Throughout his young professional fishing career, Alabama angler Justin Lucas says he’s never found a spot quite like the one he’s fished the first two days of the Bassmaster Elite at Potomac River presented by Econo Lodge.
The stats back up his claims.
Lucas caught the biggest limit of the tournament for the second day in a row Friday, landing five bass that weighed 19 pounds, 14 ounces. That catch pushed his two-day mark to 40-2 and gave him a comfortable lead of nearly 6 pounds over second-place angler Brent Ehrler (34-4) as the event heads into the semifinal round Saturday.
“I’ve fished tournaments for seven years, and I’ve never had a spot like this — especially to myself,” Lucas said. “The crazy thing is that I just stumbled into it. Yesterday morning, I had no clue. Then I got a couple of 3-pound bites early that clued me in on what was happening.”
Lucas estimates the stretch is no bigger than 300 to 400 yards long. But once he hits it just right, the bites come quickly.
“I didn’t get a bite on the first half of the pass I made on it today,” he said. “So I went around and went shallower for a little bit while the tide was pushed in. The wind had the tide pushed up.
“I wasted 45 minutes doing that. But then I went back to the sweet stretch — and within an hour, it seemed like I had 15 or 16 pounds.”
As he did on Thursday when the magic spot produced 20-4, Lucas spent more time guarding the area Friday than he did fishing it. But traffic hasn’t been much of an issue.
“One other competitor came to fish something just on the other end of where I was fishing,” Lucas said. “But there were no problems at all.”
Lucas said he only spent about three hours fishing because he wanted to save some of the 3-pounders that seem to be so numerous there.
With no pressure from other boats, he believes he should easily be able to land 15 or 16 pounds from the spot the next two days.
“I hope the local guys will be respectful, but obviously they can fish where they want,” Lucas said. “I think what I’m doing is different enough and off the beaten path enough that I should be OK.”
Lucas’ limit was anchored by a 5-8 largemouth Friday. It’s an ounce shy of the tournament big-bass mark of 5-9, set on Thursday, when Lucas and Luke Clausen each weighed in bass of that size. If no one catches a bigger bass by the end of the tournament, they will share in the $1,500 Phoenix Boats Big Bass Award.
Lucas’s closest competitor is Ehrler, a fellow California native who grew up fishing tidal waters just like Lucas. Ehrler caught 17-13 on Day 1 and added 16-7 Friday to push his two-day total to 34-4.
Ehrler came into this week’s event with loads of experience on the Potomac River from his time on the FLW Tour.
“It helps having the experience here,” Ehrler said. “I’ve fished this place about as many times as I have the California Delta at home.”
Like many anglers in the field, Ehrler is targeting the Potomac’s massive grassbeds.
“I’m fishing grass for the most part — some wood, but mostly grass,” he said. “That’s what everyone’s doing here. I’m throwing moving baits in some spots and flipping in some spots.”
Instead of looking for a certain tide, Ehrler is making his decisions based on what looks right at the time.
“In certain areas, even if it’s a certain tide, it’ll be a moving bait,” Ehrler said. “In other areas, on the same tide, I’ll be flipping. I’m just changing it up a little bit.
“I really have to base it on what I see in a particular spot.”
Behind Lucas and Ehrler are Jacob Powroznik (32-12), Jason Christie (31-7), Bill Lowen (31-3) and Gerald Swindle (30-5). Swindle maintained his spot in the Top 6 with today’s catch of 14-0 and kept a comfortable lead in the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings.
The tournament will resume Saturday with only the Top 50 remaining anglers taking part in the semifinal round. The take-off will be at 6:15 a.m. ET from Smallwood State Park. But unlike the past two days when the weigh-in was also held back at the park, Saturday’s weigh-in will be at 3 p.m. at Indian Head Pavilion on the Village Green.
2016 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Toyota, GoPro, Berkley, Huk, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha
2016 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Shimano, Academy Sports + Outdoors, A.R.E. Truck Caps, Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Phoenix Boats, Power-Pole, Rapala, Shell Rotella
About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation presented by Magellan, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.
2016 Bassmaster Elite at Potomac River presented by Econo Lodge 8/11-8/14
Potomac River, Charles County MD.
