MARBURY, Md. – They say that momentum is real in bass fishing, and Keith Poche proved that point on the Potomac River Thursday on Day 1 of Zenni Stage 6 Presented by Athletic Brewing Company.
Less than a week after winning the Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 5 just two hours south on the James River, Poche was the only angler to surpass 80 pounds on the Potomac and leads with 36 bass for 80 pounds, 2 ounces. Going into the second day, Poche will enjoy a 10-pound, 1-ounce advantage over Ott DeFoe in second place as he looks to win for the second time in as many weeks on a tidal fishery in the Mid-Atlantic.
It wasn’t just Poche giving SCORETRACKER® a workout as the 66-angler field caught 1,217 bass weighing 2,572 pounds, 9 ounces, both easily the highest totals of the season. With so many bass biting, things are shaping up for an excellent finish this weekend.
Poche riding the momentum
Coming off his victory on the James, Poche certainly felt confident about coming into Stage 6. On the James, he fished in the style he’s known for, accessing a shallow water backwater with his 18-foot aluminum boat to go places that heavier fiberglass boats simply can’t. That’s the same approach he took Thursday on the Potomac, but the results were even better than expected.
“I knew the place I found had some fish and knew the potential was there, but I had no idea it would be this good,” Poche said. “I’m just trying to keep this rolling, whatever it is, because it’s working.”
Poche shared that his best area had all the ingredients to harbor a big population of bass.
“I’m going way back into the creek and fishing shallow, but the water back there is moving, and it’s a lot cooler,” he said. “It’s a sandy creek with some shallow flats and deeper swings; when the tide’s out, they pull to those little deeper spots. When the water is up, they get up in the pads and grass along the banks. It’s been best with the falling tide, but I feel like I can get but any time of day in there.”
While the falling tide has been his best bite, Poche was able to catch bass throughout the day and caught vastly more bass than the 36 that exceeded the 1-8 minimum for the event. His area is full of bass of all sizes, and he discovered it during practice by visually seeing them swimming around at low tide.
“When I went there in practice during a low tide, they were swimming everywhere,” Poche said. “I found a few similar areas but didn’t hit them at the right tide, so I don’t know if they will be as good as this one, but they have potential if I need to try somewhere else.”
As for whether he plans to vie for the automatic bid to the Championship Round or to use some of his time to practice, Poche was emphatic with his response.
“One hundred percent I’m going to catch everything I can to try to advance. I’m not going to let up one bit,” he said. “You never know what’s going to happen during the Knockout Round. I know I have a 10-pound lead, but I’m going to have to do my part again, and I think I’ll need to catch at least 60 pounds tomorrow to have a chance to advance to the final day.”
Poche is employing a variety of lures to catch his fish, including the same Berkley PowerBait MaxScent, The General on a shaky head that accounted for his winning bass on the James River; a Berkley Pit Boss on a Texas Rig; and a Bama bream colored 3/8-ounce Berkley Swim Jig with a green pumpkin Berkley Power Swimmer on the back.
“It’s just shallow-water junk fishing,” Poche said. “The best bait for me today was that swim jig, that was my bread and butter, throwing it on 30-pound Berkley X5 braid, a 10.1:1 Revo Rocket Reel, and a 7-1 heavy Fenwick World Class rod. That faster reel was a big deal because I’m burning that thing and pulling it through the current. I need to pick up the slack and hit them when it’s coming at me.”
As time expired on MLFNOW! Poche remarked on the sweltering conditions. The high was 93 degrees with a “feels like” temperature of 106 degrees, and there was hardly a puff of wind.
“The hottest tournament I had ever fished was here on the Potomac back in 2015, and this one blows it out of the water; it was brutal out there,” he added.
What’s next for Stage 6
All the anglers in the 66-angler field will return to the water on Friday for the second day of the Qualifying Round. They’ll be gunning to make the Top 20, qualifying them for Saturday’s Knockout Round. Friday’s round winner will advance directly to the Championship Round.
The weights are tight on SCORETRACKER®, with Justin Cooper holding down 20th place with 46-5, but 10 more anglers below him crossed the 40-pound mark. Marshall Hughes sits in 30th with 40 pounds.
Other notes:
- One of the biggest stories of this event is the sweltering heat. Thankfully, the anglers will get a reprieve on Friday, with the forecasted high reaching 79 degrees after the scattered thunderstorms that are expected to arrive overnight.
- Justin Lucas caught the Berkley Big Bass of the day, a 4-12 largemouth. Lucas was one of nine anglers weighing a fish of 4 pounds or bigger.
- With a commanding 38-point lead in the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year race coming into Stage 6, Jacob Wheeler did his part and finds himself in 19th place. Jake Lawrence and Drew Gill, his closest pursuers, gained some ground, finishing in 15th and 14th, respectively.