PIERRE PART – This region has approximately 125,000 more largemouth bass in its public waters thanks to another Every Fish Matters stocking event on April 26.

Largemouth bass fingerlings found a new home just east of the East Atchafalaya Basin Protection Levee, mostly around Lake Verret, as well as in the high and rising Spillway. Vehicles, many towing a boat to drop down and leave from a boat landing in the area, started arriving about an hour before sunrise to get a bag half full of treated water, oxygen and, of course, baby bass at Veterans Park-Assumption Parish District #2.

Like the previous two stocking events here in Spring 2023 and May 11, 2024 (another was held in Spring 2023 out of Doiron’s Landing, Stephensville), the distribution of fingerlings went smoothly from the hatchery truck to the bagging line manned by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries biologists and personnel to the dozens of volunteers to the waiting public. The American Sport Fish Hatchery truck from Alabama scooped the last of the tiny fish from the tanks around 10:30 a.m.

“The fish were in excellent condition. They were healthy and sassy,” Kristi Butler, LDWF’s Inland Fisheries director, said two days after the event. “I helped with the bagging and answering questions from the public. We enjoy going to that event and helping out the community.”

Butler said biologists from the state agency, Blake LeBlanc and Manuel Ruiz, both of Baton Rouge, and two technicians from the LDWF’s Booker Fowler Fish Hatchery, Ginny Perry and Tracy Andries, assisted in the process from the tanks to the estimated 100 vehicles pulling in and out of the park.

“It’s a unique opportunity for us to have some conversations with the bass angling public. It’s an impressive effort they have put together. It shows how much they care about the waters they fish. As an agency, we are encouraged by community efforts such as this to improve fisheries.”

The LDWF biologists, techs and Butler arrived at 5 a.m., a few minutes ahead of the Alabama hatchery truck driven by American Sport Fish Hatchery owner Shawn McNulty, who also made the trip last May.

Every Fish Matters Foundation founder Cliff “The Cajun Baby” Crochet of Pierre Part and his small army of dedicated volunteers were there to greet them. He’s proud of the project’s progress since he came up with a gem of an idea in 2022.

“It’s cool to see it started as a conversation and has grown into an event for the people. It’s become an annual event for volunteers, the same volunteers sticking with us for years. People know what to expect. People are starting to take pride” in their part, Crochet said two days later,  noting many return to release areas and catch bass.

“The thing that’s really impressive is you see a lot of people working toward conservation. It shows a lot of people do care about the resource and are trying to give back and protect it,” he said. “I think it’s good to see there’s still a lot of excitement behind it. It’s good to see it’s become an annual event not only for us but people in the fishing community, tournament anglers and non-tournament anglers. Let’s remember, fishing’s a big arena.”

No one, perhaps, knows the scope of the fishing industry better than McNulty, 45. His delivery of baby bass from his hatchery was the first of 2025.

“This actually was our first sell of the year. In the next month-and-a-half, we’ll move about 1 million of them,” McNulty said Monday.

Like Butler, he complimented Crochet, the Every Fish Matters Foundation and the people behind it and supporting it in south central Louisiana.

“They’re really a good group of people and you can tell they’re interested in keeping the waters as productive as they can. They’ve got a great organization. Even some high school fishing anglers came and they helped,” he said.

McNulty, 45, also tipped his cap to the LDWF.

“Fish and Wildlife did a great job. They did a great job bagging,” he said. “We appreciate it. You’ve got Cliff’s group, Kristi’s group, Major League Fishing. It’s a pretty big effort.”

Crochet, a 42-year-old pro bass angler who enjoys coaching youth sports, said eight members of the Assumption High School Fishing Team pitched in to help Saturday morning. As did his wife, Sara, two of their four sons, Ben and Lee, other family members and friends.

“It’s a cool deal to be a part of, I tell you that,” Crochet said.

He emphasized it doesn’t happen without money raised or donated to the Every Fish Matters Foundation.

“Every Fish Matters is funded 100 percent by private donations, donations at the banquet. This event is not possible without the people of the community coming together and actually making it happen. We’re taking care of it ourselves. It’s really important to get a good crowd on July 11. That’s our one fundraiser of the year,” he said.

This year’s fundraiser will return to its original host site, a church hall in Pierre Part, he said. For more information contact Crochet via social media or everyfishmatters@gmail.com.