Standings Day 2
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts
1. Justin Lucas Guntersville, AL 10 40-02 110
Day 1: 5 20-04 Day 2: 5 19-14
2. Brent Ehrler Newport Beach, CA 10 34-04 109
Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 5 16-07
3. Jacob Powroznik Port Haywood, VA 10 32-12 108
Day 1: 5 16-09 Day 2: 5 16-03
4. Jason Christie Park Hill, OK 10 31-07 107
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 5 15-06
5. Bill Lowen Brookville, IN 10 31-03 106
Day 1: 5 16-13 Day 2: 5 14-06
6. Gerald Swindle Guntersville, AL 10 30-05 105
Day 1: 5 16-05 Day 2: 5 14-00
7. Skeet Reese Auburn, CA 10 30-02 104
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 18-05
8. Luke Clausen Otis Orchards, WA 10 30-02 103
Day 1: 5 17-09 Day 2: 5 12-09
9. Andy Montgomery Blacksburg, SC 10 30-02 102
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 16-10
10. Jordan Lee Grant, AL 10 30-00 101
Day 1: 5 13-04 Day 2: 5 16-12
11. Koby Kreiger Bokeelia, FL 10 30-00 100
Day 1: 5 13-10 Day 2: 5 16-06
12. Keith Combs Huntington, TX 10 28-05 99
Day 1: 5 14-13 Day 2: 5 13-08
13. Bobby Lane Jr. Lakeland, FL 10 28-02 98
Day 1: 5 17-04 Day 2: 5 10-14
14. Randall Tharp Port St. Joe, FL 10 27-13 97
Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 5 13-01
15. Greg Hackney Gonzales, LA 10 27-12 96
Day 1: 5 14-07 Day 2: 5 13-05
16. Jason Williamson Wagener, SC 10 27-10 95
Day 1: 5 13-13 Day 2: 5 13-13
17. Clifford Pirch Payson, AZ 10 27-08 94
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 13-03
18. Fred Roumbanis Bixby, OK 10 27-08 93
Day 1: 5 13-08 Day 2: 5 14-00
19. Mark Davis Mount Ida, AR 10 27-01 92
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 5 12-13
20. Brett Hite Phoenix, AZ 10 26-01 91
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 5 14-13
21. Edwin Evers Talala, OK 10 26-00 90
Day 1: 5 14-05 Day 2: 5 11-11
22. Davy Hite Ninety Six, SC 10 26-00 89
Day 1: 5 12-08 Day 2: 5 13-08
23. Greg Vinson Wetumpka, AL 10 25-13 88
Day 1: 5 13-15 Day 2: 5 11-14
24. Todd Faircloth Jasper, TX 10 25-12 87
Day 1: 5 14-11 Day 2: 5 11-01
25. Keith Poche Pike Road, AL 10 25-10 86
Day 1: 5 13-02 Day 2: 5 12-08
26. Chris Zaldain Laughlin, NV 10 24-14 85
Day 1: 5 10-11 Day 2: 5 14-03
27. Chris Lane Guntersville, AL 10 24-09 84
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 12-14
28. Bradley Roy Lancaster, KY 10 24-07 83
Day 1: 5 14-02 Day 2: 5 10-05
29. Chad Grigsby Maple Grove, MN 10 24-03 82
Day 1: 5 11-11 Day 2: 5 12-08
30. Cliff Pace Petal, MS 10 24-02 81
Day 1: 5 14-03 Day 2: 5 09-15
31. Brandon Lester Fayetteville, TN 10 24-02 80
Day 1: 5 13-01 Day 2: 5 11-01
32. Steve Kennedy Auburn, AL 10 24-02 79
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 12-05
33. Fletcher Shryock New Philadelphia, OH 9 24-00 78
Day 1: 5 14-04 Day 2: 4 09-12
34. Mike McClelland Bella Vista, AR 9 24-00 77
