June 06, 2015 by Montana Cats Staff
6/6/15- Glasgow, MT– 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”. The Cat Classic never seems to disappoint and this year 67 teams weighed in fish! Stable water conditions gave way to many limits of five catfish throughout the tournament field. Bigger fish proved harder to come by than some of the previous years, however, the top teams proved they are still swimming in the Milk River drainage and they can be caught at any water level or in any weather conditions.
The top 10 was littered with anglers from all over the region. Featuring fisherman from Gillette WY, Sheridan WY, Dickinson ND, and several Montana communities including: Billings, Joliet, Lewistown, Sidney, Belgrade, Nashua, Glasgow, Great Falls, Vandalia, and Poplar. Wow! But don’t let all that variety fool you, as the top 5 teams still included anglers who had grown up in Glasgow and spent many of their evenings on the Milk River.
Glasgow native, Tyler George, now of Sheridan, WY, fished in the very first Milk River Catfish Classic in May of 2000. 16 years later he finally stands above the rest! Tyler, teaming with his younger brother Ryan, now of Joliet, MT. used fresh Cut Goldeye and multiple locations from shore to put together a memorable five fish basket. The duo brought the monster crowd at the Famous Midnight Weigh-Ins to a fever pitch when they placed 38.95 lbs. on the scales! The 2nd largest basket in Cat Classic history and an outstanding night of fishing by any measure. Tyler, who had six prior Top 10 finishes, including a 2nd and a 3rd place showing at the Cat Classic coming into the weekend called it “a dream come true”. “It’s been a long time coming. With a lot of hard work. I can’t explain how excited I am right now…I’m speechless”.
The championship did NOT come easy, however, In what turned out to be the closest margin of victory in Montana Cats Circuit history! In 37 tournaments, we have never seen a closer battle. The George’s clipped Cat Classic icon, Jason Flaten and his wife Tianna, now of Gillette, WY. by a mere 0.20 lbs. The Flaten’s brought 38.75 lbs. to weigh-ins! Good enough for 2nd place overall by the slimmest of margins. It is also the 4th largest basket in tournament history. Jason and Tianna credited fresh cut White Sucker and location as keys to their success for the evening.
The top two teams cleared the field by nearly ten pounds, but there was still a real tight battle for the remaining spots in the top 5. Another Glasgow native, Jeremiah Hopstad, now of Billings, and his partner Justin King of Sidney claimed the third spot with 28.95 lbs. They bested, the defending Champions, Chad Dawson and Cade Flaten, by just over a pound. Last year’s champions had another fine day on the water as they secured 27.77 lbs. Local anglers, Chris Kolstad and Willy Lauckner rounded out the top 5 with 27.11 lbs.
Doug Mahlum, of Great Falls, brought another memory to those in attendance at the midnight weigh-ins. Doug, along with his young son, “Cut Bait Kane” Mahlum weighed in an 11.75 lb. kitty! The 3rd largest cat ever weighed in at the Classic. The 11.75 lb. monster was good enough for Doug to receive the “Jumbo Whiskers Award” plaque, $200 cash, and a brand new rod courtesy of Whisker Seeker Tackle. Tianna Flaten claimed the “Big Whiskers Award” for the second biggest catfish of the evening with her 9.69 lb. beauty. Good enough for a $100 prize.
As always, the Friday night Calcutta festivities at the Montana Bar on Glasgow’s Front Street were a memorable event in itself. Montana Cats stepped it up even further in 2015, teaming up with Farm Equipment Sales, to bring the world famous all-female AC/DC cover band “Hell’s Belles” to Glasgow! Hell’s and “Mabel’s Rage” out of Helena put on a show that most will never forget.
Sign-ups for the 17th Annual Milk River Catfish Classic to be held on Saturday June 4th, 2016 will begin immediately. ALL the teams that placed in this years “TOP 40” can begin signing up from now through January 1st. Teams MUST remain identical, however, to secure the spot for next year prior to the New Year. On January 2nd 2016, the remaining 40+ slots will be open to the general public. NO entries will be accepted prior to January 2nd from outside this year’s TOP 40 finishers. Entry fees outside the Top 40 can be dropped off starting January 2nd. Or post-marked on THAT day. No post-marked entries will be accepted prior to January 2nd. As will be standard on the Montana Cats Circuit next season, two-person entry fee will now be $100. ALL events will remain 100% cash payout. The entry fee hike will bring over $8,000 in cash winnings to next year’s Catfish Classic field. Get Excited!!
We are now halfway through the 2015 season on the Montana Cats Circuit. The Monster Cat Roundup in Sidney, to be held on Saturday July 18th will be the 3rd leg for 2015! The field is FULL at 60 teams and should be another great show. Please enjoy the pictures from this this year’s Cat Classic and complete final results below.
