Jackson Angler Wins $5,000 In Berry’s Hawg Pot

There’s still $14,000 worth of largemouth bass swimming around Lake Jackson right now. Sound too good to be true? Larry Cason, of Newborn, will tell you it’s true. Less than two weeks ago, he found himself $5,000 richer after catching a Lake Jackson bucketmouth.

It’s been about a dozen years since Bobby Berry began what is called the “Hawg Pot” for his Tuesday and Friday night pot bass tournaments on Lake Jackson. Hawg Pot rules are simple. If you show up to compete in one of Bobby’s Lake Jackson pot tournaments, you can throw in an extra $5 to a separate pot. If you catch an 8-pounder during the tournament, or the largest fish heavier than 8 pounds during the tournament, you win the pot. And if nobody catches a fish 8 pounds or better, the pot just keeps on growing.

On Tuesday, April 4, Larry collected $5,000 for winning a Hawg Pot for the Tuesday night tournament. His bass weighed 8.86 pounds and was the first bass heavier than 8 pounds that’s been been caught in a Tuesday night Berry’s pot tournament since Kip Carter won the pot in 2010.

“I was fishing with my son, Peyton,” said Larry.

Peyton is a sixth grader at Indian Creek Middlle School in Newton County and has a vision of fishing professionally one day.

“I didn’t see it on the bed, it was too late in the day, but I am pretty sure she was on the bed,” said Larry.

Larry and Peyton were fishing a spawning pocket along a seawall in less than a foot of water. Larry was fishing a creature bait.

“She hammered it,” said Larry. “I told Peyton, ‘This is a really big one. Get ready.’ So he got the net. The fish takes off across the cove, that’s just what they do, they try to go deep when they’re stuck. She turned around and came straight back to us and ran into the side of the boat. Peyton stuck the net down, and I just drug the fish into the net.”

The father-and-son tournament duo ended up winning the tournament with 19.36 pounds and found themselves with a wad of cash at the evening’s end. However, they’re still looking to grow their bank account as the bass spawning season continues for a few more weeks.

Bobby has two chances a week to win a Hawg Pot, one during his Tuesday night pot tournament, the other during his Friday night event. When any Hawg Pot gets to $5,000, a new Hawg Pot begins.

Currently, there are two $5,000 Hawg Pots on the table for Friday night tournaments and a $4,000 pot available for Tuesday tournaments, meaning there’s $14,000 just waiting to be collected. Ready to go fishing?

If you’re ready to compete in a Berry’s pot tournament and collect the next Hawg Pot, read the Hawg Pot Rules first. To view past Hawg Pot winners, go to Berry’s website.

To contact Bobby Berry with Berry’s Tournament trails, call (770) 787-6179.