CYPRESS BEND —The Lake Area Bass Club of Lake Charles
captured the 46th annual Association of Louisiana Bass Club’s Best Six Bass Fishing Championship. The two-day tournament was held on Toledo with the weigh-in taking place at Cypress Bend State Park.

Lake Area finished with a 24-fish, 85.91-pound total, which was 2.32 pounds better than New Iberia-based Louisiana Basscats to collect a $3,800 paycheck. They also caught the tournament’s second biggest bass as Scotty Brooks weighed an 8.13-pound lunker.

Lake Area’s win, their first in the state championship, helped to end Central Louisiana’s stranglehold on the tournament. Hook-Em Bass Club of Deville came into the tournament having won the last two tournaments.

Rounding out the Top 6 was Louisiana Basscats (83.59, $2,900), Lafayette Oilmen’s Bass Club (71.04, $2,300), Sportsman’s Bass Club of Lake Charles (69.05, $1,725), Deville’s Hook-Em Bass Club (69.05, $1,545) and Hawg Hunter of Lake Charles (68.58, $1,350).

The Town Talk recorded some of the chatter after the tournament:

“My partner and I caught fish but nothing like the other two boats were catching. We talked and decided I needed to follow our other two boats to their spot.” It was the right decision as the three boats caught 25 to 30 bass amongst them.

The nicest fish of the day was club member’s Scotty Brooks’ 8.13-pound largemouth.
“We were fishing in 20 feet of water off the main lake points,” said Brooks. “And our boats were close together. I threw my bait right at his boat and before it hit bottom the bass had picked it up.”

Brooks said he felt the bass picked up his bait and slowly began to swim away. He waited a couple of seconds before he set the hook. And he made sure he stuck the fish hard. “I never turned her head,” said Brooks. “When I set the hook, she went deep, really deep.”

The bass made a couple of runs, jumped three or four times before Scotty got her up and close to boat so they could net her,” said Hillebrandt. “I was exhausted just watching him catch that bass.”

Like Brooks, Kenny Babin of Lafayette Oilman’s Bass Club was fishing in 20 feet of water when he caught his 9.07-pound female bass.

He was working a June Bug Red Zoom Speed Worm along the main points when he felt her take his bait. He fought to get his fish up to the surface and close to the boat where his partner could get a net under her.

“I knew the fish had some weight to it. I made sure I was careful getting her to the boat. I didn’t want her to get off.” His big bass earned Big Bass honors and a nice paycheck.