Amid the best season of his young life, competitive bass fisherman Lucas Sebastian is hoping to reel in a trip to Oklahoma for the national championship.
Sebastian, a freshman at Rio Americano, has performed well in his last five tournaments on the Sacramento River Delta, including a second-place finish on April 13 with his partner, Matthew McKeough, and a first-place finish over winter break.
How did you get into fishing?
My uncle has a private pond on his property in Granite Bay, and when I was little, I used to Fish there. I remember catching my first bass there when I was five or four. It was exciting.
Where is your favorite place to fish?
My favorite place to fish is the Sacramento Delta. There is a variety of spots to fish with
a lot of big bass.
What is your favorite fish to fish for?
Largemouth bass. They are fun to fish for. There are a lot of things you have to know to catch them, like where they are, how deep they are, what they are eating and what their behavior is. Bass fishing is a lot about knowledge, but you also need technique. There is so much that goes into it.
From where or what do you usually fish?
I fish from the bank for fun when I am not in a tournament. My friend has a boat, a Bass Tracker, that we fish tournaments on.
What’s it like on the boat
The action in fishing depends on if you are having a good day or a bad day. You could get a bite on back-to-back casts, or you can wait eight hours. Usually, when the fish aren’t active, you are trying to figure something out, switch your bait or move to a different spot. It takes a lot of patience, and it’s rewarding when you get a big one.
What’s it like to catch a fish?
When I get a bite, it depends on what rod I’m using or what bait. Some lures require bigger hook sets. If it’s a big fish, you have to play it depending on the tackle. If it’s small, you just reel it in and unhook it and put it back.
What is it like competing?
Hard when there are tons of boats that are good. But we took second in the TNT Teen tournament on the Delta April 13. My partner Matthew McKeough and I caught five big bass. You are judged on the total weight of your five biggest fish. My biggest win was in December. I got first out of 30-plus people. Had the biggest bass and won a rod.
