Joseph Osbourne, of North Wilkesboro, won the grand prize of $5,000 as well as an additional $100 on another tagged fish in the 2022 Qualla Country Fish Tournament held in Cherokee on Aug. 27-28. (Photo courtesy of EBCI Natural Resources)
The 2022 Qualla Country Fish Tournament was held in the enterprise waters of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians on Aug. 27-28. A total of 450 anglers registered with 89 of them turning in a total of 177 tags. The tournament was hosted by the Fish Cherokee program in the EBCI Natural Resources Division.
Joseph Osbourne, of North Wilkesboro, won the grand prize of $5,000 as well as an additional $100 on another tagged fish. Mike Eachos, of Cleveland, Tenn., and Michael Banoy, of Statesville, both won $1,000 prizes.
Other winners included:
- $500 – Terry Wright, Franklinton; Cauthen G. Pierce, Lancaster, S.C.
- $100 – William Patrick, Vansant, Va.; Rex Bell, Thomson, Ga.; Thomas Hill, Eastanolee, Ga.;
Tournament organizers said, “A huge congratulations to all our winners! Fish Cherokee says adieu as we conclude the tagged fishing tournament lineup for 2022. We went out with a bang by distributing a total payout of $13,150 for the Qualla Country Trout Tournament in cash prizes over a two-day period. We had the chance to meet some wonderful people this year and heard fantastic fishing tales not heard before. It was our pleasure to meet new anglers and to revisit with old friends. Join us again for next year’s Opening Day Fish Tournament which will be held March 25-26, 2023. We give thanks to all our anglers and appreciate your participation in our fishing program.”
For more information on fishing in Cherokee, visit: https://fishcherokee.com
- EBCI Natural Resources release
