Aug 17, 2026
Brenner Flaten Wins 2026 Montana Cats Angler of the Year
Press Release by Montana Cats Staff, Presented by B'n'M Fishing.
Brenner Flaten, Glasgow, MT, secured his 3rd career Angler of the Year Award with a runner-up finish this weekend in Williston!. That finish, paired with a tournament title at the season opener in Huntley and a 4th place finish in Sidney last month, gave him 71 total points this season. The 71 points are tied for the 2nd-most in a season in Montana Cats Circuit history.
The 70 points were just one point clear of his brother, Jason Flaten, of Elko, NV. Jake teamed up with Brenner at the Challenge and the Roundup and also secured a 3rd Place finish at the Cat Classic in Glasgow for a total of 70 points. It’s a 4th top two AOY finish for Jason in the last 9 years.
The “Wise Guys”, Bobby and Robert out of Billings, secured yet another top five finish in the Final Angler of the Year Standings. The veterans put a really impressive season together, finishing with 61 points and a tie for 3rd place. This is the 9th Top 5 AOY finish in the last 14 years for the two legends.
Rounding out the top five was another Billings squad. This time it was the father-son duo of Robert and Jonah Peterson. They put 52 points on the board to finish in a tie for 5th place.
Congratulations to ALL anglers in the top 20, and the Association thanks every single angler who competed in our events this year. Until NEXT season!
| Montana Catfish Association | ||||||
| 2026 B'n'M Angler of the Year Standings | ||||||
| Name | Yellowstone Challenge | Milk RIver Catfish Classic | Monster Cat Roundup | Missouri RIver Catfish Clash | Total Points | Final AOY Points |
| 1. Brenner Flaten (Glasgow, MT.) | 25 | 22 | 24 | 71 | 71 | |
| 2. Jason Flaten (Elko, NV.) | 25 | 23 | 22 | 70 | 70 | |
| 3. Bobby Wise (Billings, MT.) | 18 | 14 | 23 | 20 | 75 | 61 |
| 3. Robert Wise (Billings, MT.) | 18 | 14 | 23 | 20 | 75 | 61 |
| 5. Robert Petersen (Billings, MT.) | 5 | 22 | 9 | 21 | 57 | 52 |
| 5. Jonah Petersen (Billings, MT.) | 5 | 22 | 9 | 21 | 57 | 52 |
| 7. Abraham Hawkins (Billings, MT.) | 5 | 25 | 16 | 46 | 46 | |
| 7. Kenneth Hawkins (Billings, MT.) | 5 | 25 | 16 | 46 | 46 | |
| 9. Todd Lindsay (Laurel, MT.) | 21 | 17 | 5 | 43 | 43 | |
| 9. JJ Lindsay (Billings, MT.) | 21 | 17 | 5 | 43 | 43 | |
| 11. Eric Braunberger (Miles City, MT.) | 9 | 5 | 21 | 12 | 47 | 42 |
| 11. Aaron Roble (Miles City, MT.) | 9 | 5 | 21 | 12 | 47 | 42 |
| 13. Grady Nelson (Sidney, MT.) | 20 | 15 | 35 | 35 | ||
| 13. Steve Norcutt (Glasgow, MT.) | 5 | 24 | 6 | 35 | 35 | |
| 13. Erik Volkman (Sidney, MT.) | 15 | 5 | 15 | 35 | 35 | |
| 16. James Decker (Sidney, MT.) | 5 | 16 | 11 | 32 | 32 | |
| 16. Steve Lowery (Fairview, MT.) | 5 | 16 | 11 | 32 | 32 | |
| 18. Scott Swanson (Billings, MT.) | 19 | 11 | 30 | 30 | ||
| 18. Kenny Bryan (Glasgow, MT.) | 24 | 6 | 30 | 30 | ||
| 18. Clancy Harris (Glasgow, MT.) | 25 | 5 | 30 | 30 | ||
| 18. Shawn Becker (Sidney, MT.) | 5 | 25 | 30 | 30 | ||
| 18. Whitney Becker (Sidney, MT.) | 5 | 25 | 30 | 30 | ||
