The Louisiana Delta at New Orleans: A Legendary Bass Fishing Destination

Let’s examine the rich history of the Louisiana Delta and the Bassmaster Classic legends who conquered its waters.

Let's examine why the Louisiana Delta at New Orleans is a premier bass fishing destination, hosting multiple Bassmaster Classics. We'll look at past champions and top fishing techniques. | B.A.S.S.

Because of the Louisiana Delta's exceptional fishery and access to the great city of New Orleans, it is currently in a three-way tie with Lake Hartwell and Lay lake for “most Bassmaster Classics” hosted—1999, 2001, 2003, and 2011.

The mighty Mississippi is one of the most legendary waterways in North America and maybe even in the world. From its source at Lake Itasca in north-central Minnesota it flows over 2,300 miles before emptying into the Gulf at New Orleans, Louisiana.

The New Orleans vast network of marshes, bayous and tidal waters is home to a lot of great bass fishing. | Dreamstime.com | © Jaimie Tuchman | 271563398

The Louisiana Delta is one of the most diverse and fertile estuary systems in North America. This vast network of marshes, bayous and tidal waters provides the perfect environment for an incredibly wide range of plant and animal species, including the largemouth bass which thrive among its abundant aquatic vegetation, cypress trees, and man-made structure.

Bassmaster Classic Champions Who Mastered the Louisiana Delta

The Louisiana Delta at New Orleans has seen its share of Bassmaster Classic stories and drama. Each of the following four champions earned his victory.

Davy Hite’s 1999 Victory: Dominating the Delta By Focusing On the Details

The 1999 Bassmaster Classic secured Davy Hite's name in the history books as one of bass fishing's greats. | B.A.S.S.

As had been the custom for decades, the 1999 Bassmaster Classic was held in the middle of summer—July 29 to 31. To no one’s surprise, the weather in New Orleans was hot and sticky.

While this Classic’s Top 5 was a who’s of pro bass superstars of the late-90s—Denny Brauer, Larry Nixon, Gary Klein, and Ron Sheffield—South Carolina’s Davy Hite emerged as the man to beat in this Classic.

Shuffield held the lead going into the final day, but Hite’s final five bass limit weighed an impressive 19 pounds, 14 ounces. His 3-day total of 55 pounds, 10 ounces was more than 10 pounds better than second place finisher, Denny Brauer.

Hite credited his success to pitching a junebug-colored, Gambler Bacon Rind soft plastic creature bait, in thick matted vegetation. Specifically, he noted that many of the fish seemed to be holding high in the relatively shallow water, just under the matted weeds, likely due to the high water temps making the oxygen levels best near the vegetation. Rather than focus on his bait hopping on the bottom, he was punching it through then banging it off the underside of the weed canopy.

For Hite, this victory at the 1999 Bassmaster Classic not only earned him the welcome $100,000 first prize, it cemented his name into the history of professional bass fishing as one of the all-time greats.

Kevin VanDam’s First Classic Win in 2001: Overcoming Tough Conditions

Van Dam was already so good that people wondered how he had fished 10 other Classics without a victory. This Classic got that monkey off his back and opened the door to a decade of record-setting domination. | B.A.S.S.

Once again, 2001 was still the days of summertime Bassmaster Classics. This Classic in New Orleans was held on the first week of August. In addition to challenging summer conditions, this Classic included the lasting effects of flooding caused by Tropical Storm Allison two months earlier, and rising water levels and the looming threat of approaching Tropical Storm Barry.

These conditions made the bite tough and the lower-than-expected weights showed it. Kevin VanDam finished the event with his first Bassmaster Classic trophy in his 11th Classic appearance. His three-day total weight of 32 pounds, 5 ounces was just one pound, 1 ounce ahead of Scott Rook and just 1 pound, 2 ounces ahead of David Walker.

VanDam credited his success to a Strike King 1/2-ounce, black, blue and purple Premier Elite Jig with a Zoom Super Chunk trailer and a Strike King Wild Thing soft plastic creature bait.

Mike Iaconelli’s Iconic 2003 Bassmaster Classic Moment

If you've been following professional bass fishing for any length of time, you'll probably recognize this iconic moment. "Never give up!" | B.A.S.S.

This is one of those Bassmaster Classics that will forever be linked to an iconic moment in the history of the sport. With just five minutes left to fish on the final day of competition, New Jersey’s Michael Iaconelli caught a crucial 3-1/2 pound bass that ultimately gave him enough weight to best second place, Gary Klein.

Iaconelli’s emotional reaction to that fish, with his cries of “Never give up!” has been replayed more times than almost any moment in the history of Bassmaster.

"I feel proud. It was an amazing punctuation to the day," Iaconelli told reporters. "I stayed focused until the very last minute that I had to leave.”

For Iaconelli, the 2003 Bassmaster Classic marked a significant milestone and turning point in his professional angling career. "It truly changes your life... You're suddenly in a class that very few people are in."

Kevin VanDam’s Historic 2011 Classic Win at the Delta

Kevin VanDam was an unstoppable force at this point in time. | B.A.S.S.

By 2011, Bassmaster had made the decision that summer Classics and the warmest water of the year was too demanding on the fish. To ensure maximum fish care and limited mortality rates, the Bassmaster Classics are now held in the late winter to early spring. The 2011 Classic in New Orleans was February 18-20.

Having won his first Bassmaster Classic at this same location just ten years earlier, 2011 marked Kevin VanDam’s fourth and final Classic title. Imagine winning four out of ten Bassmaster Classics! Rick Clunn is the only other angler to win four Classics and it took him 14 years (obviously, still an unbelievable feat).

The Classic week's warm February temperatures and full moon made the pre-spawn bite come alive as the tournament days progressed. While several of the top finishers found the same concentration of big pre-spawn fish on the west side of Lake Cataouatche, no one figured out the area like VanDam. He credits a change he made from a spinnerbait to a crankbait on Day Two for his victory. Remember, this is long before the days of forward-facing sonar, so he located stumps by fan casting his crankbait and then repeatedly targeted them for numerous bites.

VanDam’s dominant performance gave him a three-day total of 69 pounds, 11 ounces and over 10 pounds more than second place finisher, Aaron Martens.