Justin Lucas celebrated his 29th birthday yesterday in style, catching the second-biggest bag of the day – 25-14 – and moving from eighth place to third place. Lucas has been on a roll since his last birthday, when he finished 79th at Toledo Bend during the first week of May in 2014. He hasn't missed a check since.
This tournament will mark Lucas' 10th payday in a row. That string of success includes three Top 10s: 7th at Bays de Noc in the AOY Championship last year, 9th at the Bassmaster Classic and 10th at the Sabine River to start this season.
Based on yesterday's results, Lucas is second in the 2015 Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year race, only three points behind leader Dean Rojas. Those AOY point totals will change significantly over the next two days. With a strong finish here, Lucas will likely be the AOY leader heading into Lake Havasu next week.