Monsters on the Ohio returns this weekend after taking a year off due to the pandemic, and the large catfish tournament is being run by new anglers-turned-event organizers who hope to carry on a long tradition of success.
Originally started in 2010 by Aaron Wheatley, Monsters is now being run by long-time competitors Craig Collins and David Studebaker. Collins said they have been fishing with Monsters on the Ohio for about eight years now.
Collins hails from St. Joseph, Missouri, while Studebaker lives in Harveyville, Kansas. At first, the two were apprehensive to take the reins on this annual project as they are each at least eight hours away from Owensboro.
Although there was a tough decision ahead of them, they knew how important the event was to several people around the area — and to a degree the nation.
“I definitely didn’t want to see it go away so we told Aaron we would give it a whirl, see what happens. I think it’s going to be a good event, I think it’s going to it definitely has a potential to grow,” Collins said.
He said the tournament has the potential to remain in the top five fishing tournaments in the country. Currently, the event has approximately 70 teams signed up to participate — but Collins hopes it can grow to 100.
Those 70 teams come from different parts of the nation. According to Collins, people are signed up from Texas, Alabama, Iowa, Ohio, Missouri, Indiana, Mississippi and several other states.
Collins said the event likely garners more money for the economy than people think. With the needed expenses for teams, Collins said he likely spends around $1,500 to $2,000 during the weekend.
At the end of the weekend, the winning team will be crowned and receive an estimated $7,000.
“We hope to bring more good things to Kentucky and hopefully continue to come back to Owensboro because we like it down here,” Collins said. “I love coming down, and when we competed we always came [to Owensboro].”
