FishRook
By Lee Wardlaw
lee@claytodayonline.com
CLAY COUNTY – As the Thursday Night Workin’ Man’s Bass Fishing Tournament enters its 12th week, 43-year-old Justin Gilligan is only 27th among 30 fellow competitors. But he’s not worried.
Gilligan was born two hours south of Clay, and his ties kept him returning each summer. He moved to the area full-time at age 19.
With 10 weeks remaining in the tournament, the Lake Asbury resident is confident he can make a comeback, especially since he’s fished these waters for nearly 40 years.
Last week, he gave Clay Today a first-hand look at how the experienced fisherman perfects his craft of landing a trophy fish.
He crawled the waters of Doctors Inlet and Doctors Lake with a trolling motor and foot pedal, looking to “get bit,” a term Gilligan refers to when a fish hits his lure.
Lily pads on the rivers and creeks are some of his favorite places to cast the line.
Before making a cast, he surveyed…
