National fishing tournament host King Kat Tournament Trail will present its first ever Lac Des Allemands fishing tournament on September 22 thru 23, with start and stop times from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. each tournament day.
Late fee deadline to enter the tournament will be tomorrow, Friday September 15. The Captain’s Meeting – a pre-tournament general meeting open to the public – will take place Thursday, September 21 at 6 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express on 110 James Drive East in St. Rose.
Currently operating under new ownership, King Kat has run tournaments all over the United States for over 20 years with a focus specifically on catfish. Backed by national sponsors like Johnny Morris’ Bass Pro Shops and Cornfield Fishing Gear, King Kat’s current 2023 tournament lineup features around 23 different tournaments in locations like Weldon, Ill., Dayton, Tenn., Hickory, N.C. and Ridgeland, Miss.
“It’s all about catfish – the blue catfish, the flathead catfish and the channel catfish,” Scott Peavy, King Kat tournament official, said of the King Kat Tournament Trail.
Tournament prizes are expected to be between $5,000 and $7,000 depending on the number of entry fees collected, which run $300 per team. One hundred percent of all entry fees are to be paid back in prizes, Peavy said. The tournament will also guarantee $1,000 for its Big Fish award and $500 for its second Big Fish award.
Tournament participants can qualify at the event for the right to later compete in King Kat’s national tournament which features a $50,000 boat prize.
Unlike typical bass or crappie tournaments where teams often consist of just two fishermen in one bass boat, the King Kat Tournament Trail is known for attracting traveling family teams. A typical King Kat Tournament Trail team might consist of a grandfather, father and son, or a husband, wife and kids, all in the same boat, Peavy explained.
“We have a lot of locals that fish our events, but we also have between 15 to 18 teams that travel with us wherever we go across the United States,” said Peavy. “So, we do have some teams that – pretty much all they do – is catfish.”
Another feature of King Kat’s tournament is its companion Kids Fishing Rodeo, to be held at the Bonnet Carre Spillway at 101 Lower Guide Levee Road in Norco on Saturday, September 23. The rodeo is geared for kids 15 and under, who can register for free starting at 8:15 a.m., with fishing to take place between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Participants and their parents or guardians should bring their own fishing equipment to the event.
“We’re going to give away a bunch of rods and reels, bibles, shirts – all kinds of stuff,” Peavy said. “It’s not a tournament, it’s just something where we want the kids to come out and enjoy and get outdoors.”
Despite Lac Des Allemands being previously declared by the Louisiana Legislature as both the “Catfish Capital of the World” and later the “Catfish Capital of the Universe,” this will be King Kat’s first time hosting its catfish-centered fishing event in the Des Allemands area. After reminding Peavy of Des Allemands’ nicknames indicating catfish world dominance, the tournament official did not miss a beat in his response.
“We got some anglers that’s going to be there in two weeks, that’s going to be able to tell y’all whether that’s the truth or not,” Peavy said thru his native Carolina accent, with a chuckle.
For more information or to register for the tournament, visit King Kat Tournament Trail on the web at www.kingkatusa.com.
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