Mitchell Forde, Bass Pro Tour Press Release
SANDUSKY, Ohio –– After six years and so many high finishes without a tour-level victory, Justin Lucas started to doubt whether he would ever hoist another trophy. Turns out, all he needed to do was return to the site of his last national win.
Prior to Suzuki Marine Stage 7 Presented by B&W Trailer Hitches, the last time a national MLF trail visited Lake Erie was the 2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament. That also marked Lucas’ last victory – he edged Jacob Wheeler by 1 ounce.
This week, the final standings once again read Lucas first, Wheeler second. But Lucas didn’t allow for near as much suspense.
Putting together one of the most impressive days of smallmouth fishing you’ll ever see in terms of both quantity and quality, Lucas racked up 98 pounds, 11 ounces on 25 scorable bass during Sunday’s Championship Round. He boated six smallmouth over 5 pounds, including the Berkley Big Bass of the day and the event – a 6-11. He topped SCORETRACKER® for nearly every minute, ultimately besting Wheeler by 19-6.
In the moments after lines out, he struggled to wrap his mind around what had just transpired.
“I feel like I’ve been in a dream for the last hour and a half,” Lucas said. “Just big ones, just biting.”
Lucas’ second career Bass Pro Tour victory earned him $125,000 and moved him up to third in the final Fishing Clash Angler of the Year standings. Here’s how the Top 10 pros finished the Championship Round:
Justin Lucas – 98-11 (25)
Jacob Wheeler – 79-7 (27)
Michael Neal – 68-7 (24)
Cole Floyd – 64-9 (25)
Brent Ehrler – 53-14 (17)
Jeff Sprague – 34-0 (11)
Marshall Hughes – 33-2 (10)
Ott DeFoe – 30-0 (9)
Jesse Wiggins – 22-3 (7)
Zack Birge – 20-12 (6)
