National Championship Catfish Tournament, 1999

Nebraska Boys Hit the Mother Load!

     Team captain Rick Walker with his two mates, Scott Hrbeck and Jerry Lewis from the Omaha, Nebraska area, loaded their boat at 7:00 Am on Saturday September  25th,1999 and went to work. The team fished 30 hours straight until 1:00 Pm on Sunday September 26th. Using their home-made "blood bait" they boated 614.3 lbs. of fish to claim the National Championship title, and set a new tournament record.
     Following the National Catfish Tournament on the Santee-Cooper Lakes, 2691.2 lbs. of live catfish were returned to the lakes by conservation minded anglers. The National Catfish Tournament was hosted by Randolph’s Landing Motel, Restaurant & Tackle Shop on Lake Marion.  338 anglers from 15 states tried their hand at fishing the ‘big water’, 170,000 surface acres makes up the Santee-Cooper Lakes.
     A 50 lb. 3oz. Arkansas Blue Catfish took the big fish honors, and a purse $2,000.00. The team of Melvin Hartley Sr. & Jr., Tim Burdette and Murrey Glenn from Fort Mill, SC. brought in the big fish and released him at the close of the tournament.
Prizes were awarded in three categories this year as follows:

CATCH & RELEASE TOTAL WEIGHT:

It took 614.3 lbs. to take 1st Place honors for the team of Rick Walker, Scott Hrbeck and Jerry Lewis from the Omaha, Nebraska area.
2nd place went to Curtis Bunnell, Jim Helring, Jon Helring and Wayne Bunnell from the Parkton, NC area with a total weight of 187.2 lbs. of catfish. Their big fish was 35.2 lbs.
3rd place was taken by Doug Coyle and Robert Price of Waco, KY with 174.9 lbs..
4th place went to Captain Ken Cross from Bessemer City NC. Ken fished by himself and landed 164.6 lbs. with a big fish of 34.3 lbs., to capture this award.
5th place went to the husband and wife team of Jimmy and Mary Hall of Elberton, GA with 124.9 lbs. of fish.

BIG FISH AWARD-CATCH & RELEASE

1st place went to Melvin Hartley Sr. & Jr., Tim Burdette and Murrey Glenn of Fort Mill SC. The team weighed in a healthy 50.2 lb Arkansas Blue that came out of the  live well thrashing and throwing the team members around the boat as they struggled to present the fish at the weigh station.
2nd place went to the Palmetto Gas Team, our home town boys Phil Young and Tony Roccapiore from Manning, SC. The team weighed Tony's big fish in at 48 lbs. bright and early in the tournament, and Captain Phil finally produced his contribution in the final hours of the event.
3rd place was taken by Mike Tate, Ruby Tate, Pam Cockfield and Rick Medley from Pauline, SC with a big Flathead Catfish weighed in at 45.9lbs.
4th place went out to Dean Birch, his wife Shantee and their young son Justin, fishing with Sammie Ferrell out of Chester, SC. Their big fished tipped the scales at 43.7 lbs.
5th place was taken by a Shelby, NC team, Mike Fitch, Tom Brooks and Horrace Wills with a big 42.3 pounder.

TOTAL WEIGHT

1st place- also taken by Rick Walker and team mates from Nebraska.
2nd place went to the Birch Family with help from Sammie Ferrell, out of Chester, SC.
3rd place went to the guys from Ft. Bragg Army Base in NC., Curtis & Wayne Bunnell and Jim & Jon Helring.
4th honors to Mr. Doug Coyle and Robert Price of Waco KY.
5th place Went to the team of Paul Plybun Jr. and Anthony Lows of Greensboro, NC with a total weight of 168.9 lbs.