Louisiana Team Victory on The Basin

By Ed Harp

Morgan City, La. — The 2012 Cabela’s B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Central Divisional is history.

Louisiana’s team victory was impressive: the host anglers caught a total of 328 pounds, 2 ounces of Atchafalaya Basin bass across three days to claim their team championship. Click to view the final standings.

It was, indeed, a team effort.

Thirteen anglers contributed to the cause, with Jason Pecoraro leading the charge. He brought 38 pounds, 7 ounces to the scales to best second place finisher, Ryan Lavigne, by 3 pounds, 8 ounces.

For their efforts the team will receive a Skeeter ZX190, a Yamaha VZ150TL, a Skeeter single axel trailer, a Minn Kota 70 Edge 42” 24v Trolling Motor, a Humminbird 788c electronics and a prop.

Oklahoma finished second; Kansas was third; Missouri ended up fourth; and Texas claimed the fifth spot.

Each of those state teams will receive a cash prize. Arkansas, Mississippi and Nebraska rounded out the field.

In the individual competition, Dale Hightower, fishing with Oklahoma, slowed down a bit today but didn’t stumble. He held on to his two day lead with a sack that weighed 8 pounds, 11 ounces for a total of 39 pounds, 7 ounces. That was good enough for first place.

Jason Pecoraro (Louisiana) made a serious run on Hightower but fell exactly one pound short.

His huge final-day sack of 13 pounds, 1 ounce just wasn’t quite big enough to make up for a first day sack of 10 pounds, 5 ounces.

Hightower fished a medium sized, shallow water slough — he declined to reveal any more information about it than that — all three days with a Lucky Craft RC 2.0 square bill crankbait (copper shad) and a purple Gene Larew HooDaddy Jr. to catch his fish.

“I fished both baits around some old railroad ties that were in shallow water. I’d run the crankbait down alongside them first and then go back with the HooDaddy Jr.,” he said while standing in a pouring rain trying to talk to a half-dozen people at the same time. “When my bite slowed I moved out to some Cypress trees at the mouth of the slough.”

“I’m sure glad this was a three day tournament. I was starting to run out of fish. Anyway, this is really special. You don’t know how much I want to fish next year’s Classic in my home state. But I have to get there first so I think I’m going to go now and get ready for the next round.”

Big bass for the day, and for the tournament, went to Mississippi’s Ted Jones. He brought a 5 pound, 4 ounce brute to the scales this afternoon.

All of the competitors at the The 2012 Cabela’s B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Central Divisional praised the hospitality of the state of Louisiana and the high-quality bass fishery that is the Atchafalaya Basin. Click to view the final standings.