On Saturday, March 25, New Orleans City Park hosted the 74th annual Big Bass Rodeo and Fishtival, with almost 500 anglers competing for the championship title. Throughout the day, many anglers brought in 3 to 6-pound bass to the scales.
Angler, Justin Landry, brought in an impressive 6.26-pound largemouth bass, earning him top honors for the day and the Joe Courcelle Award. The Paul Kalman award for the Junior Angler’s Bass Division went to Dylan Smith for his 2.70-pound bass. Team Camo continues to keep their presence on the Cichlid and Bream Trim Team Challenge leaderboard with a combined weight of 8.09 pounds.
For the fifth year, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries hosted the student angler competition, Battle for the Bass. Sixteen different schools battled it out to earn the title and bragging rights for the upcoming year. The Miracle Workers from Brother Martin High School beat 28 other teams with a winning two-fish combined weight of 4.99 pounds.
Boats on the Bayou continued to bring experienced kayak anglers to Bayou St. John but also encouraged novices as well. Courtesy of Massey’s Outfitters, interested anglers were able to utilize a kayak free of charge during the event. Participants could place in two different categories, and the 2023 winner of the Kaye Florane Award and largest bass went to Luke Beslin, with a weight of 6.58 pounds.
A complete list of winners is available below. For more information on Big Bass Rodeo, go to www.bigbassfishingrodeo.com or contact Danica Williams at dwilliams@wlf.la.gov.
Boats on the Bayou
Other Category:
1st Place: Wilfred Adams wt. 0.59 Rio Grande Cichlid
2nd Place: Daniel Chauvin wt. 0.53 Pinfish
3rd Place: Grace Adams wt. 0.26 Bluegill
Bass Category:
1st Place Kaye Florane Award: Luke Beslin wt. 6.58
2nd Place: Kalon Johnson wt. 2.97
3rd Place: Nyree Smith wt. 2.81
Battle for the Bass
1st Place: Brother Martin– Miracle Workers wt. 4.99
Teammates: Henry Dauterive, Hudson Cammarata, Ethan Dietzway,
Nathan Wellman, Connor Farrae
2nd Place: Ecole Classique–Metry Bass wt. 4.96
3rd Place: Archbishop Rummel-Team Rummel-9 wt. 4.71
Big Bass Rodeo
Cichlid & Bream Trim (Team Event) Category:
1st Place: Team Camo wt. 8.09
2nd Place: Team C.R.E.A.M. wt. 6.59
3rd Place: Team Henderson wt. 4.35
Champions Challenge Category:
1st Place: Douglas Blanda wt. 2.92
Jr. Angler – Bream, Cichlid & Perch Category:
1st Place: Remy Karas wt. 0.42
2nd Place: Oliver Pichon, Jr. wt. 0.19
3rd Place: Will McPhail wt. 0.12
Jr. Angler – Bass Category:
1st Place Paul Kalman Award: Dylan Smith wt. 2.70
2nd Place: Blake Young wt. 2.54
3rd Place: Lillian Duggan wt. 2.52
Adult – Bass Category:
1st Place Joe Courcelle Award: Justin Landry wt. 6.26
2nd Place: Kevin Schilling wt. 5.49
3rd Place: Jack Winters wt. 5.36
