LOREAUVILLE – Two old fishing buddies got back together, agreed at the last minute to scrap one bass tournament in favor of the Legends on the Lake held March 2, then relied on “forward facing eye scope” to win it on Lake Fausse Pointe.

Jason Pecoraro of Lafayette has been enjoying getting back into bass tournament fishing after an approximately six-year absence. He reunited with a former bass tournament partner, Brandon Sellers of New Iberia. They culled four or five times that Saturday to finish ahead of a 26-boat field that fished out of Marsh Field Landing.

“I had a blast fishing with Brandon. We haven’t fished together in years. We fished in my ‘jump boat,’ ” Pecoraro said about his homemade 17-foot long aluminum boat with an old motor.

Pecoraro and Sellers got their hands on the right fish by compiling a five-bass limit that weighed 14.99 pounds, good enough for the handsome winner’s plaque each received, plus $840.

And they almost didn’t fish the annual tournament hosted by the Sunset-based Atchafalaya Bass Club Hawg Hunters. The tournament, whose sponsors include Lafayette Winwater Works and United Vision Logistics, is one of the first three major local bass tournaments every year.

The winning team originally planned to fish the Angling Against Autism tournament scheduled for the same day at Doiron’s Landing, Stephensville. They were going to take the long boat ride from there to the lake, as they have successfully in the past.

“He’s one of a few who don’t mind coming along for the ride,” Pecoraro said, chuckling.

However, Sellers mentioned a day or two before the tournament foggy conditions were forecast for tournament morning. With that on his mind while shopping for a few artificial lures Friday night at Country Station in Broussard, Pecoraro saw a flyer on the counter publicizing the Legends on the Lake.

He and his tournament partner discussed the options and chose the local derby. After all, Pecoraro had prefished the lake several times.

“We didn’t want to run from Doiron’s to the lake in the fog. We wouldn’t get there till the bite was done,” Sellers said, noting after an inevitable fog delay they wouldn’t have arrived at their first destination until about 9:30 a.m.

At safe daylight the following morning, Pecoraro and Sellers and the rest of the 26-boat field headed out on the lake via Marsh Field Canal.

“We were fourth in the canal and we fished behind three boats,” Sellers said.

They put a limit in the boat early and left to fish Sandy Cove.

“You know, we caught fish in practically one area. That was a good area to be in,” Pecoraro said. “We caught them with a combination of flippin’ around a spinnerbait and a Brush Hog.”

The 52-year-old general manager for United Kingdom-based Advanced Innergy used an old, old Kajun Boss spinnerbait that had lost its skirt, so he replaced it with a hand-tied skirt to make it a new spinnerbait, Pecoraro said with a chuckle.

“Everything was caught on ‘eye scope.’ Forward facing eye scope,” Sellers said with a soft laugh, poking fun at the forward facing sonar craze and debate.

The closest team to the winners was that of B.J. Becnel and Andy Louviere. Their five bass weighed 13.99 pounds worth $620.

Cousins Braxton Resweber and Austin Theriot teamed up for the umpteenth time and cashed in again with a limit weighing 13.60 pounds for $620.

Gavin Savoy, fishing alone, was fourth with 12.55 pounds.

Pecoraro, who also is getting back into bicycle racing, specifically mountain bike racing, said he enjoyed getting back out on the water. And winning.

“It was good to see everybody,” he said.

They won despite missing connections on some good-sized bass, both said.

“We missed some big fish. I missed a 3 ½. We should have had 3 more pounds than we had but that’s fishing,” said Sellers, 53-year-old owner of Sellers Sheet Metal in Opelousas.

“It’s a good tournament. They’ve got a lot of good fishermen out there.”

Pecoraro said he’s looking forward to fishing Wednesday Night Hawg Fights Bass Tournament Series, which starts March 20.