COTEAU HOLMES — Jacob Shoopman knew it was a matter of time until one good bite from a big bass would be a slumpbuster.

For sure, it was an extended period of time without a first-place finish in a Wednesday Night Hawg Fights Bass Tournament Series event since Shoopman and his father, Don Shoopman, both of New Iberia, won the circuit’s Angler(s) of the Year title in 2020. One-and-a-half seasons, to be exact.

Shoopman, 34-year-old lead merchandiser for Coca-Cola United Bottling Co., got that elusive bite Wednesday night 10 minutes before leaving for the 8:30 p.m. weigh-in at Bayou Benoit Boat Landing. After his favorite buzz bait triggered that bite, he slammed the hook home and brought it to net.

The 3.89-pound bass anchored their three-fish limit weighing 8.68 pounds, easily enough to top a 20-boat field that fished the eighth Hawg Fight of 2022. The win was worth $450 and the tournament’s big bass was worth $100.

Shoopman said he never was frustrated during the prolonged dry spell.

“The key was to continue fishing with success. Although we didn’t win we fished with confidence and normally threw up a limit. We’ve been just one bite away a lot and last night we ended up getting it. That’s the difference maker,” Shoopman said Thursday morning.

His dad, a local outdoors writer, said the winless streak was aggravating because they tried as hard or harder as they did in 2020.

The Shoopmans, who also won AOY in 2015, finished ahead of red-hot Brandon Sellers of New Iberia and Blaine Miller of Loreauville. The fishing buddies won the seventh tournament June 22 with three bass at 7.37 pounds, then notched a second-place finish Wednesday with 6.80 pounds worth $270.

Brad Romero of New Iberia and “Rooster” Savoy of St. Martinville teamed up to nail down third place with a three-bass limit at 6.31 pounds for $180.

The younger Shoopman, who started a fishing team last summer at Catholic High School, snapped the father-son team out of its slump with a chartreuse/white Super Bait Buzz Bait made by his uncle, Bill Shoopman, of Archie, Missouri.

“They just seem to trigger a lot of strikes. I’ve always thrown them a lot. This year I kind of keep one locked in my hand whenever the sun is shining or it’s cloudy. It’s a real confidence bait for us,” he said.

He hooked up within 10 minutes after reaching his destination south of Bayou Benoit.

“It’s always nice to get one early. It was a good one, a solid 2 ¾- to 3-pounder. That makes it a little easier to fill out a bag and fish the way you want to,” he said, noting the winning team fished around vegetation and wood.

If the bite slowed, he picked up a swim jig but missed two bass on it, so locked the buzz bait back in his hand.

They started culling before 7:15 p.m. He wanted to spend the last 20 or so minutes with a better chance at catching a bigger bass so trolling motored back to where they started.

“Normally, I like to cover a lot of water but we needed a good bite and we ended up getting it. That stretch of bank always has a good one on it,” he said.

That sealed the W. The dry spell was at an end.

“It feels good but in the end I just like to go out and have fun. I just enjoy that atmosphere and hanging out with all the guys and stuff,” he said.