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        Five years ago a redneck came to Bath, Illinois... Billy-Bob Jones had heard about a tavern on a boat in Bath and that sounded like something he should see for himself. While he was sitting on the back balcony he saw a boat coming down the Bath Chute and as it got closer he noticed that there were fish flying all around the boat. He had never seen such a thing and decided he wanted to catch one of those amazing flying fish. He asked one of the local rivermen to take him for a ride to get a closer look. Sure enough, there they were flying all around him as they headed away from the bank. He saw a dip-net lying on the bottom of the boat, picked it up and ... well, as they say... the rest is history. Every year since, Billy-Bob Jones has returned to Bath and The Boat Tavern with more and more of his friends to see who can catch the most flying fish. See for yourself in this Peoria Journal Star Video.

   They come from all over the country and the world, this year, from Washington State to the State of Virginia, they all meet in Bath, Illinois to have a lot of fun for two days and they are not alone, each year more and more local, national, and world-wide media follow them here. Even reporters from shows like the CBS Evening News and News Channel 20 have been kissed on the cheek by these amazing flying fish. This year National Geographic and the Discovery Channel were among the media present to capture the fun and festivities of The 5th Annual Redneck Fishing Tournament and it was as much fun as you can imagine, but Betty DeFord and her friends are already working on next years party, so for more information contact her at 309-546-2545.

See ya'll the 1st Weekend in August 2010 for the 6th Annual Redneck Fishing Tournament

2009 Redneck Fishing Tournament Photographs

2008 Tournament Coverage

Havana, Illinois