COLUMBIA, S.C. – Justin Lucas has asserted himself as a dominant force on the Bassmaster Elite Series tour. The Northern California native has renewed with fishing industry leaders, Abu Garcia and Berkley Fishing.
A lifelong fan of the sport, Lucas finished the 2015 season in second place for Angler of the Year and captured his first Bassmaster Elite title on the Sacramento River.
His die-hard passions for the sport of fishing and dedication to the Abu Garcia and Berkley brands began before he started fishing professionally.
“I’ve fished those two brands since I was little, and I’ve dreamed about representing them in a professional career. I have complete confidence in the gear and tackle because they have never failed me.”
Lucas has been fishing the BASS tour since 2014 and has amassed over $350K in just two seasons. Although his time with B.A.S.S. has been brief, Lucas has also been successful on the FLW tour and was a television host for the FLW College tournaments for several years.
“Fishing is my passion,” said Lucas. “It is easy to look at my entire career and know what my goals are. I want to be one of the best out there, and Abu Garcia and Berkley are giving me that opportunity. I look forward to the coming years with Abu Garcia and Berkley. It is so exciting to see what we are working on, especially the new hard baits from Berkley.”
Lucas will be assisting each of the companies with product innovation, store appearances, social media development, and representing the companies at fishing events across the country. A resident of Guntersville, Ala., Lucas has made 29 B.A.S.S. appearances, one Bassmaster Classic appearance, finished in the money 24 times and has 11 top 10 finishes.
The next big event for Lucas will be his second Classic appearance on Grand Lake in Tulsa, Okla. During his only Classic appearance, Lucas was able to finish ninth and is looking for an even better showing in March.
“The Classic is the super bowl of bass fishing,” said Lucas. “That is the one event every single angler wants to win. I’ve had a great year, but I’m looking forward to fishing this one. Grand Lake sets up great that time of year; so it should be a tight contest.”