From left, Dicky Fitzgerald, Gerald Buck, Levi Louviere, Bubbie Lopez, Mike Louviere and Travis Harmon hold the nine bass they weighed Friday on the first day of the Louisiana Best 6 tournament at Toledo Bend.

ZWOLLE — Of three Teche Area bass clubs that fished Day 1 of the two-day Louisiana Best 6 tournament April 30-May 1, the Franklin-based Louisiana Bass Anglers was farthest from the Top 10.

The LBA’s three two-man teams rallied the next day to finish a lofty eighth and in the money in the 50-bass club field at Toledo Bend. After checking in with 24.89 pounds on Friday, they charged back Saturday with a nine-bass limit weighing 33.94 pounds for a total of 58.83 pounds.

Dicky Fitzgerald of Charenton, LBA team captain by virtue of winning 2020 Angler of the Year, was proud of Travis Harmon of Lafayette, formerly of Franklin; Bubbie Lopez and Gerald Buck, both of Centerville; Mike Louviere of Jeanerette, and Levi Louviere of Youngsville, formerly of Franklin.

“We were extremely pleased Saturday because we caught the quality of fish we found scouting. We averaged 3.8 pounds with nine fish on Saturday. That’s not at all bad. I mean, it was kind of crazy. You go up there and compete against guys who fish the lake all the time,” he said.

The 2021 Louisiana Best 6 champion was Lake Area Bass Club #2, which busted a 38.70-pound limit the second day to boost its total to 63.31 pounds. The winner was followed by runner-up Toledo Bass Club #19, with 61.92 pounds, and Diehard Bass Club, with 61.32 pounds.

The Teche Area’s two other bass clubs faltered following solid outings Friday.

St. Martinville-based Atchafalaya Stumpjumpers, third with 32.99 pounds the first day, finished 14th with 54.74 pounds. Paul Resweber and his son, Braxton Resweber, Larry Champagne, Jimmy Brown and Gavin Savoy gave it their best shot.

New Iberia-based Louisiana Bass Cats, seventh with 30.30 pounds on Friday, slipped to 11th, just out of the money, with 56.83 pounds. Zach Suit, team captain, and his brother, Ben Suit, teamed up, and their father, Kevin Suit, fished with Mike Sinitiere. Hagen Riche and Jordy Russo also fished for the LBC.

LBA did just the opposite.

“We were on some really good fish. Friday, we had a good bag but the bigger fish just didn’t bite,” he said about the first day, when their nine-fish limit weighed 24.89 pounds.

The larger bass bit on the second and deciding day as Fitzgerald, Lopez, Harmon and Buck cast Kajun Boss Outdoors LLC spinnerbaits around cypress trees and flipped Missile Baits D Bombs in their hotspot far north of Pendleton Bridge.

Meanwhile, the Louvieres popped a 7- and 6-pound bass on the other end of the lake on wacky worms to bolster the team’s weight Saturday. Mike boated the 7 to lead the way while Levi caught the 6.

“Oh, I mean, it was great. We needed a couple of bigger fish in the bag to compete in the tournament. They were able to catch them,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald, who fished with Lopez, and Harmon, who paired with Buck, started prefishing four days earlier, on Monday. They found the quality fish between Bison and Circle Drive.

The Louvieres were able to scout Thursday, the day before the tournament started. They fished Housen Bay, Fitzgerald said.