Keith Lusher 06.27.24
Some of the best bass fishermen can be found competing in “fruit jar” style tournaments. The events are often held on the same river week after week and attract some of the local sticks. Joe Picone of Covington, LA has fished these tournaments all his life. “I love em’! The camaraderie and the things I’ve learned from fishing these small tournaments can’t are immeasurable,” Picone says. And at the ripe age of 77 years old, Picone has come up with a tournament that he says is one of the best bass trails he’s ever been a part of.
Picone formed the Double Nickel Bass Club about two years ago and since then it has grown to gather between 20-30 anglers. While that number isn’t staggering, it’s quite an achievement being that the event is held on a Tuesday morning.
What’s different about this club is that it is only open to those who are 55 years of age or older. “We have anglers that fish in the club that range from 55 to 80 years of age. And yes…they still have some juice left,” Picone jokes. Since it is intended for retirees, Picone has limited the time the fishermen are out on the water. “One of the biggest complaints I heard was that the other tournaments were too long-lasting until noon,” he said. The Double Nickel runs from daylight and goes 5 hours.
Another adjustment Picone made was lowering the tournament limit from 5 fish to 3 which allows the anglers to start culling earlier. “This takes a lot of pressure off the angler and makes for closer competition I find,” he says. The tournament pays out 3 spots and also has a ‘Big Bass” pot that pays out for the biggest bass.
For now, the club meets on the East Pearl River which serves as the border between Louisiana and Mississippi but says he may consider holding the event on different rivers in the future.
For those interested in starting up a tournament that caters to retirees, Picone recommends keeping it simple and taking the focus off of the competition putting it more on the camaraderie. “It’s nice to be able to get together every week with these guys,” he said. “I’ve made a lot of really good friends out here.” Double Nickel’s success is a direct result of Picone’s “outside the box” thinking and willingness to try something new. “There’s really no limit to the various kinds of tournaments you can create,” he says. “If you’re willing to come up with something that everyone enjoys fishing then tweaking the rules may just be the thing that makes it a success!”
