Arkansans win Bass Cat owners event at Norfork

MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. – Bass Cat Boats held the company’s annual Owners Invitational this week as 312 teams converged on Norfork Lake in Arkansas seeking to compete for the top prize. After two days of competition, JW Blevins and Wes James of Arkansas weighed in two limits totaling 29.85 pounds to claim top honors and a 2024 Bass Cat Bobcat.

“We braved the weather again this year,” said Bass Cat’s Rick Pierce. “That can be a challenge, but we never lose sight of the fact that this is a family affair that features some of the best talent in the region and from around the country.”

The winning team said they fished their strengths, which meant that they didn’t even turn on their electronics all week, except for GPS. While their winning margin of nearly 4 pounds made it look easy, it was anything but a sure thing.

“We had trolling motor issues on Day 2 when the circuit board went out,” Blevins said. “It could steer right but it couldn’t steer left. For half the day we used my partner’s boat, which is also a Bass Cat, and then the second half of the day we went back to my 2014 Cougar FTD, using a hand-controlled motor.”

Their pattern focused on windblown points and a white and chartreuse War Eagle spinnerbait did much of the damage. They were in 7th place after a tightly contested Day 1, but stuck to the game plan.

“This is my 9th or 10th Owners Invitational,” Blevins said. “I got my first Bass Cat when I was 18 years old, and now I’m 33. I came out of a 1994 Pantera II into this Cougar. I love the overall drivability of it. You can go as fast as you want and still get into tight spaces. No matter what speed you’re going, it’s stable.”

Blevins’ uncle, Ted Carter, won the title last year.

“We’ve watched these families grow up around us,” Pierce said. “We like to see the longterm owners and families who’ve grown with the brand. It’s particularly gratifying to see kids who fished with dad now fishing with their own children.”

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