Justin Lucas' Championship Sunday

Wire to wire leader Justin Lucas started Day 4 with around a 6-pound lead over the rest of the Top 12 anglers.

At blast off Justin headed right to the same location he has been fishing for the past 3 days, and in only a few casts sets the hook.

Justin stays low and keeps the fish out of the dock supports.

Lucas brings the fish down the outside gunnel of the boat, then swings the fish into the air and into the boat.

Justin unhooks his fish and clears his bait over the side of the boat.

With a solid fish pump Justin knows his fish are getting back into biting mode after a tough Day 3 in the same location.

As the sun shown through the trees, Justin continued to throw a dropshot and swim jig combo to try and get a second fish to bite.

Lucas adjusts his bait.

Lucas makes a throw towards a submerged logâ¦

â¦and sets the hook.

He immediately boat flips his fish.

Lucas holds the fish up for the folks at home watching Bassmaster Live.

Not three casts later Justin was hooked up again!

Lucas steered the fish down the boat being sure to keep the fish below the surface.

The fish attempts to jump, but Justin keeps it under control.

He reaches down and grabs the fishâs lower lip, hoisting it unto the air.

âThatâs the right kind!â

Justin shows off the fish to some of the spectators that have been patiently with him over the past few hot days.

Into the livewell for this one.

Lucas all smiles as a little more weight is lifted from his shouldersâ¦ âA few more like that and this thingâs over!â

Lucas goes back to fishingâ¦

â¦even his friends at the DC Water security team showed to wish him luck.

â¦or stare in awe at the show taking place just below their dock.

Lucas makes sure to stay hydrated throughout the day as temperatures reach 100+ degrees.

Lucas makes a throw and sets the hook, boat flipping a small fish.

He unhooks the fish and adds it to the livewell.

Next cast, another fish.

Justin takes the fish around his big motor with a foot firmly planted on the engine cowling.

He hoists the fish up and into the boat.

Another hook upâ¦

This one looks like a better fish.

Naw, just a little guy.

Lucas quickly checks the rules to make sure this fish wasnât too small to keep.

Into the livewellâ¦

â¦ but not before adding a non-penetrating culling clip.

Lucas switches to a small swim jig.

He sets the hook but misses the bite.

Continuing to work down the dock, Justin seems much more relaxed as he works his way to a limit of Potomac River bass.

He hooks into what looks like a good one.

âGuys, this is a giant.â

Justin gets down low to try and land this bigginâ.

The fish tries to go deepâ¦

â¦but Justin grabs it and pulls it upward.

âYESSSSS!â

âThatâs a $100,000 fish! THATâS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLER FISH!â (Justin screams as he holds the fish up in awe.)

With a 5-pound bass in hand, Justin heads for his scale and the livewell.

Another celebratory fist pump.

âI love this fish, I literally love this fish, this place and everything right now.â

Justin holds the fish up for his spectators to see.

Then heads for the livewell to get the fish some water.

Thatâs the look of a man who knows heâs got it locked up.

The action wasnât over however as Justin sets the hook one more time.

He fights the fish to the boatâ¦

â¦then lets it settle down so he can land it.

Justin goes in to grab the fish.

âCome here girl!â

Lucas lifts the fish by the belly and smoothly brings it into his boat.

All smiles with fish in hand.

Justin goes to add his fish to the well and make a cull.

After an amazing morning Justin throws back a fish that some anglers would kill to have and sighs, realizing that the past four days of pressure, heat and tough fishing was more than worth it.

You can nearly fill a tackle box with the wide assortment of lures used at the Bassmaster Elite at Potomac River presented by Econo Lodge. Proven West Coast born lures produced for Justin Lucas and Brent Ehrler, both native Californians.

All Captions: Craig Lamb

<b>Justin Lucas</b><br>
Lucas primarily used a 6-inch hand-poured worm, blue and brown, rigged with a 3/16-ounce Eco Pro Tungsten Weight and 1/0 hook. He fashioned those components into a drop shot rig fished along a pier, where the bass were suspended over 8 feet of water.

Justin Lucas
Lucas primarily used a 6-inch hand-poured worm, blue and brown, rigged with a 3/16-ounce Eco Pro Tungsten Weight and 1/0 hook. He fashioned those components into a drop shot rig fished along a pier, where the bass were suspended over 8 feet of water.

Alternatively, Lucas used a 5-inch soft plastic stick bait, watermelon/red flake, rigged to a 3/0 Berkley Fusion19 extra wide gap hook. He fished the lure along grass beds perpendicular to the pier. Allowing the lure to tediously free-fall down the water column through 10 feet of water produced strikes.