Justin Lucas and Brent Ehrler of Team Ferguson totaled 29-9 on 15 Cross Lake bass to win the Bass Pro Shops Summit Cup Presented by Zenni. Photo by Tyler Brinks
Joe Opager • Fishing Clash Team Series
SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER CITY, La. — Justin Lucas and Brent Ehrler of Team Ferguson powered through a stingy Championship Round on Cross Lake to claim the Bass Pro Shops Summit Cup Presented by Zenni with a gritty, wire-to-wire performance.
Lucas led the way with 10 scorable bass for 19 pounds, 1 ounce, while Ehrler’s late surge pushed the team to a total weight of 29-9, securing the title over Team Lucas Oil – defending Summit Cup champs Drew Gill and Marshall Robinson – by more than 12 pounds.
Lucas, who now calls Guntersville, Alabama, home but grew up in California, noted how special it was to win alongside Ehrler, a fellow West Coast product he looked up to as a young angler.
“This one feels special,” Lucas said. “Brent and I kind of came up in the same circles back home, and to win this one together – especially in Louisiana – that’s something I’ll never forget. Today wasn’t easy. Nobody was running away with it, and we had to grind every single minute.”
Late surge seals the win
The four-team field competed on Cross Lake for the first time this week, and the Louisiana fishery proved challenging. Early rain, muddy water and scattered bait made it difficult to identify a standout pattern or area and prevented any team from running away with it.
