Up and down the water will rise, and with it will go the hopes and chances of Costa FLW Series anglers later this week when the Northern Division kicks off on the tidewater system of the Potomac River. The tournament, which is June 16-18, is presented by Plano and hosted by the Charles County Board of Commissioners.
Shallow patterns around various grasses and other types of cover will likely dominate the event, but as usual, the tides will dictate anglers’ strategies. Do you match the rise and fall and “run the tides” or camp in an area and adjust with the changes?
One angler who understand the demands of tidal fishing better than most is Bryan Schmitt of Deal, Md. Schmitt has 18 top-10 finishes on the Potomac in FLW competition.
“The Potomac is fishing phenomenally right now,” Schmitt says. “It’s getting back to old form when we saw 15- or 16-pound limits on a daily basis. We’re seeing a lot of anglers needing five bass worth 20 pounds to win some recent local tournaments. It’s a great time to be fishing this river.
“I see areas on the south end near Aquia Creek being a big factor in this event,” he continues. “There’s a lot of man-made riprap and rocky shorelines to tackle. Vibrating jigs, swim jigs and red-colored worms will be popular baits. The grass is a lot thicker than it has been in years, so I think we’ll see a strong frog and jig bite as well.”
Schmitt believes that boat docks could also produce some quality limits for competitors.
“There are so many different options for anglers to catch fish out there,” he says. “The bass will primarily be postspawn, which means they’ll be actively feeding. It’s going to be exciting.”
Schmitt predicts that a three-day catch weighing 50 pounds will win the tournament.
Anglers will take off from Smallwood State Park located at 2750 Sweden Point Road in Marbury at 6:30 a.m. ET each day. Weigh-ins will be held at Smallwood State Park beginning at 2:30 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
Pros will fish for a top award of $40,000 plus a Ranger Z518C with a 200-hp Evinrude or Mercury outboard if Ranger Cup guidelines are met. Co-anglers will cast for a top award of a Ranger Z175 with a 90-hp Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $5,000 if Ranger Cup guidelines are met.
The entire field fishes for two days. Based on cumulative two-day weights, the top 10 pros and co-anglers qualify to fish the final day. Heaviest three-day cumulative weight wins.
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