Beech Tree News Network

Despite some dark skies and rainy weather, this year’s Tackle the Green Fishing Tournament was a huge success with anglers reeling in 22 tagged catfish. In fact, two fishermen caught more that one tagged fish. Joddie McKinney snagged three tagged catfish and Vic Coots caught two. 

The Green River Catfish Festival Fishing tournament, sponsored by the Morgantown-Butler County Chamber of Commerce and Camping World of Bowling Green, gave fishermen the opportunity to catch 111 tagged catfish, hoping for a cut of $32,500 provided by numerous community sponsors and other cash and gift card prizes from Camping World. 325 fishing tickets were sold.

Vic Coots caught two tagged catfish

The Morgantown-Butler County Chamber of Commerce sponsored the grand-prize $10,000 tagged catfish. 

McKinney and Coots, along with the other 17 fishermen who caught tagged catfish, will have to wait until closing ceremonies of the Green River Catfish Festival at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4, to find out how much their catches are worth. The lucky fishermen are Shawn Elmore, Jessica Cox, Ronnie Norris, Cindy Cardwell, David Shain, Darrell Hinkle, Tony Deweese, Debbie Carathers, Emmit Cox, Michael Capps, Patty Garner, Talon Calvert, Joddie McKinney, Billy White, James Jared, Vic Coots, Kyle Fields, Dakota Lawrence and Troy McIntosh.

Several other fishing awards were given on Sunday night at the Fishermen Dinner. Categories were Goose Egg Winners (daily); $15o gift cards for entering the river daily; gift card for youth under 16 daily largest fish; gift card for veteran with the largest fish daily; gift card for the smallest fish daily; cash prize for the biggest daily fish - 1st, 2nd, and 3rd; cash drawing for those who purcahsed their fishing ticket at Camping World; cash drawing for entering the river; $1,000 cash drawing for anyone who purchased a ticket. You can view photos of these winners on the Tackle the Green River Facebook page.

Sponsoring $150 fish were: Butler County Clerk, Sherry Johnson; Brandy Cook, Best Choice Roofing; Hometown Trophy, Jarrod Evans; and Tony and Shirly Coots. $200 fish were sponsored by: C & L Wrecker Service; Farm Boy Restaurant, 2; and Wayne Russ, Jailer. Kentucky Farm Bureau Agent, Bobby Smith; Cohron Family Optometric Services; The Essentials Insurance Group; Green River Equipment Leasing, Inc.; Scott Flener, in honor of Dale Flener; Johnny and Courtney Embry, 2; K & M Supply and Rentals, LLC.; and The Dam Welding and Fabrication, Lesa Gabbard all sponsored fish worth $250. 5th District Magistrate, Dillon Bryant and Newton Homes, LLC. sponsored fish worth $300. 

$500 fish were sponsored by Aerospace Composites Solutions; B & R Lumber, Co,; Bluegrass Roofing; BTN/WLBQ; Butler County Judge Tim Flener and Morgantown Mayor Billy Phelps; Double E Vending; Drakes Farm Service and Jones Funeral Chapel and Monument Co.; Embry and Watts CPAs, 4; In Memory of Ernie Embry; Johnson Farms; Kuntry Kitchen; Star Tek Recycling, LLC.; Triple C Pawn; and Western Kentucky Roofing and Guttering, 2. There was a $600 fish sponsored by the Morgantown City Council and $1000 fish sponsored by Chad’s Body Shop, and New Image Car Care.