Parity on the Potomac
EverStart Series anglers attempt to separate from field with top-10 cut looming
MARBURY, Md. – As the full field of 124 pros and 124 co-anglers departed Smallwood State Park marina shortly after 7 a.m. amid cooler temps and low winds, EverStart Series competitors were keenly aware of the need to make a significant move in Friday’s crucial day of tournament action.
With the standings bunched up, much like the congregations of largemouth bass on the Potomac this week, anglers were searching for any way to distinguish themselves from the rest of the pack. Just how congested were Thursday’s results? From 17th place in the standings (13 pounds) to 94th place (8 pounds), there was only a 5 pound difference. With the big bass in the Pro Division registering at 5 pounds, 6 ounces on day one, it’s equally obvious that a few big bites will make all the difference in the world during today’s competition.
But the key is getting those big bites, which, on the Potomac, is easier said than done.
“It’s really important here to find the spot within the spot,” said day-one second-place pro finisher Cory Johnston of Peterborough, Ontario. “You have to target places where there are concentrations of good fish. If you can get five big bites, that’s a whole lot better than trying to get 30 (regular) bites.”
Not surprisingly, the tides are playing a key factor as well. This week, the largemouth bite seems to be turning on just as the high tide begins to fall back. Today, the high tide is scheduled to commence at 9:30 a.m., which means that the mid-morning bite will be hugely influential. It also means that anglers who miss out on that narrow one- to two-hour window will almost certainly be left behind when today’s top-10 cut is announced.
“The key today will be to wait the tides out,” said Johnston. “The fish are definitely there but you have to be patient. I’m going to wait for that outgoing high tide and hopefully I’ll be able to get some good fish in the boat.”
Weights down across the board
While it wasn’t necessarily a big surprise that anglers were closely bunched up in the standings given the nature of Potomac’s track record, the overall weights appeared to be a lot lower than the field had expected.
“There should have been a lot more 15- and 16-pound bags yesterday,” said Castrol pro David Dudley. “Normally northern fisheries produce smaller fish because there is a shorter `growing’ season. And anytime you catch a 4-pounder here, it’s a good fish. But yesterday, the weights were pretty low. And it’s not like the fish weren’t biting. It’s not like it was tough fishing. I just think the fishing pressure (over the course of the year) was having an effect.”
Kellogg’s pro Dave Lefebre, a veteran of Potomac River fishing, seemed surprised as well.
“I was hoping to do better yesterday,” said Lefebre, who landed a total catch of 13 pounds, 4 ounces despite having only one practice day under his belt. “But then when I looked at the final standings and I couldn’t believe how high up I was. I finished the day in 14th place and that kind of surprised me. Now I’m back in this thing.”
Currently, Frank Ippoliti of Mercersburg, Pa., holds the overall pro lead with a total catch of 18 pounds, 12 ounces. Robert Gerber of The Plains, Va., is in possession of the top spot in the Co-angler Division with a day-one catch weighing in at 14 pounds, 6 ounces.
Tourney format
During EverStart Series competition, pros supply the boats, fish from the front deck against other pros and control boat movement. Co-anglers fish from the back deck and compete against other co-anglers. Anglers are permitted to weigh in their best five bass each day. Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points that determine angler standings. The full field competes on days one and two, with the top-10 pros and top 10 co-anglers advancing to Saturday’s final round of competition based on their two-day accumulated weight. Winners ultimately will be determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from all three days.
Anglers will take off from Smallwood State Park located at 2750 Sweden Point Road in Marbury, Md., at 7 a.m. each morning. Friday’s weigh-in will also be held at Smallwood State Park beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at Walmart, located at 40 Drury Drive in La Plata, Md., at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
Pros will fish for a top award of $35,000 plus a 198VX Ranger boat with 200-horsepower outboard if Ranger Cup guidelines are met. Co-anglers will cast for a top award consisting of a Ranger 177TR with 90-horsepower outboard and $5,000 if Ranger Cup guidelines are met.
The EverStart Series consists of five divisions – Central, Northern, Southeast, Texas and Western. Each division consists of four tournaments and competitors will be vying for valuable points in each division that could earn them the Strike King Angler of the Year title along with $5,000 for the pro and $2,000 for the co-angler. The top 40 pros and co-anglers from each respective division will qualify for the EverStart Series Championship, slated for Kentucky Lake in Buchanan, Tenn., Oct. 27-30.
EverStart Series action resumes at today’s weigh-in, scheduled to take place at 3 p.m. at Smallwood State Park located at 2750 Sweden Point Road in Marbury, Md.
Bass-fishing fans take note
Want to watch the weigh in live but can’t make it in person? Then tune into FLW Live on FLWOutdoors.com shortly before 3 p.m. Eastern time to watch live streaming video and audio of today’s opening-round weigh in.
Friday’s conditions
Sunrise: 7:03 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 58 degrees
Expected high temperature: 75 degrees
Water temperature: 68-72 degrees
Wind: SW at 2 to 11 mph
Humidity: 62 percent
Tides: (high) 9:30 a.m.; (low) 4:01 p.m.
Day’s outlook: sunshine with a mix of clouds