Wayne County Catfish Tournament Sees Increase In Anglers Despite High Gas Prices

Second-place winners were Tim Trone and Joshua Peterson, collecting $5,000.

Yes, gas prices are high and travel expensive, but that didn’t stop the boats from rolling in to the 18th  edition of the Wayne County Catfish Tournament, June 4-5. In fact, there were even more than last year’s!

The Wayne County Board of Tourism’s annual Altamaha River-based hoedown drew 89 boats and 208 fishermen for the 2022 event, up from 80 and 202 in 2021. That’s a testament to the popularity of a tournament that just keeps growing, along with the board’s other two main draws, the Wild Hog Jam (in February) and the Big Buck Jamboree scheduled for opening week of rifle season, Oct. 22-30. Fishermen from all over Georgia, plus Florida and Alabama, competed for $14,000 in payouts.

The Board of Tourism recognized those challenges and issued its thanks to all the participants for making the trip. Board members and the volunteers who come out to help make each event bigger and better are already gearing up for the next one—October’s Big Buck Jamboree.

Melissa Kent had big fish on the ladies side, worth $250 in her pocket.