Top 10 Baits from the Potomac River
What got the job done in the grass
The usual offerings at the Potomac River are pretty standard, and there wasn’t anything too surprising about the baits the top pros used in the FLW Tour presented by Costa Sunglasses. If anything, crankbaits probably got more play than expected, and some pros definitely saw success fishing them around grass edges and over the top – places where you’d expect to see a swim jig or vibrating jig do most of the work.
1. Tom Monsoor says he used one of his signature custom-made ½-ounce swim jigs in black and blue with a 3.75-inch Yamamoto Flappin' Hog as a trailer. After running out of Flappin’ Hogs, he was forced to switch to a Strike King Menace Grub in the same color.
2. Chad Warren primarily used a Yamamoto Senko, a Keitech Swing Impact FAT on an Owner Flashy Swimmer, and a popper that even he doesn’t know the make and model of. Speculation is that it’s an XPS popper from Bass Pro Shops, but nobody is sure.
3. Chris Johnston relied on a custom-made 9/16-ounce black flipping jig to catch his fish.
4. Running the gamut, Cody Meyer threw everything from a custom vibrating jig to a Strike King Red Eye Shad and a Strike King Rage Craw.
5. Michael Neal made it to the top 10 with a SPRO Fat John 60 in rootbeer chartreuse (not shown) and a custom 3/8-ounce swim jig with a Big Bite Baits Swimming Craw in the tilapia color.
6. He tried to use other things (like a 4-inch Zoom Swimmer in ayu shad), but the primary deal for Brandon McMillan was a 5-inch Yamamoto Senko in green pumpkin.
7. Usually the Texan in the top 10 at the Potomac is Clark Wendlandt. This year it was Jeff Sprague, who flipped a Gene Larew Punch Out Craw and a 6-inch Gene Larew TattleTail Worm and wound a swimbait and a 6th Sense Divine Swim Jig.
8. Mike Surman says he caught the majority of his fish on a Dual Hardcore 2+ crankbait in chartreuse and black as well as a Gambler Big EZ.
9. Brandon Cobb, who didn’t let a bum leg keep him from reaching the final day, leaned heavily on both his crutches and a Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Craw in summer craw color paired with a ¾-ounce weight. He also threw a Zoom Fluke Stick in green pumpkin with a 1/16-ounce weight and a Yo-Zuri 3DB Popper.
10. Hailing from Minnesota, Andy Young threw some interesting stuff at the Potomac. His primary was a junebug-colored Zoom Centipede (with a rattle in the tail), and he also tossed a 3/8-ounce Outkast Tackle RTX Jig in a custom green pumpkin crawdad color.