A New Iberia native hardly needs a reminder of the most wonderful and wildest two-day weekend of bass fishing in his life.

Zach Suit now has a big’un on the wall of the living room at his residence in Denton, Texas. It’s a replica mount of the 10.71-pound bass he caught on March 17, the second day of a Louisiana Bass Cats tournament at Toledo Bend. Suit fished with his older brother, Ben Suit of Port Arthur, Texas, formerly of New Iberia, and they racked up 31 pounds, 2 ounces, with five bass the first day, then 29 pounds, 12.5 ounces, anchored by the 10.71 sow, on Day 2 for a two-day total of 60 pounds, 14.5 ounces.

Following the weigh-in, the Suits and their father, Kevin Suit of New Iberia, hurried over to Living the Dream on Louisiana 6 not far from Pendleton Bridge and weighed the beauty on a digital scale to register in the Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program. The program promotes catch and release of 10-plus pounders and rewards the lucky bass angler with a replica bass at a ceremony the following year.

Zach got that replica on Aug. 17, a Saturday afternoon, in Many during a grand presentation to the bass fishermen who caught double-digit bass from May 2023 to May 2024. There were 56 replicas handed out that day and Zach was there with his wife, Melinda, and his parents, Kevin and Nena Suit.

“It was awesome to have my parents and wife there. It was a great feeling, especially since catching a 10-pounder is not an everyday thing,” Zach said recently about the presentation.

The State Farm Insurance salesman hung the replica mount on the living room wall of the couple’s apartment. He has since attached the white Chatterbait that caught it to the lower left jaw of the 10.71 that gave such a thrill to the Suit brothers on March 17, which happened to be his 29th birthday.

“I guess that was the best birthday I’ve had so far for sure. Seeing that mount brings back memories every day,” he said as he looked at the replica.

He has no regrets about deciding against mounting the original “hawg,” he said. He wholeheartedly supports the Lunker Bass Program sponsored by the Toledo Bend Lake Association.

“I think it’s awesome to keep the fish in the lake. I don’t know the exact numbers but he (presenter) said 10-pounders are caught multiple times. It keeps those fish in the lake. Keep those big fish in there and more will come,” he said.

That 56 “lunkers” were registered in 2023-24 indicates double-digit bass are becoming more numerous after a drastic reduction from May to May in past years coincided with the inexplicable loss of hydrilla around most of Toledo Bend.

“It’s good to see they’re finally starting to pick back up. The grass is coming back. Hopefully, me and Jacob (Jacob Shoopman, who he’ll fish with as a guest for the LBC tournament in October at Toledo Bend), will get one in the fall, too,” he said.

The two-day tournament this past spring with his brother was one for the record books, he agreed.

The five huge bass the brothers carried in two bags the first day caused jaws to drop, eyes to widen and elicited ooooohs and ahhhhhhhhs. The Suits were on an unbeatable pattern, for sure, outdoing so many others fishing a major tournament on the border lake shared by Texas and Louisiana.

Then Aug. 17 rolled around.

“That’s a day I’ll never forget. I guess both days, really. To catch 30 pounds a day is something you dream of,” he said.

“Let’s see. I caught it (the double-digit bass) on a Chatterbait I want to say around noon or so. We were fishing an area we never fished before since we had a pretty good limit,” Zach said, noting his brother was mopping up on the second day scouting for a future tournament.

The big bass bit.

“It took a little drag but I wasn’t sure if it was big until I saw it. Then it jumped out of the water. (After that) I don’t know if it was the adrenaline struck but it all happened so quick,” he said, adding his brother kneeled on the front deck passenger side, leaned over the side and put a death grip while lipping the monster bass. That was key.

“Oh, yeah, because the bait wasn’t really hooked good. It’s one of those times everything’s going your way,” he said.

When Zach got it in his hands for a photo op a few minutes later, he was happy a wish was fulfilled even though that wasn’t his PB.

“Catching a 10-pounder in the states always was on my bucket list. When me and Dad went to Mexico (for his senior trip), I caught a 12 but I always wanted to catch one in the states,” he said.

Mission accomplished. He has the replica to prove it.

DON SHOOPMAN is outdoors editor of The Daily Iberian.