BELLE RIVER, La. (Feb. 21, 2005) - Boater Billy Billeaud of Lafayette earned $3,848 Saturday as winner of the Bass Fishing League Louisiana Division bass fishing tournament on the Atchafalaya Basin. The tournament was the first of five regular-season Louisiana Division events and featured 121 boaters vying for the win, which earned Billeaud 200 points in the Boater Division.
Billeaud's winning catch of five bass weighed 15 pounds, 11 ounces. He was fishing a black and blue Falcon jig around wood in the Wax Lake canal. Billeaud said the fish hit the jig on the fall.
Finishing second was Kevin Lafleur of Opelousas with five bass weighing 15 pounds, 8 ounces that earned him $1,924. Jeremy Guidry of Opelousas claimed $1,255 as the third-place finisher thanks to five bass weighing 15 pounds, 7 ounces. In fourth was Brent Bonadona of Port Allen with five bass weighing 15 pounds, 5 ounces worth $979, and finishing fifth and earning $805 was Rocky Roussel of Morgan City with five bass weighing 14 pounds, 12 ounces.
Bill England of Denham Springs took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $605 for a 5-pound, 6-ounce bass. He caught his big bass on a black and blue jig.
In addition, Boater John Lemaire of Abbeville earned $750 as the Ranger Cup and Powered by Yamaha Award recipient.
John Kerr of Walker bested 119 Co-angler Division competitors to earn $1,193 as the co-angler winner, thanks to five bass weighing 14 pounds, 6 ounces that he caught on a watermelon and red Horny Toad.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Bill Fussell of Thibodaux (five bass, 12 pounds, 15 ounces, $957); David Parker of Baton Rouge (four bass, 12 pounds, 10 ounces, $629); Alan Hults of Gautier, Miss., (five bass, 11 pounds, 14 ounces, $487); and A J Weathers of Denham Springs (five bass, 11 pounds, 2 ounces, $400).
Derek Hundall of Denham Springs earned $298 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 5-pound, 2-ounce bass he caught on a watermelon and red Brush Hog.
The Louisiana Division's next event will be held Lake D'arbonne near Farmerville March 19, followed by an event on Bayou Black near Gibson April 16. The Louisiana Division's fourth event will be held on the Red River near Natchitoches May 21 and it will wrap up its regular season Oct. 1-2 on the Atchafalaya Basin with a two-day Super Tournament near Belle River.