LOREAUVILLE – Brad Romero didn’t waste any time getting a W in the books in his quest to get an elusive Angler of the Year title in the Wednesday Night Hawg Fights Bass Tournament Series.

Romero, fishing with Raven Owens, took matters into his own hands to make it so March 20 while fishing the first WN Hawg Fights BTS event of 2024. The three good bites he got were just enough as he capitalized on each for a winning weight of 7.43 pounds.

The winners were in the 16-boat field that left the boat ramp at 5:30 p.m. and returned for the weigh-in at 7:30 p.m. Only a few teams capitalized on putting keeper-sized fish in the boat during the short time span.

The 2024 opener’s win was all on Romero, who went to work soon after he dropped the trolling motor on his Bullet bass boat.

“I made three casts and caught a 3-pounder. I went another 50 yards, threw across the bank and got another 3. I threw a little farther down and had a 12-incher. That was it,” he said.

In other words, the action screeched to a halt.

“We had a couple more bites but I couldn’t get them on the hook. They were just short-striking,” he said.

But, oh, that first good-sized bass and, even, that second nice bass had chances to avoid the ride back to Marsh Field Landing.

For example, the first hooked bass got wrapped up in the trolling motor, Romero said.

“I reached down and grabbed it. It should have got off,” he said.

The second bass jumped wildly several times after getting hooked. The angler was concerned it would become unbuttoned.

“I’m surprised it didn’t come off,” he said.

The two fish stayed on and proved to be the difference. But the winners needed every fraction of an ounce to start the season with a W.

The father-son team of Don Shoopman and Jacob Shoopman finished second, an ounce behind the winning team. The Shoopmans, Hawg Fight AOYs in 2015 and 2020, brought in a limit weighing 7.10 pounds worth $216. They also came up just short in their bid for biggest bass of the day — Jacob’s 3.55-pounder that bit a Senko used as a comeback bait after the fish missed his SuperBait buzz bait.

Another father-and-son team, John Gordon and his young son, Owen Gordon, nailed down the third and final paying spot with three bass weighing 3.97 pounds for $144. The youngster’s clutch keeper bass in the final minutes hit a spinnerbait close to the boat and he handled it.

Romero said he was unsure if he and his partner had enough weight to finish first in the opener.

“I thought whoever was in the Texaco Field was going to win,” he said.

Romero, 30, and Owens, 36, also teamed up to win the first Wednesday Night Hawg Fight BTS tournament of 2023. Owen had the hot hand last year in that opener on March 22, including hooking and boating a 3.65-pounder in the last minute before they needed to leave to get back before 7:40.

The next WN Hawg Fights BTS tournament is scheduled to be held at 5:30 p.m. March 27 out of Marsh Field Landing. Entry fee of $60 per boat must be paid before 5 p.m.