Pictures for this event can be found here.
| Doug Mahlum | 11.75 lbs. | Jumbo Whiskers Award |
| Tianna Flaten | 9.69 lbs. | Big Whiskers Award |
| 1. | Tyler George, Sheridan, WY. – Ryan George, Joliet, MT. | 38.95 lbs. |
| 2. | Jason Flaten, Gillette, WY. – Tianna Flaten, Gillette, WY. | 38.75 lbs. |
| 3. | Jeremiah Hopstad, Billings, MT. – Justin King, Sidney, MT. | 28.95 lbs. |
| 4. | Chad Dawson, Dickinson, ND. – Cade Flaten, Glasgow, MT. | 27.77 lbs. |
| 5. | Chris Kolstad, Glasgow, MT. – Willy Lauckner, Nashua, MT. | 27.11 lbs. |
| 6. | Troy Warburton, Belgrade, MT. – Eddie White, Billings, MT. | 25.77 lbs. |
| 7. | Doug Marottek, Poplar, MT. – Derek Warner, Poplar, MT. | 22.28 lbs. |
| 8. | Don Resseguie, Great Falls, MT. – Kevin Durell, Glasgow, MT. | 20.49 lbs. |
| 9. | Bryon Armour, Lewistown, MT. Hooper Armour, Lewistown, MT. | 19.87 lbs. |
| 10. | Mark Jackson, Vandalia, MT. – Storm Jackson, Glasgow, MT. | 19.42 lbs. |
| 11. | Ryan Feezell, Glasgow, MT. – Tyler Partridge, Glasgow, MT. | 19.25 lbs. |
| 12. | Mitch McIntyre, Glasgow, MT. – Jim McIntyre, Glasgow, MT. | 17.99 lbs. |
| 13. | Josh Marottek, Medicine Lake, MT. – Drew Henry, Glasgow, MT. | 17.83 lbs. |
| 14. | Erin George, Joliet, MT. – Dave George, Glasgow, MT. | 17.76 lbs. |
| 15. | Vance Anderson, Glasgow, MT. – Bo Boreson, Glasgow, MT. | 17.41 lbs. |
| 16. | Jason Maynard, Dickinson, ND. – Scott Swanson, Glasgow, MT. | 17.40 lbs. |
| 17. | Blake Gauer, Park City, MT. – Zack Dasinger, Laurel, MT. | 17.32 lbs. |
| 18. | Shawn Wersal, Glasgow, MT. – Jake Aune, Glasgow, MT. | 16.41 lbs. |
| 19. | Steve Harris Jr., Sidney, MT. – Chad Nelson, Sidney, MT. | 15.82 lbs. |
| 20. | Doug Mahlum, Great Falls, MT. – Kane Mahlum, Great Falls, MT. | 15.68 lbs. |
| 21. | Adam Morehouse, Glasgow, MT. – Tyler Edwards, Glasgow, MT. | 15.25 lbs. |
| 22. | Lacey Flaten, Glasgow, MT. – Keegan Jensen, Glasgow, MT. | 14.81 lbs. |
| 23. | Larry Hockhalter, Glasgow, MT. – Seth Ingram, Glasgow, MT. | 14.80 lbs. |
| 24. | Joel Smith, Glasgow, MT. – Marc Kloker, Glasgow, MT. | 14.43 lbs. |
| 25. | Casey King, Glasgow, MT. – Cody King, Glasgow, MT. | 14.41 lbs. |
| 26. | Blaine Berg, Glasgow, MT. – Cole Wesen, Glasgow, MT. | 14.11 lbs. |
| 27. | John Hunziker, Glasgow, MT. – Holly Hunziker, Glasgow, MT. | 14.01 lbs. |
| 28. | Chad Mueller, Sidney, MT. – Kyle Mueller, Sidney, MT. | 13.31 lbs. |
| 29. | Mark Combs, Glasgow, MT. – Seth Combs, Glasgow, MT. | 13.20 lbs. |
| 30. | Ann White, Billings, MT. – Ashley Harris, Sidney, MT. | 13.10 lbs. |
| 31. | Garrett Morken, Glasgow, MT. – Jerrett Braaten, Glasgow, MT. | 12.57 lbs. |
| 32. | Norm Braaten, Fort Peck, MT. – Scott Fossum, Glasgow, MT. | 12.56 lbs. |
| 33. | Nick Pentas, Billings, MT. – Shawn Bergstrom, Nashua, MT. | 12.52 lbs. |
| 34. | Bobby Wise, Billings, MT. – Robert Wise, Billings, MT. | 11.97 lbs. |
| 35. | Brady Flaten, Glasgow, MT. – Jason Molstad, Glasgow, MT. | 11.94 lbs. |
| 36. | Patrick Gustafson, Sidney, MT. Brent Harris, Sidney, MT. | 11.52 lbs. |
| 37. | Wayne Shipp, Glasgow, MT. – Della Shipp, Glasgow, MT. | 11.13 lbs. |
| 38. | Terry Edgar, Glasgow, MT. – Megan Winkler, Glasgow, MT. | 10.75 lbs. |
| 39. | Brien Gault, Glasgow, MT. – Autumn Gault, Glasgow, MT. | 10.63 lbs. |
