'Mudcats' star charged with assault in Oklahoma

[November 23, 2013]  DUNCAN, Okla. (AP) — A star of a reality show about hand fishing was charged Friday with assault and robbery after allegedly breaking into a rural Oklahoma home and assaulting the homeowners.

Winston Walters, 20, made an initial court appearance and was charged with conjoined robbery, burglary in the first and second-degree, conspiracy and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, according to online court records. His bond was set at $2.5 million.

National Geographic Channel's show "Mudcats" featured Walters catching catfish with his hands, a type of fishing known as noodling.

Sheriff Wayne McKinney told KSWO that Walters, who is from Walters, Okla., and another man broke into a rural Stephens County home in January and shot the man and tied up the woman. The two men then reportedly stole money and guns.

Authorities initially arrested two other men following the incident, but they were released based on DNA evidence. Earlier this month, law enforcement officers conducted a drug bust in Walters and discovered a stolen gun registered to the family that lived in the Stephens County home.

"These two individuals have been persons of interest for some time," McKinney told the TV station. "We just hadn't gotten enough evidence to make that arrest."

McKinney and Stephens County District Attorney Jason Hicks did not return calls from The Associated Press. The two men do not yet have attorneys, according to court records.

A spokesman for "Mudcats" said the show was not renewed and there are no plans to re-air it. The show featured Walters and other Oklahoma residents competing in the Okie Hand Fishing Invitational for money and bragging rights.

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Information from: KSWO-TV, http://www.kswo.com/ 

[Associated Press]

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