YouTube Team Wins $100,000 Catfish Tournament in Vicksburg

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — A team of fishermen that met on YouTube teamed up to win $100,000 in their first effort, the River Monsters Catfish Tournament in Vicksburg.

Three fishermen from different parts of the country teamed up for the first time to compete in the Vicksburg Mississippi River Monsters MegaBucks Pro Series Catfish Tournament. Spencer Bauer from Iowa, Bradley Cross from Alabama and Micka Burkhart from Tennessee (where he holds the state record for blue cat) met on YouTube. “I’ve fished with Micka and I’ve fished with Bradley, but we’ve never all three fished together,” said Spencer Bauer. Over the past couple of years they’ve shared content and fishing trips, but Vicksburg was their fish time as a team. “We’re going fishing again tomorrow!” joked Bauer.

The internet trio beat out 86 other teams for the $100,000 Grand Prize, the largest prize of any catfish tournament in the world. “It’s just keeps getting bigger and better,” said Will Hood, Vicksburg resident, owner of the Beechwood Restaurant and a competitor in the contest this year. Although Hood and teammate Charles Toney of Toney’s Restaurant on 61 North, didn’t make the Top 25 in yesterday’s elimination tournament, he and Toney remain positive on the event. “Vicksburg is becoming known as a sportsman’s destination. Events like this help to put Vicksburg at the front of the line.”

Mayor Willis Thompson and Alderwoman Vickie Bailey attended the event. “This is good for Vicksburg,” said Mayor Thompson. “We are looking forward to next year and making it even bigger and better.” Alderwoman Bailey added in, “We will get started on it sooner next year so the whole community can be involved. We are also looking at a duck hunting event that could be just as big, if not bigger.”

87 teams competed on Saturday for the chance to make it to the Top 25. The Top 25 competed on Sunday with the top 10 teams winning prize money. A Saturday team won the $2500 Big Fish competition with a Monstrous 104.29 pound catfish.