Berkley MaxScent Delivers Again for Justin Lucas
Justin Lucas Reigns Victorious at Bass Pro Tour Stage Seven Season Finale on Lake Erie
COLUMBIA, S.C. (Aug. 11, 2026) – Few soft baits have impacted professional smallmouth fishing like Berkley PowerBait MaxScent. While much of the conversation in recent years has centered around forward-facing sonar and the techniques surrounding it, MaxScent has quietly remained a staple in the hands of top anglers. No one knows that better than Abu Garcia and Berkley pro Justin Lucas, who once again relied on his trusted Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worm setup to claim his 10th Major League Fishing victory and 2nd Bass Pro Tour title of his career this week at Lake Erie.
Lucas totaled an incredible 98 pounds, 11 ounces on 25 scorable bass during the Championship Round, prioritizing quality over quantity with six smallmouth over 5 pounds, including the Berkley Big Bass of the event: a massive 6-pound, 11-ounce giant. Through two days of qualifying rounds, Lucas was in the sixth place spot, catching 27 smallmouths for 92-06. In the knockout round, he kept a close eye on the Scoretracker and caught enough to skate through, weighing 16 bass for 57-11.
On Championship Day, Lucas was unsure what remained of his best areas. When lines went in, he quickly realized the quality that was left. He caught three bass in his first four casts. Then a 5 pounder. Then, just 30 minutes later, a 6-11. To end period one, he amassed over an 18 pound lead. But then things changed.
Lucas entered Period 2 with an 18-pound advantage, but the momentum quickly stalled. He managed just two scorable bass during the period, allowing his lead to shrink to 15 pounds. Early in Period 3, the competition continued to chip away, pulling within 8 pounds. Despite the pressure, Lucas remained confident his afternoon bite window would materialize, and it did.
"Man, Period 2 was stressful for sure," he said. "It was a combination of things: I knew I just needed to get through the period letting my key areas rest, and I knew I had a good shot in the final period if the fish would bite like they did earlier in the week. I still had a good lead, but only catching two, I was just trying to survive and not drop too much."
Lucas started the final period on the less productive of his two shipping channel markers, quickly building momentum with three key fish. From there, he made one final move back to the channel marker that had produced throughout the week, where the afternoon bite finally came alive. He boated six more scorable smallmouth, including three over 5 pounds. When it was all over, he added 38 pounds, 4 ounces on nine bass to close out an emotional final period and secure his second Bass Pro Tour victory.
Six Years Later, Still MaxScent
While the winning fish came from different places than they did in 2020, one thing remained the same, Lucas' confidence in Berkley PowerBait MaxScent. Coming into the event, with much of the industry's focus on new baits such as Berkley Lab Series and PowerBait MaxScent Moeba, Lucas was unsure if his old reliable would still produce for the pressured fish on the Great Lakes.
"It has been a while since I was at Erie for a tournament, but I did come up last summer for a day," he said. "I fished for smallmouth the entire day and only caught two fish. Coming into this event, I was unsure how things were going to be, but early on in practice I was able to dial in the dropshot, which was surprising, and it carried me throughout the week."
What turned out to be a one-two punch of baits, Lucas caught nearly all of his weight on a drop-shot with a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worm, the exact setup that carried him to victory six years ago. He fished it on a 7-foot, medium Abu Garcia Fantasista X spinning rod with a 3000-size Abu Garcia Zenon X reel spooled with 8-pound Berkley X5 braid and a 10-pound Berkley GinClear fluorocarbon leader. It was his ultimate confidence setup.
"I pretty much only own two models of spinning rods," said Lucas. "A 7-foot medium and a 7-foot medium-heavy. They do any job I need, and they were awesome this week. On day one, I was going through a little lull in action and picked up a Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Tube. The wind died down, it calmed out there, and I was able to pick up three nice fish on the tube. When things get tough, I love that bait. Otherwise, it was all about the Flat Worm."
Why PowerBait MaxScent? Confidence.
Lucas has made a living with Berkley baits throughout his entire career. His last professional-level win came right here on Lake Erie in 2020, and he was using the exact same bait. Once he learned it was going to be successful throughout the tournament this week, it was all over.
"I have so much confidence in all the Berkley baits, but that bait I have historically done so well with, I just know it works," he said. "On day one of practice, I caught 25 to 30 fish on the dropshot. I tried other baits, but the MaxScent Flat Worm was the ticket."
To end the season on a high note, including both the Stage Seven victory and a third-place finish in the Bass Pro Tour Angler of the Year race, is a breath of fresh air for the Alabama angler. There is no doubt that bass fishing has changed, and Lucas has remained consistent, and sealing the deal heading into the offseason is exactly what he needed.
"You can't end it any better. Winning the first one or the last one is a nice thing, and to finish third in the AOY is a huge boost," he said. "I am looking forward to some rest and relaxation and time with the family. This victory gives me a little break to reflect and take some time. It's my best season since the 2018 Angler of the Year, and it feels great."
"Justin's performance this week is a reminder that while techniques and technology continue to evolve, fish still have to bite," said Marc Kempter, VP, Marketing Communications. "MaxScent has earned the confidence of anglers for years because it is backed by science and consistently catches fish when it matters most. Watching Justin rely on the same bait that helped him win on Lake Erie six years ago, and do it again on one of the biggest stages in bass fishing, is a testament to just how special that bait continues to be."
To learn more about the Berkley PowerBait MaxScent Flat Worm, click here.
About Pure Fishing
Pure Fishing is a collection of the world's favorite fishing brands. Every day, all around the world, someone experiences the joy of catching a fish with one of our products. From gear for epic battles at sea to a relaxing day with family at the lake, our portfolio includes the most recognized and admired brands in fishing tackle, lures, rods, reels and storage. Abu Garcia, Berkley, DAM, Fenwick, Fin-Nor, Frabill, Greys, Hardy, Hodgman, Johnson, JRC, Madcat, Mitchell, Penn, Pflueger, Plano, Prologic, Savage Gear, Shakespeare, SpiderWire, Stren, Ugly Stik and Van Staal.