Neil Carret of Carencro, an avid bass angler, has accepted the challenge of heading up this year’s Top Rod Big Bass Classic on Feb. 25.

The excitement of a large, ultra-popular bass fishing contest like the Top Rod Big Bass Classic, starting with the hustle and bustle of a predawn launch and the nerve-wracking final minutes of each hour at the scale, will happen again in 2018 thanks to Neil Carret.

The 46-year-old outdoorsman who was a fishing buddy of the late Elvis “Top Rod” Jeanminette of Grand Marais, who founded the Big Bass Classic, announced this past week it will be held Feb. 25 at Lake Fausse Pointe out of Marsh Field Boat Landing. Carret decided to pick up the ball and run with it after he was contacted by St. Martinville’s Tee Roy Savoy, who volunteered to be the BBC director after Jeanminette’s sudden death in January 2015.

Savoy, who ran the tournament in 2015 and 2016, had to step back last year after his wife, Jackie Chatagnier Savoy, was diagnosed with cancer and has been undergoing multiple surgeries since.

Don Naquin of New Iberia, keeping the volunteerism spirit alive and well, was the director for last year’s event. He was involved for years in the bass fishing contest unique to this area as one of the several dedicated, veteran board members, so was familiar with the format and what needed to be done in preparation, which was a lot.

Naquin, 57, confided later in the year  he wouldn’t be able to head up the BBC again in 2018. Savoy understood and recently reached out to Carret.

The fundraiser will give Acadiana bass anglers a chance to win money hourly for eight hours that Sunday and also raise money for the Lydia Cancer Association and the Hookin’ Slabs Youth Fishing Club, one of many projects for boys and girls the new director has been involved. The Lydia Cancer Association has been a beneficiary for several years.

“Well, I’m really excited. This guy (Carret) has a lot of drive. He’s still young, still hungry. He has the same dreams we had years ago,” Naquin said Friday morning.

“He knew Elvis well. He was good friends with Elvis,” he said. “He (Carret) was at the tournament last year. He helped us all day.”

Naquin said Jackie Savoy has two more critical surgeries scheduled after the one she had early last week. The third surgery will be two days before the next Top Rod Big Bass Classic.

Her husband, as always, will be with her in Houston.

“Man, she’s a fighter, one helluva fighting woman. Most people would have given up,” Naquin said.

As for Naquin, he is helping organize the upcoming fundraiser and securing donations, he said. He just wasn’t able to devote all of his attention to being director, said the senior apparatus technician for Cleco.

“It was really a tough time with my job, being on the road (and fielding non-job-related calls). I just couldn’t do it anymore. I’ve done it so many years,” he said.

“Tee Roy just wants us to keep it going until he can get back into it.”

Carret, an overhaul technician for Bristow Helicopters, said, “I’m stepping in trying to help Mr. Tee Roy. Tee Roy called me last week and asked if I could handle it this year. I know it’s a bad situation, this situation. I’ll be the director and weighmaster. Don Naquin’s helping. We’re taking it on together. He didn’t want to do it by himself and he wants to fish.

“It’s coming up quickly and we’re just getting started on it this week. In true Cajun form, we’re stepping in to help one another. It’s been a long-standing tournament and we didn’t want it to end. We’re going to keep it going. Hopefully, Tee Roy can return as director next. Hopefully, his wife will be better.”

Carret, a U.S. Marine veteran and former national pro staffer for the Marine Bass Anglers, and Naquin believe the Top Rod Big Bass Classic can get at least 50 boats for the big event Feb. 25.

“We’re still looking to get a good number of boats,” Naquin said. “It’ll be great. We’ve been doing this so many years we’ve got it down pat. Neil will do fine. He’s just a real good guy. Most importantly, his heart is in it.”

There is at least one noticeable difference this year, they said. There will be no radio station coverage during each hour that informs competitors of the weights to beat for bass that have hit the electronic scale.

Otherwise, the format is the same. Payout is $500 each hour for the top three bass ($250, $150 and $100) for a total of $4,000.

Eligible anglers can start fishing at 7 a.m. The first weigh-in ends at 8 a.m. The last weigh-in ends at 3 p.m.

Entry fee is $100 per boat (two-man team).

Sponsorships are welcome.

“We’re trying to keep it the same great tournament it has been in years past and keep it going,” Carret said.

 For more information call Carret at 258-2908 or Naquin at 519-9713.