Potomac River Day 2 Coverage
Time is running out to make the top-20 cut
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2:00 p.m.: One hour remains until weigh-in. Who will make it into the top 20?
Time is running out to make the top-20 cut, and for pros to make their final bid for a Forrest Wood Cup berth. Today, we'll crown a co-angler champion, Co-angler of the Year, Rookie of the Year and possibly Angler of the Year. You'd better log on to FLWFishing.com at 3 p.m. ET to watch FLW Live and see who takes home the hardware.
1:30 p.m.: Where are all the kickers?
Right now, it's a race to find a kicker bite for about 40 pros who have a legitimate shot at making the Buck Knives top-20 cut. Yesterday, 41 pros landed at least 12 pounds, meaning 40 pros were within 4 pounds, 12 ounces of Adrian Avena's lead. One big bite this afternoon could be worth $10,000, or a top-20 cut, or a Forrest Wood Cup qualification.
There's been no change in weight for Bryan Schmitt or Avena since the last post. Ditto for the AOY leaders. This one is going to come down to the wire.
12:25 p.m.: Bryan Schmitt is back in the game, AOY race tightens
Apparently Bryan Schmitt found himself an incoming tide pattern, because shortly before noon he started sacking up better fish, including a 3 1/2-pounder. He has about 12 pounds right now. Adrian Avena has closer to 13, so his lead is safe for now.
On the AOY front, Scott Martin has 11 to 12 pounds. John Cox has about 10. It's too hard to predict their finishes because of the cluster of pros in the 9- to 11-pound range, but unless one of them upgrades this finish is going to be incredibly close.
10:52 a.m.: Avena still in the lead
So far, no one has put together a real threat to catch Avena. Larry Nixon has about 12 pounds, and he was in 14th coming into today with 13-12. He could make a move, but it won't be enough to catch Avena unless he adds a couple of toads.
Bryan Schmitt, who's in third, is still hunting and pecking for a limit. He only has four fish.
There's some very muddy water in the backs of many creeks. That's caused quite a few pros to change up their game plans today. Now, the weather is wonderful. A light breeze has begun to blow around Smallwood State Park, and the sun is shining bright. It's going to be a great afternoon for a weigh-in, plus we might crown an AOY champion.
Scott Martin somehow managed to elude our OTW reporters this morning. We're trying to find him for an update. For now, we know that John Cox has about 10 pounds in the livewell. He probably needs to improve by about 3 or 4 pounds to make the top-20 cut, which would put his point total out of reach of Martin and give Cox the title.
9:40 a.m.: Avena is on the move, and the action has reached a minor lull
It's not clear why exactly, but the action has begun to slow on the Potomac. Perhaps the low tide has arrived in some of the areas where our top pros are fishing. If that's the case, it should pick up soon once the tide begins to rise.
Adrian Avena is on the move now. Not only is he running the tide, but he's also trying to find water that isn't blown out and muddy. Last night's rain might have done a number on a lot of the creeks and tributaries of the Potomac.
8:35 a.m.: Avena, Schmitt and Morrow are heating up
Adrian Avena has his limit now. It'll weigh about 10 1/2 pounds. That's not enough yet, but his bites have come pretty consistently.
Bryan Schmitt has four keepers. He finally got into an area where the tide was right and landed a pair of 2-pounders on back-to-back casts.
Troy Morrow is also on a good bite. The Georgia pro already has his kicker. Our OTW reporter didn't get a great look at it but thinks the fish will weigh between 4 and 5 pounds.
8:15 a.m.: Schmitt hunting his tide while Avena increases his lead
Adrian Avena's hot start has continued. He has three keepers now, including a 3-pounder. His total is only about 7 pounds, but he's putting some space between himself and Bryan Schmitt. The latter continues to wait out the tides. It's still falling, and now is about the time that Schmitt thought it would get "right" in his area.
Schmitt started the day in a creek but is now out on the main river. He has one keeper so far.
7:45 a.m.: Avena caught a 3-pounder at his first spot
It didn't take tournament leader Adrian Avena very long to get going this morning. He landed a 3-pounder on his first spot, then followed shortly thereafter with a 2 1/2. That takes a little pressure off. Yesterday Avena ran the tides in the morning, so he should have an extra hour of outgoing tide to work with today.
7:00 a.m.: Pros dealing with more changing conditions
Adrian Avena, who leads the Walmart FLW Tour event presented by Ranger Boats on the Potomac River after one day, said this morning that he didn't know if he would even be able to fish his starting area. The reason: rain. Last night, Mother Nature cut loose with a wicked downpour that lasted about an hour. Avena suspects that his starting spot will be blown out as a result of the runoff, and there are probably plenty of other pros who'll be dealing with the same issue.
The constantly changing conditions and the fluctuating nature of a tidal fishery in general will make this a challenging day for pros who need a strong finish to make the Forrest Wood Cup. It's also a perfect proving ground for the handful of anglers dueling it out for the AOY title.
Scott Martin is the unofficial leader right now. Can you hold off John Cox? Or will Bryan Thrift race back to reclaim his lead? We might have an answer this afternoon.