Day 1: 4 11-04 Day 2: 5 12-12
35. Aaron Martens Leeds, AL 10 23-07 76
Day 1: 5 09-15 Day 2: 5 13-08
36. Hank Cherry Jr Maiden, NC 10 23-06 75
Day 1: 5 12-15 Day 2: 5 10-07
37. David Walker Sevierville, TN 10 23-06 74
Day 1: 5 12-03 Day 2: 5 11-03
38. Jeff Kriet Ardmore, OK 10 22-14 73
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 11-01
39. Chad Morgenthaler Reeds Spring, MO 7 22-13 72
Day 1: 2 07-12 Day 2: 5 15-01
40. Brian Snowden Reeds Spring, MO 10 22-12 71
Day 1: 5 11-06 Day 2: 5 11-06
41. Alton Jones Lorena, TX 9 22-07 70
Day 1: 4 08-12 Day 2: 5 13-11
42. Shaw Grigsby Jr. Gainesville, FL 8 22-05 69
Day 1: 5 14-12 Day 2: 3 07-09
43. Stephen Browning Hot Springs, AR 8 22-02 68
Day 1: 4 10-04 Day 2: 4 11-14
44. Tommy Biffle Wagoner, OK 10 22-00 67
Day 1: 5 11-03 Day 2: 5 10-13
45. Drew Benton Panama City, FL 8 21-14 66
Day 1: 3 07-05 Day 2: 5 14-09
46. Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, CA 6 21-10 65
Day 1: 1 02-01 Day 2: 5 19-09
47. Casey Ashley Donalds, SC 10 21-06 64
Day 1: 5 11-07 Day 2: 5 09-15
48. David Williams Newton, NC 10 20-14 63
Day 1: 5 09-11 Day 2: 5 11-03
49. Kelly Jordon Flint, TX 8 20-12 62
Day 1: 5 12-11 Day 2: 3 08-01
50. Tim Horton Muscle Shoals, AL 10 20-06 61
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 5 10-03
51. Ott DeFoe Knoxville, TN 10 20-00 60
Day 1: 5 11-13 Day 2: 5 08-03
52. Paul Mueller Naugatuck, CT 10 19-15 59
Day 1: 5 14-06 Day 2: 5 05-09
53. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, NJ 7 19-13 58
Day 1: 5 16-01 Day 2: 2 03-12
54. Gary Klein Weatherford, TX 10 19-13 57
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 5 10-05
55. Dean Rojas Lake Havasu City, AZ 10 19-07 56
Day 1: 5 10-12 Day 2: 5 08-11
56. Boyd Duckett Guntersville, AL 8 19-05 55
Day 1: 4 06-02 Day 2: 4 13-03
57. James Elam Tulsa, OK 10 19-05 54
Day 1: 5 11-14 Day 2: 5 07-07
58. Brandon Palaniuk Rathdrum, ID 8 18-12 53
Day 1: 5 10-13 Day 2: 3 07-15
59. J Todd Tucker Moultrie, GA 8 18-11 52
Day 1: 5 12-09 Day 2: 3 06-02
60. Cliff Prince Palatka, FL 9 18-11 51
Day 1: 4 07-04 Day 2: 5 11-07
61. Britt Myers Lake Wylie, SC 7 18-10 50
Day 1: 2 03-06 Day 2: 5 15-04
62. Jonathon VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 8 18-10 49
Day 1: 3 03-14 Day 2: 5 14-12
63. Brett Preuett Monroe, LA 6 18-05 48
Day 1: 1 03-12 Day 2: 5 14-09
64. Cliff Crochet Pierre Part, LA 9 18-02 47
Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 4 08-01
65. Micah Frazier Newnan, GA 7 18-00 46
Day 1: 5 10-14 Day 2: 2 07-02
66. Billy McCaghren Jr Mayflower, AR 9 17-14 45
Day 1: 5 10-03 Day 2: 4 07-11
67. Scott Rook Little Rock, AR 9 17-10 44
Day 1: 5 09-07 Day 2: 4 08-03
68. Brent Chapman Lake Quivira, KS 9 17-09 43
Day 1: 5 10-15 Day 2: 4 06-10
69. Rick Clunn Ava, MO 9 17-08 42
Day 1: 4 07-01 Day 2: 5 10-07
