The Big River Roundup Florida Flathead Catfish Championship started in 1996 with the visionary efforts of the Blountstown Rotary Club membership and the cooperation of the Florida Game and Freshwater Commission in an effort to reduce and keep in check the ever-growing population of the flathead catfish in the Apalachicola River system.
The tournament was hugely supported and such a success that it became an annual event sponsored by the Blountstown Rotary Club, which then spurred the eventual creation of four other such flathead tournaments in the Florida panhandle. This year’s tournament in 2005 marks the 10th anniversary of the first organized flathead catfish tournament in Florida. Throughout those ten years approximately 2,500 fishermen have participated in the “Big River Roundup”, and an estimated 13,000 pounds of flathead primarily and other catfish species have been weighed in at the tournaments. The “Big River Roundup Florida Flathead Catfish Championship” tournament is unlike any other with fierce competition between locals for bragging rights, cash prizes and the chance at $ 50,000.00 at stake if the current State Record is broken during the event.
We are proud to say that our tournament has graced the pages of Field & Stream, Florida Fish & Game, and GAFF magazines. And as word has spread about the tournament, fisherman from Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, South Carolina, and even as far as Ohio have regularly traveled to take their chances at winning the event.
So come on down and see if you have what it takes to battle with the Flathead catfish, and stake your claim at the cash, prizes, and your chance at $ 50,000.00! *(see rules)*

 

Hope to see you next year! Applications will be posted here a month in advance of the tournament.