Evening bass tournament circuit starts on March 22
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Two New Iberia bass anglers go into the fast-approaching Wednesday Night Hawg Fights Bass Tournament Series as the team to beat in 2023.
Mike Sinitiere and Mike OBrien, head into the March 22 opener to defend the Angler(s) of the Year title they won in 2022.
The 2023 WN Hawg Fights BTS gets underway at Lake Fausse Pointe out of Marsh Field Boat Landing. OBrien expects a big turnout and cant wait for the opener.
Yeah, excited, really excited. We should have a good crowd, OBrien said about the first tournament less than two weeks away.
Well, he hedged a little about his own level of excitement and said, Im excited about it but Im really enjoying it over here at Toledo Bend.
OBrien and his wife, Melanie OBrien, a retired elementary schoolteacher with the Iberia Parish School Board, spend a few weeks each late winter/early spring in their RV they park at Cypress Bend Resort below Pendleton Bridge on the Louisiana side of Toledo Bend. They fish for bass and sac-a-lait out of their Bullet bass boat and have done quite well since they traveled up there in late February.
They caught 22 big sac-a-lait Wednesday and 19 more hammers on Thursday, all with the valuable aid of LiveScope, he said, happily. His biggest bass so far are 6-3 and 5-8.
But thats another story, a blissful fish catching story. Hell turn his attention to WN Hawg Fights BTS action when he returns to New Iberia-
Sinitiere, 62, and OBrien, 65, wrapped up the AOY title with 1,028 points and finished ahead of runners-up Greer Billeaud of Lafayette and Andre Cazelot of Breaux Bridge, who compiled 1,007 points.
Consistency was the key for the 2022 championship team, which notched one win, OBrien and Sinitiere agreed. Bringing in a three-fish limit each time was their ultimate goal and they nailed it consistently down the stretch.
Thats the big thing for these tournaments, too bring in a limit every day, stay up with the points, OBrien said.
Can they successfully defend their hard-earned AOY?
Well, weve got to put out heads down and fish, fish it hard, OBrien, the evening circuits weighmaster, said, adding he can fish all 12 tournaments this season after missing one in 2022.
Hes ready to fish his fourth WN Hawg Fights BTS season with Sinitiere, a business development manager for Coca-Cola United. They already have a major bass tournament win to their credit this year after stomping the field Feb. 19 in the 17th annual Louisiana Bass Cats Invitational at Lake Fausse Pointe.
I enjoy fishing with Mike. We get along real good. Hes a real competitive fisherman, too. He and I read each others mind, like me and Paul Resweber did, too, OBrien said, referring to the St. Martinville bass angler he teamed with to win the Hawg Fights AOY in 2010 and 2011.
Sinitiere, WN Hawg Fights BTS director, said, Im looking forward to another successful season and very competitive. I will definitely be going for a repeat but it will be very hard to do.
Entry fee is $60 per boat and must be paid before 5 p.m. the day of the tournament. Takeoff is at 5:30 p.m. every other Wednesday.
The following tournament site will be decided at registration with one vote per participating team and announced during or after the weigh-in.
Weigh-in time will be announced before the start of the tournament. If the time is announced at 7:30 p.m., boaters must have their chip on the board before 7:31 p.m., according to Sinitiere.
After March 22, the rest of the 12-tournament dates are April 5; April 19; May 3; May 17; May 31; June 14; June 28; July 12; July 26; Aug. 9, and Aug. 23.
To be eligible for the WN Hawg Fights BTS Classic, which is scheduled to be held Aug. 27, bass anglers must fish (or pay their entry for) seven of the tournaments.
Chris Vedrines, a regular on the tour who oversees the Hawg Fights Facebook page, reported 294 boats showed up over the course of the season with an average of 24.5 per tournament in 2022. One hundred and forty-six anglers fished at least one tournament and 42 qualified to fish the 2022 WN Hawg Fights BTS Classic.
For more information call Sinitiere at 321-1178.
The WN Hawg Fights BTS tournament committee includes Jean Trahan, Jacob Shoopman, Rusty Owens and Brad Romero.
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Sunday, March 12, 2023 at 11:30 am