| 40. | Jim Kelly, Three Forks, MT. – Charles Buxbaum, Sidney, MT. | 10.57 lbs. |
| 41. | Courtney Arneson, Havre, MT. – DJ Elletson, Glasgow, MT. | 10.31 lbs. |
| 42. | Reid Coldwell, Glasgow, MT. – Cache Younkin, Glasgow, MT. | 9.98 lbs. |
| 43. | Arlie McMichael, Glasgow, MT. – Wayne McMichael, Glasgow, MT. | 9.88 lbs. |
| 44. | Spencer Marsh, Glasgow, MT. – Caleb LaGree, Glasgow, MT. | 9.80 lbs. |
| 45. | Curt Shipman, Glasgow, MT. – Darci Shipman, Glasgow, MT. | 9.58 lbs. |
| 46. | Callahan Belling, Lustre, MT. – Randy Elletson, Glasgow, MT. | 9.34 lbs. |
| 47. | Shannon Albert, Hardin, MT. – Rod Hudyma, Glasgow, MT. | 9.31 lbs. |
| 48. | Tracy Krause, Glasgow, MT – Katie Kuka, Glasgow, MT. | 9.20 lbs. |
| 49. | Brodie Boreson, Glasgow, MT. – Lindsey Boreson, Glasgow, MT. | 8.86 lbs. |
| 50. | Colton Cumber, Glasgow, MT. – Randy Cumber, Glasgow, MT. | 8.60 lbs. |
| 51. | Tara Harrington, Glasgow, MT. – Allan Harrington, Glasgow, MT. | 8.24 lbs. |
| 52. | Mike Licking, Sidney, MT. – Jim Bingley, Glendive, MT. | 7.58 lbs. |
| 53. | Tom James, Glasgow, MT. – Carmen Corey, Glasgow, MT. | 7.52 lbs. |
| 54. | Nate Molstad, Havre, MT. – Jerry Molstad, Glasgow, MT. | 7.38 lbs. |
| 55. | Zak Peterson, Glasgow, MT. Lindsey Peterson, Fort Peck, MT. | 6.01 lbs. |
| 56. | Brian Mix, Glasgow, MT. – Kelvin Morehouse, Glasgow, MT. | 5.76 lbs. |
| 57. | Steve Norcutt, Glasgow, MT. – Brien Norcutt, Glasgow, MT. | 5.22 lbs. |
| 58. | Bob Harrington, Glasgow, MT. – Kayla Harrington, Glasgow, MT. | 5.20 lbs. |
| 59. | Nathan Wiens, Glasgow, MT. – Hudson Wiens, Glasgow, MT. | 4.79 lbs. |
| 60. | Paul Provencher, Glasgow, MT. – Wayne Linder, Glasgow, MT. | 4.39 lbs. |
| 61. | Kirk Capdeville, Hinsdale, MT. – Jeff Irving, Glasgow, MT. | 4.19 lbs. |
| 62. | Colin Kemmis, Glasgow, MT. – CJ Kemmis, Glasgow, MT. | 2.71 lbs. |
| 63. | Jesse Nickels, Nashua, MT. – Jessica Nickels, Nashua, MT. | 2.58 lbs. |
| 64. | Travis Doke, Billings, MT. – Jessica Doke, Billings, MT. | 1.77 lbs. |
| 65. | Darin Eschenbacher, Savage, MT. – Jim Wenzel, Sidney, MT. | 1.27 lbs. |
| 66. | Paul Siefert, Glasgow, MT. – Gage Siefert, Glasgow, MT. | 1.11 lbs. |
| 67. | Mikel Erickson, Glasgow, MT. – Levi Capdeville, Glasgow, MT. | 0.79 lbs. |
| 68. | Aimee Kloeckner, Glasgow, MT. – Timm Canen, Glasgow, MT. | 0.00 lbs. |
| 68. | David Irving, Glasgow, MT. – Rod Ost, Glasgow, MT. | 0.00 lbs. |
| 68. | Brandon Mueller, Sidney, MT. – Brady Mueller, Sidney, MT. | 0.00 lbs. |
| 68. | Doug Wooley, Glasgow, MT. – Tim Zabrocki, Glasgow, MT. | 0.00 lbs. |
| 68. | Paul Moore, Hinsdale, MT. – Jennifer Moore, Hinsdale, MT. | 0.00 lbs. |
| 68. | Lars Sorensen, Anchorage, AK. – Avery Sorensen, Malta, MT. | 0.00 lbs. |
| 68. | Scott Swanson, Laurel, MT. – Jeremiah Johnson, Laurel, MT. | 0.00 lbs. |
| 68. | Bill Jones, Billings, MT. – Phil Hageman, Billings, MT. | 0.00 lbs. |
| 68. | Jeff Unterseher, Glendive, MT. – Ben Unterseher, Glasgow, MT. | 0.00 lbs. |
| 68. | Dirk Monson, Glasgow, MT. – Dexter Monson, Glasgow, MT. | 0.00 lbs. |
| 68. | Matt Reynolds, Sidney, MT. – Carrie Niblock, Sidney, MT. | 0.00 lbs. |
| 68. | Luke Morehouse, Glasgow, MT. – Calvin Kemmis, Glasgow, MT. | 0.00 lbs. |
| 80. | Levi Krehmeyer, Gillette, WY. – T.J. Larsen, Gillette, WY. | 0.00 lbs. |
Posted in: Milk River Catfish Classic
