Ricky Watkins of New Iberia holds a 5.92-pound bass that has taken the lead in the Big Bass Spring contest on Lake Fausse Point that began Feb. 1 and ends March 17.

LOREAUVILLE — There’s a new fish to beat in the Big Bass Spring contest started this year on Lake Fausse Pointe by Ricky Watkins of New Iberia.

The contest’s founder said he was fishing in a heavy rain around midday Friday when he set the hook and reeled in a 5.92-pound bass that wrested the lead away from Breaux Bridge bass angler Drew Rivet’s 5.78-pounder, which was the pacesetter after it was weighed in at Marsh Field Boat Landing on Feb. 7.

Rivet’s fish was bumped to second, just ahead of his fishing buddy’s 5.20-pound bass caught Tuesday.

The contest began Feb. 1 and ends March 17. Thirty Acadiana bass anglers are entered in the event that will pay out for the first-, second- and third-biggest bass caught in that period.

Entry fee was $25 per bass angler.

Watkins made his bid for the winning fish Friday. However, when the last ripple from an artificial lure cast to a prime spot fades away on the last day of the contest, he believes that 5.92-pounder may be too light.

“I don’t think so,” he said Friday evening when asked if the new entry atop the leaderboard, which hangs from the ceiling under the pavilion at the boat landing, will be a winner.

Still, it was a great fight and a heavy bass to put on the electronic scale. The weigh-in was witnessed by three other people,Watkins said, including Shane Sigur, who resides at Marsh Field Boat Landing.

“I caught her about 12:30 in a pouring down rain. I made a good flip on my fourth cast and the line took off, on a Senko. I actually lipped her, but it was a little chore to lip her,” he said.

He missed two bigger fish, he said, on that fishing trip.