Wilder Widens Lead
Maryland pro catches 14-14 on tough day two
Day two of the Costa FLW Series presented by Plano was a tough day of fishing. Cory Johnston, Chris Johnston and Bryan Schmitt all usually have a pretty good handle on the Potomac – today, each of them failed to bring in a limit. Day-one leader Gregory Wilder had no problem limiting, with another five bass worth 14 pounds, 14 ounces, the Maryland pro brought his total up to 33-14 and expanded his lead to more than 2 pounds. In second, Mike Hicks hung tight with a 13-14 limit for a 31-12 total.
Top five patterns from day two
Wilder has camped out in Aquia Creek for most of the tournament. On day one he did his damage in the afternoon, though on day two, almost all of it happened in the first hour or so of fishing. His primary spot is simply a section of a grass flat that looks like any of the other on the Potomac, with some choked out areas mixed with more open stuff.
“I’ve fished there for years, and I looked at it in practice and thought it was right,” says Wilder of his primary area. “Pre-fishing was tough, yesterday was a little more than I thought was there, but I was alright with it. Pretty much anywhere on this river has a lot of potential.”
Wilder is mostly fishing with a finesse worm and a spinning rod, like he did when he made the cut in last year’s FLW Series event on the Potomac. Though he didn’t catch much in the afternoon on day two, he feels pretty good about having at least one bite window to capitalize on come Saturday.
With the river fishing so tough and the lead he has, it looks like Wilder has a very good shot at the win tomorrow. If he does, it’d be a fitting farewell to Wilder’s father George Wilder Sr., who passed away after a battle with cancer early on Friday morning.
“I should have been with the family, but I know he would have wanted me here,” says Wilder. “It took a turn fast, I contemplated not even fishing today, but he’s a fisherman, he would want me here. I’d like to be down with my family, but he was loved, and there are lots of people there. Hopefully he sends me a 6-pounder tomorrow.”
Top 10 pros
1. Gregory Wilder – Millersville, Md. – 33-14 (10)
2. Mike Hicks – Goochland, Va. – 31-12 (10)
3. Travis Manson – Conshohocken, Penn. – 31-11 (10)
4. Mike Blake – Carrollton, Ohio – 28-12 (10)
5. Ed Casey – Whiteford, Md. – 27-4 (10)
6. Joseph Wood – Westport, Mass. – 26-15 (10)
7. Bradley Staley – Pleasant Garden, N.C. – 26-15 (10)
8. Jason Kervin – Auburn, Maine – 26-9 (8)
9. William Kramer – Gaithersburg, Md. – 26-8 (10)
10. Charlie Reed Jr. – Gloucester, Va. – 26-7 (10)
Perez hangs on to the co-angler lead
Richard Perez of Naples, Fla., walloped 15-4 on day one and backed it up with 8-12 on day two to hang onto the lead on the co-angler side with 24 pounds even.
“It was a lot slower morning,” says Perez. “I didn’t get my first fish until after 10 o’clock. I was fishing basically the same way, just throwing a Senko and a topwater and picking up one here and there.”
Perez says that his biggest fish of the day came on top, and seems to be having fun despite the tough fishing.
“My first time here was in June for the FLW Tour event,” says the Florida angler. “I like fishing grass, that’s what I’m comfortable with. I’m fishing basically the same things I would down at Okeechobee.”