MARBURY, Md. – The Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Northern Division season begins on the Potomac River in late June pretty often; in fact, that’s been the case four times since 2014. A very important river from a historical perspective, the Potomac is also an interesting tournament location, and over the years, it has seen big wins come in all sorts of different ways. Generally speaking, the grass is a key player, but anglers can catch fish in creeks, on hard cover, in pads and through a lot of the river, from about Potomac Creek or the 301 bridge up into Washington, D.C.
This week, there are some complicating factors to the fishing; it’s not likely to be a smashfest. But there are still 140 pros and co-anglers ready to let it rip, and you can be sure that this field will show what the river is capable of producing.
The news and the grass
At one point this winter, some anglers expected this event to be rescheduled, because in January, a 6-foot wide interceptor pipe, owned and operated by DC Water, collapsed in Montgomery County, Maryland, releasing an estimated 243 million gallons of untreated sewage directly into the Potomac River. It was one of the worst sewage spills in U.S. history and resulted in a number of closures and recreational recommendations downstream. However, by all accounts, the fish are fine now, anglers who spend time on the Potomac are feeling no ill effects, and the water sampling DC Water continues to do is not showing E. Coli levels that are out of line with history on the river.
When folks started fishing the river this spring, Byran Schmitt said that all was well.
“It was like nothing ever happened – guys were fishing, and there were fish biting,” he said.
However, whether due to contamination or a very harsh winter or something else entirely, the grass in the Potomac took its time growing.
“The gist is, a month ago, mid- to late May and through March and April, there was the least grass there’s ever been on the Potomac in my time,” said Schimtt, who has seen a thing or two on the river. “It was bare bone, most of the river. Now, lately, you’re getting hydrilla, eelgrass and coontail growth that is coming up like wildfire. But it hasn’t been there. I think when it’s not there all spring, the fish don’t flood into it as they would if it was there straight out of the spring.”
Matt McCluskey, a Virginia pro, essentially reported the same thing – the grass isn’t what you’d expect in June.
“There’s a decent amount of grass – it hasn’t really topped anywhere, but if you get in the right area, there’s a lot of it,” he said. “There’s not a lot of milfoil this year, almost no milfoil – it’s growing late. The main river and some of the creeks are really dirty – there’s not much of the main river that is clean. It’s definitely not as good grass fishing as it normally is this time of year. It’s very isolated, and there are a lot of boats fishing around each other.”
The lack of expected grass has definitely changed the dynamic of the fishery for now. Which could make it a more interesting tournament.
What to expect
According to Schmitt, who has won four Toyota Series events on the Potomac, there’s no sure-fire best strategy. Typically, there is one, and he’s running it. Instead, the late-blooming grass has the bass as confused as he is.
“I think the fish changed their whole dynamic,” he said. “It spread them out. There were fish on hard cover, pad stems, all over. Now, there’s grass everywhere, but the fish are in it a little bit, not like they should be. I’m sure there’s a goldmine in the grass somewhere, but not like they should be.”
McCluskey agrees, but he still thinks the grass could be the best play.
“It’s pretty tough right now,” he said. “There are plenty of fish biting; it just seems like it is like finding a needle in a haystack now. There’s a lot of dead water and a bunch of different stuff happening. Docks always play, duck blinds play, but I think with the water being dirty, it’s going to fish really small with that stuff. I think the best thing right now is to camp in a grass bed and fish through the tides.”
On the subject of tides, they could hardly be more perfect this week – low tide is going to be around midday every day of the event. So, pros will get to fish through outgoing, and then some incoming tide. Almost any local you ask will tell you tidal conditions couldn’t be better for the tournament, and that it’s up to them to make the most of them.
Given that, and the month, you might expect a slammer event – it took 53 pounds to win in June of ’24, and 52 pounds to win in ’22.
“I think it’s going to be similar to what it was last year in September – 15 pounds a day is going to get you right there,” McCluskey said. “I think somebody will catch a big bag one day, but it could be hard to replicate that.”
Schmitt, who won that event with 44-15, agrees wholeheartedly.
“I think a little over 15 pounds a day is going to win,” Schmitt said. “The weights are down, but dude, there have been some random 5 1/2- and 6-pounders caught. If a guy who knows how to catch 15 a day gets one of those, it’s done. But, I don’t know a way to say you could get those. I think it’s going to fall out of the sky.”
So, stand by for a tight event and another interesting chapter in the book on the Potomac. We’ve got some new baits that imitate the craziest crabs ever this year, a new twist on the grass, and a field with a number of legitimate tidal stars in it. If you’re locked in on this one, it could be a good time.
Follow along
Takeoff and weigh-in are free and open to the public daily at Smallwood State Park at 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. ET. This event is hosted by the Charles County Government, Dept. of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism. You can follow along with all the coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.