When asked about the Toyota Angler of the Year title yesterday, which he is currently leading, Justin Lucas said, “It’s definitely very much on my mind – every single fish. I was hoping it wouldn’t be between me and a good friend of mine.”
Lucas was referring to Josh Bertrand. He and Lucas have turned the AOY race into a head-to-head matchup this week. No matter what happens today, those two will be separated by about a dozen points or less. Bradley Roy, the leader coming into St. Lawrence, finished 71st. He will be about 50 points behind the two frontrunners going into the Toyota AOY Championship next month.
This Lucas vs. Bertrand battle is particularly interesting because of their friendship. Bertrand, a 29-year-old Arizona native, joined the Elite Series in 2013. Lucas, a 32-year-old California native, came over from the FLW circuit in 2014.
“He’s one of my best friends,” Bertrand said of Lucas. “We were both from the West and younger guys, and we decided to start rooming together when he came to the Elite Series. We’ve become really good friends. We have a lot in common. He’s taught me a lot.”
Both anglers are married with children now, and Lucas lives in Guntersville, Ala.,, but they remain close.
“We still talk almost every day when we’re fishing,” Bertrand said.
It seems the 2018 Toyota Angler of the Year title has come down to this: May the best friend win.