George Brothers Come Out On Top In The 2015 Milk River Catfish Classic

For the sixteenth year in a row, Northeast 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 did prove 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 Wyo., Sheridan Wyo., Dickinson N.D., and several Montana communities including: Billings, Joliet, Lewistown, Sidney, Belgrade, Nashua, Glasgow, Great Falls, Vandalia, and Poplar. Don't let all that variety fool you, as the top five 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, Wyo., fished in the very first Milk River Catfish Classic in May of 2000. Sixteen years later he finally stands above the rest! George, teaming with his younger brother Ryan, now of Joliet, Mont., 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 pounds on the scales, the second largest basket in Cat Classic history and an outstanding night of fishing by any measure.

The older George, who had six prior top 10 finishes, including a second and a third place showing at the Cat Classic coming into the weekend, called it "a dream come true." He said, "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. It 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 Georges clipped Cat Classic icon Jason Flaten and his wife, Tianna, now of Gillette, Wyo. by a mere 0.20 pounds. The Flatens brought 38.75 pounds to weigh-ins, good enough for second place overall by the slimmest of margins. It was also the fourth largest basket in tournament history. The Flatens credited fresh cut white sucker and location as keys to their success for the evening.

The top two teams cleared the field by nearly 10 pounds, but there was still a real tight battle for the remaining spots in the top five.

Another Glasgow native, Jeremiah Hopstad, now of Billings, and his partner, Justin King of Sidney, claimed the third spot with 28.95 pounds. 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 pounds.

Local anglers, Chris Kolstad and Willy Lauckner rounded out the top five with 27.11 pounds. Doug Mahlum, of Great Falls, brought another memory to those in attendance at the midnight weigh-ins. Mahlum, along with his young son, "Cut Bait Kane" weighed in an 11.75 pound kitty.

The third largest cat ever weighed in at the Classic. The 11.75 pound monster was good enough for Mahlum 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 pound 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 teams that placed in this years top 40 can begin signing up from now through January 1st. Teams must remain identical to secure the spot for next year prior to the New Year. On January 2nd, the remaining forty-plus slots w2016, the remaining forty-plus slots will be open to the general public. No entries will be accepted prior to January 2nd from outside this year's top forty finishers. Entry fees outside the top forty 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, the two-person entry fee will now be $100. All events will remain 100 percent 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 third leg for 2015! The field is full at 60 teams and should be another great show.

Top 10 results are listed below.

Top 10 (80 Teams)

1. Tyler George, Sheridan, Wyo. - Ryan George, Joliet, Mont. 38.95

2. Jason Flaten, Gillette, Wyo. - Tianna Flaten, Gillette, Wyo. 38.75

3. Jeremiah Hopstad, Billings, Mont. - Justin King, Sidney, Mont. 28.95

4. Chad Dawson, Dickinson, ND. - Cade Flaten, Glasgow, Mont. 2 27.77

5. Chris Kolstad, Glasgow, Mont. - Willy Lauckner, Nashua, Mont. 27.11

6. Troy Warburton, Belgrade, Mont. - Eddie White, Billings, Mont. 25.77

7. Doug Marottek, Poplar, Mont. - Derek Warner, Poplar, Mont. 22.28

8. Don Resseguie, Great Falls, Mont. - Kevin Durell, Glasgow, Mont. 20.49

9. Bryon Armour, Lewistown, Mont. - Hooper Armour, Lewistown, Mont. 19.87

10. Mark Jackson, Vandalia, Mont. - Storm Jackson, Glasgow, Mont. 19.42