LOREAUVILLE – Time was running out fast in the third Wednesday Night Hawg Fights Bass Tournament Series contest of 2023 on Lake Fausse Pointe out of Marsh Field Boat Landing.

The lake was being extra stingy with its bass on Wednesday, mostly because of subpar water conditions in a lot of the favorite fishin’ holes and, possibly, an unseasonably late cold front accompanied by rain the week before.

After a 5:30 p.m. start, Wilfred “Tuppy” Gary and Cory Romero had one lonely keeper-sized bass in their livewell around 7 p.m. Admittedly just trying to add fish to finish as high as possible to get the most points toward Angler of the Year, they made a move that won the day, a.

“We had fished hard from blast-off time to 7 o’clock. Around 7 we decided to run back to Marsh Field. We were fishing the rocks and caught about six of them right there in the last 30 minutes on spinnerbaits,” Gary said.

The bass they caught earlier and two of those six bass that survived the cull weighed an unbeatable 5.30 pounds, one of the lowest winning weights in a Hawg Fight. It was enough to finish ahead of the other 26 boats and pocket $608.

“This was a tough one, man. Five pounds is ridiculous. In years past compared to the past two, three years sometimes you have to have 10 pounds to win some money out of the lake,” Gary said. “I honestly was thinking we wouldn’t get in the money. It’s been tough for everybody all season so far.”

Only four of the 27 teams brought back three-bass limits. Six other teams had two bass while two weighed one bass. Fifteen boats didn’t weigh a fish.

Gary, a 40-year-old quality control specialist for PPI, and Romero needed every fraction of an ounce to earn the first-place finish after finishing fourth in the first tournament of the year and sixth in the second WN Hawg Fights BTS.

John Gordon and Al Falcon finished a close second with a three-bass limit weighing 5.25 pounds worth $365.

Blaine Miller and Brandon Sellers were third with three bass weighing 4.99 pounds for $243.

The biggest bass of the evening was brought in by Todd Robertson, who carried two bass to the scale, including the 3.05-pounder worth $135.

Gary said the trend through the first three tournaments has been 1 pound separating first- through fifth-places. Bass fishing success has been spotty most of the year in Lake Fausse Pointe.

“We were within a pound of first place both tournaments. Look at this tournament,” he said.

Gary was pumped up.

“I was glad we caught three in that short amount of time. I definitely wasn’t expecting to get in the money. It’s always when you don’t expect it. It’s always feels good to take home a W,” he said.

The next WN Hawg Fights BTS contest is scheduled to be held May 3 at Bayou Benoit Boat Landing in the Atchafalaya Basin.