The
Bassmaster Elite Series is headed west and it will be a homecoming for many
anglers. California native and current Alabama resident
Justin Lucas is one of the many who are eager to compete in their home region. He
grew up in Sacramento and calls the nearby California Delta one of his home
waters, a place where he has fond memories and past tournament success. With his experience at the next two venues,
he expects two excellent events at the Sacramento River and Lake Havasu.
APR 30 - MAY 3
Sacramento Bassmaster Elite at
Sacramento River
Sacramento River, Sacramento,
California
“I
am really excited about this event because it is really where I learned about
tournament bass fishing. All of my friends and family will be there as well as
all of the guys who I used to compete against, it will be great to be in front
of the hometown crowd,” adds Lucas. He has a long history on this venue and it
includes winning tournaments, including one as a co-angler in an FLW Series Western
Division event where he caught a 13lb 9oz bass on the last cast of one of the
competition days.
While
the tournament will take place out of the Sacramento River, the vast majority
of the field will make the long run to the famed California Delta in search of
winning bags. Lucas feels there is virtually no chance that the winning bag
will come from the Sacramento River itself. Instead, he believes the winning
angler will travel ninety minutes or more each way to fish the Delta. “The
river has bass in it, but it is basically just miles of riprap and just doesn’t
hold the same population of big bass like the Delta does. It doesn’t have the
grass and all of the great things that makes the Delta so good,” states Lucas.
He
predicts that the winning strategy could be a number of techniques including
flippin’ and punchin’ as well as reaction baits like crankbaits, topwater and
vibrating jigs. When asked for the predicted winning weight for the event,
Lucas stated that it should take a daily average of 21-22lbs to take the win.
Punchin’
heavy grass mats will be a top producer during this event and Lucas plans to
utilize a strategy he has learned over the years, alternating between different
sizes of tungsten weights to find the right size to penetrate the grass. “If I
know I am punching, I will have three identical 8’ heavy Abu Garcia Villain
rods rigged up with Abu Garcia Revo Rocket reels. Each of them will have a
different size Eco Pro Tungsten weight, a 1 oz, 1.5oz and a 2oz so I can fish
thicker and thinner mats without have to re-tie or worry about it not getting
through the grass,” shares Lucas. Having three different weight sizes allows
him to fish more effectively and he believes the Berkley Havoc Pit Boss Jr. is
the perfect punching bait to round out the presentation. “It is the right size
bait for getting through the mats without hanging up. I will rig it on a 4/0
straight shank hook and fish it on 65lb Berkley Trilene Professional Grade
Braid,” says Lucas.
MAY 7-10
Bassmaster Elite at Lake Havasu
presented by Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels
Lake Havasu, Lake Havasu City,
Arizona
While
just one state over from his previous home, Lucas has relatively limited
experience fishing on Havasu. “I have fished a few tournaments there and most
of them were as a co-angler, but I am familiar with it to a degree. I still
have more experience there than most of the field, so that should help me in
this event,” states Lucas.
Lucas
predicts the winning bags to be largemouth, but says smallmouth will definitely
play a factor. “The thing about fishing these desert lakes is it is all about
fish management, knowing how many to catch each day and how many to save. The
desert lakes are unlike anything else we encounter because the areas just don’t
replenish as easily as other places and the general population of bass is also
smaller on these lakes,” adds Lucas.
His
predictions for top patterns are across the board and each angler should be
able to do what suits them best. “Drop-shotting, flipping, topwater,
spinnerbaits, jigs, crankbaits and swimbaits should all do well here. It will
really come down to fishing whatever you like to do,” acknowledges Lucas. This
wide spectrum of possibility also includes fishing locations. “The cool thing
about how Havasu sets up is you will have plenty of guys fishing up the river and
just as many fishing the lake. I think it will really split everyone up and
guys can really spread out and cover water,” predicts the Alabama pro. At
Havasu, Lucas predicts a winning weight with a daily average of 18 pounds per
day.
When
asked about his plan for the event, Lucas said that the drop-shot will play a
big role in his arsenal. “Anytime you are fishing super clear water like Havasu
has, the drop-shot will be a factor. It works well on Havasu and I have found
that those natural colors and hues like oxblood and green pumpkin outperform
everything else,” adds Lucas. He fishes his drop-shot on a 7’ medium action Abu
Garcia Veracity rod with a Revo MGX spinning reel with 8lb Berkley Nanofil line and an 6 to 8lb Berkley Trilene 100%
fluorocarbon leader. Another key is the weight size and shape. “I’ll use a 3/16
oz Eco Pro Tungsten Full Contact drop-shot weight the majority of the time but
will go up or down in sizes based on how deep I am fishing,” says Lucas.
The
Bassmaster Elite Series events on the Sacramento River and Lake Havasu should
prove to be excellent tournaments both in terms of numbers of fish caught and
total weight. Pros with Western origins like Justin Lucas are expecting to do
well and also show the rest of the country what the West Coast has to offer
bass fishermen.
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