Nebraska couple Gary and Bonnie Mounce win Cats Incredible Catfish Tournament

Friday morning, before the start of the 36th annual Cats Incredible Catfish Tournament, Bonnie Mounce said she thought this might be the last tournament for her and her husband, Gary.

They’re “getting up there,” said Bonnie, 83, and they don’t get around as well as they used to. But if it is the last Cats Incredible for the Nebraska couple, they’re going out in style.

The Mounces, of Nebraska City, Nebraska, weighed in a two-day total of 74.39 pounds of catfish to win this year’s Cats Incredible Catfish Tournament, held Friday and Saturday on the Red River in East Grand Forks. Teams could weigh in five fish daily, of which only two could be longer than 24 inches.

Fishing in their 35th Cats Incredible, the Mounces – who just might be the unofficial “first couple” of Cats Incredible – weighed in five catfish each day, including an 18.71-pound catfish Saturday to win the tournament and the top prize of $3,270.

Leading the tournament after Friday’s first day was the team of Branden Lunski and Trever Lunsky, who weighed in five catfish for 40.91 pounds. The Mounces were in 13th place after the first day, with 35.17 pounds.

Other top teams in the annual catfish extravaganza will be added when final results become available.

Cats Incredible, Bonnie says, is like old home week, and perhaps even more than the fishing, they look forward to visiting with the many friends they’ve made over the years of attending Cats Incredible.

If it is their last tournament, they couldn’t have scripted a better finale.

A total of 80 two-person teams fished this year’s Cats Incredible. While the fishing portion of the event wrapped up Saturday, activities continue Sunday at LaFave Park in East Grand Forks, Cats Incredible headquarters, including the third day of DockDogs competition and a car show from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.