AMELIA – A back-to-back Angler of the Year winner and his cousin proved once again it’s hard to beat history when they won the Bullet Bass Club’s regular-season opener for 2024.

Ron Boutte of New Iberia, who claimed AOY in 2022 and 2023, and Jeanerette native Andre “Tank” Sampay of Conroe, Texas, made the most of just five bites Jan. 7 out of Amelia Landing. Their five-bass limit weighed an unbeatable 9.72 pounds in the 13-boat field.

“It felt good. We had 13 boats and were up against good fishermen who know the area real well and are respected but we pulled out the victory,” Boutte said later.

“We couldn’t scout at all. We went on where we caught fish last year and the year before and it worked out this time.”

The winners were more than 1-pound ahead of the runners-up team of Jody Howard and Clint “Red” Singleton, whose five bass weighed 8.60 pounds for $190. Their 2.96-pounder emerged as the biggest bass of the tournament worth another $105.

Al Falcon and Johnny Manor finished third with a limit at 8.24 pounds to win $125.

Sampay, 41-year-old owner of Sampay’s Solutions, which sells or leases commercial printers and copiers, said winning the Teche Area’s first bass club tournament didn’t surprise him. The winners rode in his boat.

“Yeah, I normally do really, really good the first couple of ones. I went in there confident,” he said.

“I’m very happy. I like talking noise to the boys in the club. I’m really excited to start off the new year with a W.”

Sampay, who plans soon to move back to St. Martinville, said the bassin’ was tough as they went in cold to the Bayou Black area along Bayou Coppersaw.

“A lot of my main areas are lilied up. I feel we would have more bites if we could have got to my first couple of spots I wanted to go to,” he said.

They caught the bass off rock rip rap and grass, according to Boutte, 46, a delivery driver for Lipari Specialties. The bait of choice was a Chatterbait, he said, declining to name the weight and color.

Sampay said, “It (limit) came off a Bill Dick (Mike “Bill Dick” Louviere) Special he showed me. Man, I’ve got to give proper credit.”

The bass club’s next tournament is Jan. 21 out of Fairfax Foster Bailey Memorial Landing, Franklin. Sampay will be fishing with Randle Ardoin while his cousin fishes with Al Falcon.