Beech Tree News Network

Jessica Cox reeled in the biggest catch of this year's Green River Catfish Festival fishing tournament, landing the $10,000 tagged catfish sponsored by the Morgantown-Butler County Chamber of Commerce. Cox snagged her prize-winning fish on the second day of fishing. 

Cox pictured with her husband Chad and her winning fish.

At the July 4 closing ceremonies of the Green River Catfish Festival, prizes worth more than a total of $16,000 were awarded for the 27 tagged  fish that were caught at the annual tournament. One of the signature events of the Green River Catfish Festival, held June 26-28 on the Green River, it drew anglers of all ages in search of tagged catfish and cash prizes.  This year's event saw 27 tagged fish caught, worth a total of more than $16,000, along with additional sponsored cash drawings and awards for daily big fish winners, veterans and youth anglers.

Those who caught tagged fish, the amount they won, and the sponsor of their winning fish are listed below, in the order of when their fish was caught:

Jeff Raymer: $100 Kerrick Bachert, PSC

Kurt Cox: $1oo Flener’s Main Street Collections 

Vic Coots:$600 Morgantown City Council

George Elmore: $200 The Style Sanctuary 

Austin Burden: $100 Butler County Rescue Squad

AJ Woosley: $250 Joan Pendley and Chris Hardesty 

Joddie McKinney: $200 In Memory of Gerald Jones 

Corey Burden: $250 Craig and Becky Hankins and $100 Skid Steer Services, LLC 

Alvin Dockery: $100 In Memory of James and June Pendley 

Kendall Embry: $200 In Memory of Bobbie Hooten 

Stephanie Orange: $200 Gav’s Meat Processing 

Donnie Cox: $200 In Memory of Wayne Russ

Wayne Embry: $100 Cedar Ridge Speedway 

Derek Crowder: $100 Struttin’ Rooster Farm

Timmy Thomas: $100 In Memory of Cousin Don Baker 

David Carathers: $1oo EPest 

Michael Orange:$100 Aerospace Composites Solutions

Susan Baize: $250 LB Electrical Solutions 

Vincent Baize: $250 James “Uncle Jim” Childress

Chad Cox: $250 Drakes Farm Service  and $150 In Memory of Joyce and Floyd Hammers 

Josh Porter: $100 In Memory of Cecil McKinney 

Garrett Phelps: $250 Inszone & Hocker Insurance

Tanner Shain: $100 In Memory of Gary Stagner 

Brayden Tomes: $100 Aerospace Composites Solutions 

Aberdeen Grocery sponsored several additional cash prizes during the tournament. Sawyer Moore won the $1,500 drawing for fishermen who purchased their fishing tickets before the tournament began, while Tim Blair won the $500 drawing for those who purchased tickets after the tournament started. 

Aberdeen Grocery also sponsored daily Big Fish prizes. Adult winners received $250 each day, with Scotty Simmons winning on June 26 and June 28 and David Barks on June 27. In the youth division, Peach Morris earned the $50 daily prize on June 26 and June 28, while Wick Hall won on June 27.

The VFW Granville Allen Post 5837 sponsored special prizes for anglers who are veterans. Corey Burden won both the $100 prize for the first veteran to catch a tagged catfish and the $100 prize for the largest catfish caught (tagged or untagged) by a veteran.

Logansport Marina Custom Boat Shop, Tonya and Tim Hampton, sponsored a $1,000 prize for the largest catfish caught (tagged or untagged), which was won by David Barks.

The 2nd District League of Kentucky Sportsmen sponsored a $100 prize for the largest fish caught by an angler age 16 or under, which was awarded to Wick Hall.