Hand fishermen from across the region gathered in Pauls Valley’s Wacker Park Saturday to compete for the top prize of Biggest Fish in the 2023 Okie Noodling Tournament. Seventy noodlers registered to compete in this year's tournament, and more than 6,000 spectators attended the event Friday and Saturday.
Sammy Cooper Jr., of Duncan, won the tournament title, weighing in with a 68.90-pound catfish. Cooper also claimed the top spot in the Natural Division with the same fish.
Other fishermen sliding into the top six spots in the Natural Division were 14-year-old River Williams, who came in second with a 65.90pound fish and also secured the title of Top Youth Noodler; Dakota Widuk in third with a 59.98-pound fish; 16-yearold Grant Armstrong in fourth with a fish weight of 53.27 pounds, also earning him the title of Top Youth Runner Up; Eli Hobson in fifth with a fish weight of 52.45 pounds; and Michael Browning in sixth with a fish weight of 50.80 pounds.
In the Scuba Division, the top spot went to Cody Stacy with a fish weighing in at 63.04 pounds. Second was Clay Armstrong with a fish weight of 56.46 pounds; third went to Kodi Bennett with a fish weight of 56.37 pounds, also securing her the title of Top Female Noodler; Travis Bice took fourth place with a 53.90-pound fish; Derrik Nelms came in fifth with a 53.41 pound fish; and five-time Okie Noodling Tournament Champion Nathan Williams took sixth place this year with a fish weighing in at 51.16 pounds.
Roka Davis claimed the Top Female Runner Up title at Saturday’s weigh-in with a 50.06-pound fish.
Ten-year-old Gabriel Todd won the Smallest Fish award, with a catch weighing in at 3.69 pounds.
In other competition Saturday, Kaitlin Craig, of Dallas, was crowned the 2023 Okie Noodling Queen after an intense threeway battle that included a fundraising round, a trivia round, and a unique Okie Noodling obstacle course. Contestants in the competition collectively raised more than $600 for children facing food insecurity in Pauls Valley.
