournament was well run and a good time was had by all. Montana Cats recommends anyone interested in a good time and meeting some friendly people to pencil in the second weekend of June, 2007 for Savage, MT.

June 03, 2006 by Montana Cats Staff

The City of Glasgow was buzzing Saturday night; with the 7th Annual Milk River Catfish Classic again raising eyebrows in the community. With each year comes added anticipation and this year was no exception. Just six years ago this tournament started with 12 teams; as this year it ballooned to fill the tournament limit of 60.