A special breed of competitive bass fishermen takes to the water for the first time this year on Wednesday.
They are Hawg Fighters, men (and women) who enjoy fishing the pressure-packed mini-bass tournaments every other Wednesday evening during late spring and early summer in and around the Atchafalaya Basin. The Hawg Fight season opener is Wednesday on Lake Fausse Pointe out of Marsh Field Boat Landing near Loreauville.
Each Hawg Fight is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. Entry fee is $30. Hawg Fight competitors are urged to arrive as early as possible to pay their entry fee.
Dozens of bass anglers are expected to compete on the highly competitive circuit this year, including Todd Citrano of St. Martinville, who fished with defending Hawg Fight Angler of the Year Nolan “Pee Wee” Doucet in all but one of the events last year and plans to fish again in 2014. However, Doucet has said he probably won’t be able to fish this season’s Hawg Fights.
“I look forward to fishing it again. Yeah, I’m ready, ready to fish it and do better than last year. I’ll probably fish with my son,” Citrano said last week, referring to Todd Citrano Jr.
The elder Citrano, 49-year-old assistant plant manager at Cajun Chef Products in St. Martinville, finished sixth last season after work commitments forced him to miss one of the events. Doucet, meanwhile, fished all the tournaments and amassed 790 points to finish ahead of St. Martinville’s Carroll Delahoussaye and Danny Bulliard, who had 788.
Paul Resweber of St. Martinville, Hawg Fight director who took over for Tommy Lipari of New Iberia in 2013, recently announced the Hawg Fight season opener and the rest of the dates for 2014: April 23; May 7; May 21; June 4; June 18; June 25; July 16; July 30, and Aug. 13. The Hawg Fight Classic date and site will be announced at a later date, Resweber said.
“It’s going to happen. We’re glad it’s happening,” Resweber, 49-year-old Haroil Construction owner, said last week.
Resweber said there are no rules changes for this year. There still will be a 14-inch minimum length limit and all three bass in the three-fish limit must be weighed alive in the catch-and-release format.
He said business concerns have kept him off the water so far this year. He won the Hawg Fight Classic last year while fishing with Mike O’Brien of New Iberia.
“I haven’t had a chance to get excited. Hopefully, I can get out and compete,” Resweber said.
The circuit pretty much runs itself, he added, and the turnouts have been fair to good, usually with 25-30 boats taking to the waters every other week in and around the Atchafalaya Basin. Other tournament site usually are Bayou Benoit Boat Landing, Myette Point Boat Landing and Franklin Canal Boat Landing.
Citrano said bassin’ prospects are FAIR TO GOOD going into the opener.
“It should be a good tournament. Fishing should be getting right. But the rain coming in this weekend … I don’t know if it’ll mess up the water or not,” he said. “Danny’s excited. Carroll’s excited. We’re all looking forward to it.”
For more information call Resweber at 441-0672, Delahoussaye at 277-8729 or Don Shoopman at 339-2266.
DON SHOOPMAN is outdoors editor of The Daily Iberian.
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