Wise Guys Finish First

Sometimes, Wise guys finish first. That was the case at the 2021 Catfish Classic when Bobby and Robert Wise took the top slot. The Billings-based father-son duo reeled in a whopping 39.29 pounds of catfish on the main river channel. They unseated last year's champions, Dan Dupea and Eli Dupea, also both of Billings. The 2020 grandfather-grandson championship team finished in 23rd place this year, with 22.15 pounds.

The Wise team had notched four Top 10 finishes in eight years of competing in the Catfish Classic. They had previously claimed two other catfish circuit titles, winning at both the Yellowstone Challenge in Huntley, Mont., and the Monster Cat Roundup in Sidney, Mont.

The winning weight, and indeed, the number of monster cats caught this year wowed anglers, tournament organizers, and fans alike. The Milk River has significantly lower water conditions this year after a dry winter. That, combined with an early-summer heat wave, raised concerns that the cats would less than amenable to being caught.

But, come tourney time, the catfish swam into their starring role and into the baskets of anglers. Tournament organizers boasted that a whopping 28 teams turned in hauls of over 20 pounds, tying records set in 2017 and 2019.

The Wise guys led the pack with their 39.29 pound haul while brothers Rod Seder, Billings, Mont., and Rob Seder, Hardin, Mont., boasted a basket of cats weighing 33.85 pounds. Glasgow natives Jason Flaten, West Wendover, Nev., and Cole Plouffe, Glendive, Mont., just missed the 30 pound mark, weighing in at 29.22 pounds of catfish. The 2018 Champions claimed third place this year. The placing marks Flaten's eighth Top 3 appearance.

Locals JD Bailey, Opheim, Mont., and Callahan Belling, Richland, Mont., were close behind, taking fourth place with 29.11 pounds. In fifth place were Byron Armour and Gunnar Thomas, both of Lewistown, Mont., with 28.94 pounds. Armour notched his fourth Top 10 finish with the fifth place finish.

Nashua's Michael Hendry won the Jumbo Whiskers award this year. The 10-year-old snagged a 13.88 to claim the new tournament record, which had previously been set by Bo Boreson in 2017 with a 13.87 cat. Hendry fished the tournament with his grandfather, Mike Merideth. Rob Seder won the Big Whiskers Award for the second-largest fish of the tournament, a 9.48 catfish.

Tournament organizers stated 61 teams caught their limit of five fish. Ten additional teams also brought fish to the legendary midnight weigh-in. In all, the 71 teams brought 334 catfish to the scales.

The 23rd Annual Milk River Catfish Classic will be held June 4, 2022, in conjunction with the 4th Annual Milk River Catfish Days June 3 and 4.