By John Johnson
BassFan Senior Editor
A couple of back-to-back events last spring notwithstanding, Justin Lucas' transition from the FLW Tour to the Bassmaster Elite Series was smoother than even he could've expected.
"Going into the season, there was still that unknown factor," said the native Californian who now resides on the shores of Alabama's Lake Guntersville. "I'd finished 6th in the FLW points the year before, so I knew I could compete with the guys over there, but there was still that uncertainty about what might happen when I crossed over.
"If you'd told me before the season started that I was going to end up 11th (in the Angler of the Year race), I'd have been thrilled. The way I look at it now, it's the best move I've ever made other than moving to Alabama."
Strong Start
Any notions that Lucas had tucked away in the back of his mind regarding whether he was in over his head on the Elite Series seemed to be dispelled in the first two events. He logged a 10th-place showing in the opener at Lake Seminole, then posted at 9th at the St. Johns River a week later.
But alas, the whole thing wasn't quite as easy as he'd made it look in those derbies. The next two entries on his ledger were a 68th at Table Rock and a 79th at Toledo Bend – far and away his worst showings of the campaign.
"Being from California, Table Rock should be one of my stronger lakes because of the deep, clear water, but for some reason I'm not getting along with it right now," he said. "I think what throws me for a loop is it's all about largemouths – it's got some (spotted bass), but you're not going to win with those.
"When you see that kind of setup in Northern California, it's almost all spots. That might be what's messing me up there, but I don't know for sure."
Inefficient use of his practice time led to his downfall at Toledo Bend.
"I tried to stay offshore and find fish and I thought I could catch them really good on a swimbait. I tried to force that in practice and what little I found I just kept stick with.
"Looking back, I just practiced wrong there. It's such a gigantic place and you can't just go run around and catch them when what you were doing isn't working out."
No More Bombs
The 28-year-old Lucas was 28th in the AOY race at the season's midway point – well inside of where the Bassmaster Classic qualification cutoff would eventually fall, but a somewhat precarious position with four events left. He'd gotten some momentum back with a 4th-place finish in the Toyota Texas Bass Classic at Lake Fork and was extremely solid the rest of the way.
He endured a bit of trepidation on day 2 of the regular-season finale at Cayuga Lake, where he made the 50-cut right on the nose. He caught 16 pounds the following day to move up 21 places, ensuring his place in the field at Lake Hartwell this February regardless of what happened in the AOY Championship in Michigan.
"My goal for the whole year was to make a couple of Top-12 and get into the Classic," he said. "After Cayuga, when I knew I was in no matter what, that was an amazing feeling."
He'd had prior experience on only two of the nine venues on this year's schedule. Next year he'll get a shot at one he's fished hundreds of times (the California Delta), followed by a trip to another familiar venue in Arizona's Lake Havasu.
"I'm pumped about going out west, although I don't think I'm going to have any kind of real advantage at the Delta just because it's changed so much in the last 4 or 5 years," he said. "I've only fished Havasu in February and March and I like it, but that's not to say I'm going to catch them.
"I think I do better not fishing on any history. I need to just fish every place we go for what it is that week."
Now that he's established a high level of consistency, he hopes that his first tour-level victory isn't too far off in the future.
"Going into my 6th year, I think I've learned enough now to take a few more chances in trying to find the winning fish. That's not to say it's going to happen, but I've been to enough places and I've learned a lot about how to break them down.
"I'd like to be able to give myself at least half a day (of practice) to find something out of the ordinary. That's how wins happen – by fishing away from other people. Hardly anybody ever wins by fishing in a crowd."
