Inaugural Fort Peck Tournament of Kings Battles Wind on Day One

The inaugural Fort Peck Tournament of Kings got off to a little western start on Friday as anglers battled sustained winds with gusts reaching 25 miles per hour throughout the day on Fort Peck Lake.

The challenging conditions forced a handful of teams to call it a day early, while others chose to wait out the weather and launch later in hopes of finding calmer conditions. Despite the tough weather, the tournament's full field of 150 teams showed incredible determination, with anglers from across Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and beyond taking to the water in pursuit of Fort Peck's famous Chinook salmon.

The salmon proved to be just as challenging as the weather. By the close of Day One, anglers had landed 19 Chinook salmon along with two rainbow trout, making every fish weighed an important one.

Leading the field after Day One is Team 137 of David Milam, Daniel Milam, and Benjamin Milam, representing Havre and Billings, Montana. Their impressive 27.10-pound Chinook salmon earned them the top spot and positioned them for the tournament's $10,000 first-place payout.

Adding to the excitement, two Random Weight Pots worth $7,400 each were drawn following the weigh-in. Congratulations to Team 71 (Carson, Kelly, and Cole Norskog of Stanford, Montana) and Team 17 (Jody and Kathy Goodman of Great Falls, Montana), who each claimed one of the coveted random weight prizes.

Day One Top 10

1. Team 137 – David Milam, Daniel Milam & Benjamin Milam (Havre/Billings, MT) – 27.10 lbs.
2. Team 100 – Jamie Dolen, Laura Dolen & Jessy Johnson (South Shore & Milbank, SD) – 25.35 lbs.
3. Team 17 – Jody & Kathy Goodman (Great Falls, MT) – 24.95 lbs.
4. Team 91 – Dylan Sander, Julious Lopez, Trevor Kleppelid & Shawn Sander (Glasgow, Circle & Plevna, MT) – 24.85 lbs.
5. Team 45 – Jonathan Ficek, Clint Kitzan, Danny Genre & Beckett Seifert (ND/MT) – 24.15 lbs.
6. Team 45 – Jonathan Ficek, Clint Kitzan, Danny Genre & Beckett Seifert – 24.10 lbs.
7. Team 71 – Carson, Kelly & Cole Norskog (Stanford, MT) – 23.10 lbs.
8. Team 61 – Tyler Genre, Kai Hoagland & Jacob Genre (ND/MT) – 22.35 lbs.
9. Team 106 – Seamus Tolbert, Scott Filz & Joseph Unruh (Washburn & Minot, ND) – 21.80 lbs.
10. Team 43 – Pete, Matthew & Shawn Enrooth and Debbie Lewis (Butte & Great Falls, MT) – 20.05 lbs

The tournament also featured a Kids Division (12 & under). Taking the Day One lead was Team 20 of Byron, Jessica, Jordan, and Theodore Nelson from Bigfork, Montana, with a 17.70-pound Chinook salmon.

With improved weather forecast for Saturday, anglers are looking forward to another full day on Fort Peck Lake. While Day One tested both patience and perseverance, one thing is certain, the inaugural Tournament of Kings has already proven why Fort Peck is one of the premier salmon fisheries in the West.

The Glasgow Area Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture extends its sincere appreciation to the many volunteers, sponsors, tournament officials, and community partners whose countless hours of hard work made this inaugural event possible. Their dedication, along with the support of our anglers and spectators, has helped launch what promises to become one of the premier salmon fishing tournaments in the region.

Good luck to all teams competing on Day Two, and fish on!