Classic Nation angler profile: Jeff Lugar

Jeff Lugar said not making the cut in the 2014 Classic was painful, so his goal for February is to fish on Sunday.

Sitting out the final day of the 2014 Bassmaster Classic was an experience Jeff Lugar hopes to avoid in his second Classic appearance.

“My goal for this year is to be fishing all three days,” Lugar said.

“In the last Classic, I sat out Sunday and worked the show a little bit for Triton and walked around with my son. Although that was fun and I got to see a lot of people, I was there to fish and it hurt not fishing that last day. It was a painful feeling.”

The Rockingham Bass Anglers club member said he expects to be better prepared for his second Classic appearance.

“I don’t expect to be near as impacted by all the attention and events going on and not so taken up in all the excitement and everything else,” he said. “I hope to be more focused on the fishing and hopefully make more efficient use of my practice.

“I felt like last year that I spent too much time trying to practice and fish areas I thought — based on help that I had gotten — were going to do well, but I didn’t fish my strengths,” Lugar said.

“I didn’t go look for stuff that I was comfortable with. I tried to fish ways that I wasn’t comfortable with. I am going to go fish the way I like to fish this time and the way I am good at and see what happens.”

The Virginia angler has never been on the Classic waters of Lake Hartwell, but he believes it is similar to Buggs Island and Smith Mountain lakes, a couple of reservoirs he frequently fishes.

“I think the lake will fish a lot of different ways,” Lugar said. “My strengths are fishing shallow and doing a lot of running and gunning, so barring any weird weather, that will be an opportunity for me. Whether or not I will be able to catch the biggest fish I don’t know, but I think I will be able to catch fish that way.”

Lugar won the 2013 B.A.S.S. Nation Championship but fell short in his bid to retain the championship title when he placed third in the 2014 BNC. However, he earned his second Classic berth by finishing as the top BNC angler in the Mid-Atlantic Division.

Making the Classic trip with Lugar this year will be his newlywed wife, Linda, and his 15-year-old son, Tyler.