After four challenging tournaments in Div. 1 of the 2025 Bassmaster Opens, Alabama’s Lucas Lindsay holds first place in the point standings. His performance has earned him one of 50 coveted spots in the Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers – the final step toward fulfilling a dream he’s chased since early childhood.
Lindsay’s earliest angling experiences consisted of “pole fishing” farm ponds and casting a rooster tail spinner from the bank. Although his parents and grandparents were not avid anglers, fishing quickly became his passion.
At age 4, his parents moved from Athens, Ala., to a neighborhood in Auburn with a pond just down the street. By that time he was all about bass fishing, inspired by countless fishing shows on TV and videos on YouTube. He could be seen casting into the neighborhood pond on any given summer day and after school.
In fourth grade, he met Logan Parks, who is now a Bassmaster Elite Series angler. The two quickly became bike-riding bass buddies who explored local neighborhood and golf course ponds.
Bass fishing for both anglers took a quantum leap when they started a bass team at Auburn High School in 2012. Drew Morgan, one of the teachers at the school, sponsored the team. The team attracted six additional members the first year and several adults who volunteered to serve as mentors.
“High school fishing accelerated my desire to compete in tournaments,” Lindsay said. “Jordan and Matt Lee, who were fishing for Auburn University, came to meet our team. They were role models who fueled my fire.”
His high school team competed in a variety of tournaments, including those organized by B.A.S.S. In 2015 he and Parks took third place at the Bassmaster High School Championship on Kentucky Lake. That same year, the duo finished second in Angler of the Year standings for Alabama.
After graduating from high school, Lindsay attended Auburn University, where he and Parks competed on the college bass team. They often finished high in the standings. In 2019, Lindsay earned the title of Auburn University Angler of the Year. One highlight was a visit from Elite Series angler Steve Kennedy, an Auburn alum.
“Steve brought some big swimbaits with him and gave tips on how to fish them,” Lindsay said.
In 2021, Lindsay graduated with a degree in agricultural science. That same year, he mentored a young angler named Coleman and his partner, Langston, who were competing in high school tournaments. Coleman’s father, Michael, soon offered Lindsay a job in parking lot maintenance, which includes resurfacing, sealcoating and striping.
“When I met Coleman and Langston, I gave them both a tacklebox full of baits,” Lindsay said. “It meant the world to them. I was their boat captain on and off for three years. I’m thankful for the people who mentored me, and I’m happy to return the favor to the next generation of bass anglers.”
On weekends, Lindsay continued to compete in local trails such as the Alabama Bass Trail, earning several top-three finishes. One of those trails, the OGS, saw him claim Angler of the Year in 2024.
But marrying his wife, Sarah, two years ago remains his biggest catch during this time. The two began dating in high school in 2017 and now reside in Auburn together with their two dogs, Onyx (goldendoodle) and Oakley (bernedoodle).
This year, Lindsay had the opportunity to fish Div. 1 of the Opens and made the most of it – finishing first in points. He hopes to carry that momentum through the EQs.
He recently visited Lake Champlain before the cutoff for the EQ that will take place there in September. Blustery winds and rough water limited his practice time, and he didn’t learn as much as he had hoped. He believes the September event at Lake Wheeler will prove the stingiest of the EQs, even though he won a tournament there while fishing at Auburn University.
“Alabama bass are hard to come by in the fall,” he said.
Despite his success, Lindsay currently has no sponsors — something he expects will change soon.
“As with most people, I’ve had to face challenges in life that have nothing to do with bass fishing,” Lindsay said. “I’ve leaned on God more than anything and learned to trust His timing. If making the Elite Series is God’s will, it will be done.”
