Crews caught 20 bass weighing 72 pounds, 6 ounces, for the win by one ounce over Skeet Reese of Auburn, Calif. It was the first Elite Series tournament of the season.

A 5-pounder caught on his last flip of the day secured the win for Crews. He specifically pitched soft plastic baits all week, targeting an area of thick hydrilla about 4-8 feet deep in a dead-end canal. The fish there were not as affected by the Delta’s legendary tidal movements and Crews patiently picked it apart for four days.

Crews used 65-pound test Vicious Braid the first two days and then downsized the final two days after weather conditions dictated the change. The switch to 25-pound Vicious Fluorocarbon, a prototype currently in testing, helped make the difference. Crews used a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver the first three days before downsizing to a Gambler BB Cricket on the final day.

“This is just unbelievable,” Crews said. “When it’s your time, it’s just your time.  I knew I was on the fish to win and I never have had that feeling before.”

Crews joined Vicious Fishing earlier this year. He is a four-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier, has won almost $542,000 in 93 tournaments and has 47 finishes in the top 50.

To buy Vicious Fluorocarbon click here.