Official release
WEST ALTON, Mo. — SeaArk Boats welcomed over 200 anglers to their second annual Owner’s Invitational on Saturday, June 2nd, on the waters of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Anglers from across Ohio, Kansas, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Iowa, Tennessee and Mississippi competed for over $16,000 in prize money and a chance to win a SeaArk Boats ProCat 200 with a Mercury 115 and a HaulRite Trailer, valued at $32,000.
“This was a great opportunity for SeaArk to give back to our customers and have fun. We were excited to see all levels of anglers entered from amateurs to seasoned fishermen. It made for an exciting day,” says SeaArk’s Vice President of Sales, Steve Henderson. “One of the highlights of the tournament was that you did not have to catch the biggest fish in order to win the boat package. If a participant caught a legal fish and had it weighed-in, his name was entered for the random drawing. The smallest fish weighed in was .4 pounds but the team weighing it in still had a 1 in 88 chance of winning the boat. Everyone had the opportunity to walk away a winner,” stated Henderson.
Activities began with check-in and late registration at the Captain’s Dinner held at Julia’s Banquet Center in East Alton, IL on Friday night at 6pm where the participants were treated to a BBQ dinner while the SeaArk Tournament Committee reviewed the rules and answered any last minute questions.
Anglers could begin fishing at 7am and the final weigh-in was held at Lincoln Shields Recreation Area in West Alton, MO with over 400 in attendance including SeaArk’s special guests, Austyn Yoches and Blake McDonald, as seen in Swamp People® on History® and also known as the Swamp Cuzzins’.?Team of Ron Benningfield of Elizabethtown, KY and Ed Moore of Louisville, KY took the first place check for $3,200 with 168 pounds. Ed Cooper of Sikeston, Mo and Tyler Moses of Florence, AL snagged the second place check of $1,700 with a total weight of 137.3 plus landed the Big Fish win with a monster weighing in at 62.2 pounds for an additional $1,000. The Arkansas team of Brad and Steven Stout of Rosie and Billy Littleton of Batesville finished with five fish weighing in at 116.4 for third place and a check for $1,700. Winners of the random drawing for the SeaArk ProCat 200 (valued at $32,000) were Ryan Saub and Matt Kerns of Norris City, IL.
The SeaArk Tournament Committee weighed-in over 272 catfish totaling 3,061.4 pounds.?SeaArk Boats manufactures aluminum fishing, recreation, and duck hunting boats up to 24 feet in length. The company distributes these boats through retail dealers across the United States. For more information on SeaArk Boats, visit www.seaarkboats.com.
