Sacremento, CA—The Bassmaster Elite series strolled back into our lives over the weekend, and it was a young local who took top prize.
Described by Bassmaster.com as a “California native turned Alabama Elite Series pro,” Justin Lucas bested number 2 finisher Aaron Martens by almost 2 pounds to hold on and bring home the trophy. It was just his 23rd B.A.S.S event.
“For about 17 years, I’ve been dreaming of doing something like this. It’s cool. It’s just super cool,” he would say after the win.
For the effort, he brings home $100,000 and a shot at the Bassmaster Classic.
The Winning Formula
Lucas made use of long runs and an orange Berkely Havoc Pit Boss to bring in his bags.
He saved his longest run for Sunday, going for more than 90 minutes to hit a honey hole he knew was holding fish.
“I saved that area,” Lucas said. “I knew it was going to get tougher every day. We had some other tournaments going down there, and there was a lot of pressure. I saved that area, and nobody else really knew about it.”
Such are the benefits of home field advantage.
The Top 10
Here are top 10 finishers”
- Justin Lucas, 82.14
- Aaron Martens, 80.7
- Dean Rojas, 78.2
- Ish Monroe, 72.9
- Chris Zaldain, 71.11
- Bobby Lane, 69.10
- Cliff Pirch, 69.8
- Tom Horton, 69.3
- Jason Christie, 69.3
- Keith Combs, 69.1
The next stop for the Elite Series is Lake Havasu, Arizona.