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| Press Release > Big Cat Quest Tournaments |
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June 10 2006, COLUMBIA, MO - Morning light creeps into the skies, faintly revealing a tree line and a sharp bend in the river. Boats line the Mighty Mo's Hartsburg Access and the anglers aboard make preparations in the twilight, awaiting enough light to begin the Bass Pro Shops' Big Cat Quest. With temperatures already in excess of 70 degrees and a 100 degree day on the way, they are visibly anxious for the competition to begin. Just as the sun spills above the tree line, the anglers speed away to their secret places on the river to reel-in what they hope to be the ultimate prize in this day's competition - The Big Cat Quest's biggest catfish. What is The Big Cat Quest? A couple of years ago, Tennessee native and lifelong outdoor enthusiast Ken Freeman set out to create a fishing tournament for fresh water anglers who enjoy catching the really big fish…Catfish! Many fresh water tournaments exist for Bass, Redfish, Crappie and Pike, but there is one type of fish that exceeds them all in size and in fight, the catfish. The Big Cat Quest is comprised of a series of tournaments, held in seven states, designed to find (catch, weigh and release back to the wild) glorious catfish in all their incarnations - Blues, Channels, Flatheads and Bullheads. A special emphasis of each tournament is to bring in the "Big Cat." Through The Big Cat Quest, Freeman has also found a way to combine his great love for fishing with his other great passion - his son, Walker, who was born with Spina Bifida, a disorder that effects the complete development of the brain, spinal cord, and/or their protective coverings. Freeman involves Walker and other special needs children in his Cat Quest tournaments and other independent children's fishing events. He is also an avid promoter and supporter of The Shriner's Hospitals for Children and the United Special Sportsmen Alliance. What is Fairbanks Scales' involvement with The Big Cat Quest? Fairbanks Scales is the official scale provider and weigh master for The Big Cat Quest series, and a sponsor of the tournament stop in Columbia, Missouri. The official weigh-in scale is a Fairbanks 18" X 24" QuickSilver platform scale with a 5200 Series instrument and a 1505 Series Remote Display. The Big Cat Quest is also marketing the Series II 200 pound bench scale to the anglers. The Rules The official weigh-in for the June 10 tournament is held at Columbia's Bass Pro Shop. Bass Pro Shop is a national corporate sponsor of The Big Cat Quest tournament series. Fishing begins at 6 a.m. and ends promptly at 3 p.m. Anglers are required to deliver their catch to the weigh master by 4 o'clock. The top five, two-man teams with the highest total weight (for up to five fish) take home cash prizes. A new Tracker boat goes home with the angler who brings in the "Big Cat." The Weigh-In All of the equipment is set-up, holding tanks are in position, and scales are freshly calibrated. As the heat of the day grows, so does the anticipation. Around 2:15 the first boat arrives. Two excited anglers jump out of the truck and run back to their boat. Whether it is because of the heat, the slippery fish or their excitement, they struggle to get the first fish out of their live well. Finally, the fish is raised over the boat's side rails and it is visibly a monster - a Blue Catfish approximately 4 feet long and 46.20 lbs. These anglers caught the Blue about 30 miles from the launch site. They instantly knew they had a "special" fish. A cardinal rule of The Big Cat Quest is that all fish must be alive at the weigh-in. Considering the heat of the day, and the energy this fish fought with, these anglers decided to weigh-in as soon as possible. A few more teams make it back early. Then, at three o'clock the boats begin to line-up. At times, three or four boats wait to unload their catch. A variety of teams from Illinois, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kansas, Iowa, Kentucky and Missouri, make up the tournament event. Individual teams consist of father and son, brothers, friends, and husband and wife (although, after seeing who caught the bigger fish, we should say wife and husband). The crowd continues to grow around the weigh-in station as the boats roll in. A total of 28 teams finish the tournament. The weigh-in ends promptly at 4 p.m.
As you can see, 0.15 pounds separates third and fourth place. The accuracy of the Fairbanks Scale proved to be a deciding and unquestionable factor in the tournament. More than 65 fish were caught and all were released back into the Missouri river. Fairbanks Scales received many thanks from the anglers, Ken Freeman Promotions, and the Columbia Bass Pro Shop for making this day an exceptional event. Beginning July 5th, The Sportsman's Channel will begin airing "Ken Freeman Outdoors," an exciting new show that highlights The Big Cat Quest Tournaments and other Ken Freeman adventures 
Winners 
1st Place 
2nd Place 
3rd Place 
4th Place 
5th Place 
The Biggest Cat 
Launch 
Plaque 
Scale Winner 
Weigh In |
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