70. David Mullins Mt Carmel, TN 10 17-05 41
Day 1: 5 09-14 Day 2: 5 07-07
71. Mark Menendez Paducah, KY 6 17-05 40
Day 1: 3 08-07 Day 2: 3 08-14
72. Yusuke Miyazaki Forney, TX 7 17-04 39
Day 1: 4 11-01 Day 2: 3 06-03
73. Morizo Shimizu Suita, Osaka JAPAN 7 17-00 38
Day 1: 4 11-06 Day 2: 3 05-10
74. Josh Bertrand Gilbert, AZ 10 16-11 37
Day 1: 5 04-15 Day 2: 5 11-12
75. Dennis Tietje Roanoke, LA 8 16-09 36
Day 1: 5 12-04 Day 2: 3 04-05
76. Kelley Jaye Dadeville, AL 8 16-04 35
Day 1: 3 03-09 Day 2: 5 12-11
77. Fabian Rodriguez Ocean City, DE 8 16-02 34
Day 1: 5 11-08 Day 2: 3 04-10
78. Paul Elias Laurel, MS 7 15-10 33
Day 1: 2 05-05 Day 2: 5 10-05
79. Ish Monroe Hughson, CA 8 15-08 32
Day 1: 5 10-01 Day 2: 3 05-07
80. Brandon Coulter Knoxville, TN 7 15-07 31
Day 1: 4 08-11 Day 2: 3 06-12
81. Kotaro Kiriyama Moody, AL 6 15-04 30
Day 1: 5 12-10 Day 2: 1 02-10
82. Dave Lefebre Erie, PA 7 15-02 29
Day 1: 4 08-07 Day 2: 3 06-11
83. Matt Lee Guntersville, AL 6 14-12 28
Day 1: 1 03-10 Day 2: 5 11-02
84. Russ Lane Prattville, AL 6 13-12 27
Day 1: 4 08-11 Day 2: 2 05-01
85. Seth Feider Bloomington, MN 6 13-03 26
Day 1: 1 02-05 Day 2: 5 10-14
86. Casey Scanlon Rocky Mount, MO 6 13-03 25
Day 1: 3 07-12 Day 2: 3 05-07
87. James Niggemeyer Van, TX 8 12-13 24
Day 1: 5 07-15 Day 2: 3 04-14
88. Brandon Card Caryville, TN 4 12-11 23
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 4 12-11
89. Carl Jocumsen Queensland TX AUSTRALIA 6 12-09 22
Day 1: 5 11-04 Day 2: 1 01-05
90. John Crews Jr Salem, VA 8 12-03 21
Day 1: 5 07-12 Day 2: 3 04-07
91. Chad Pipkens Lansing, MI 9 12-02 20
Day 1: 5 07-11 Day 2: 4 04-07
92. Shane Lineberger Lincolnton, NC 6 11-15 19
Day 1: 2 02-13 Day 2: 4 09-02
93. Takahiro Omori Emory, TX 7 11-07 18
Day 1: 5 07-07 Day 2: 2 04-00
94. Matt Herren Ashville, AL 5 11-05 17
Day 1: 2 05-04 Day 2: 3 06-01
95. Adrian Avena Vineland, NJ 4 10-14 16
Day 1: 4 10-14 Day 2: 0 00-00
96. Randy Allen Shreveport, LA 4 09-12 15
Day 1: 3 06-12 Day 2: 1 03-00
97. Marty Robinson Lyman, SC 4 09-10 14
Day 1: 1 03-05 Day 2: 3 06-05
98. John Murray Spring City, TN 5 09-08 13
Day 1: 5 09-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
99. Kevin VanDam Kalamazoo, MI 5 08-03 12
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 5 08-03
100. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, FL 3 07-13 11
Day 1: 1 02-13 Day 2: 2 05-00
101. Brock Mosley Collinsville, MS 5 06-13 10
Day 1: 4 04-10 Day 2: 1 02-03
102. Randy Howell Guntersville, AL 2 06-08 9
Day 1: 2 06-08 Day 2: 0 00-00
103. John Hunter Jr Shelbyville, KY 4 06-03 8
Day 1: 3 04-04 Day 2: 1 01-15
104. Ken Iyobe Tokoname Aichi JAPAN 3 05-03 7
Day 1: 2 02-07 Day 2: 1 02-12
105. Clent Davis Montevallo, AL 2 04-11 6
Day 1: 2 04-11 Day 2: 0 00-00
106. Bernie Schultz Gainesville, FL 1 03-01 5
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 03-01
107. Jay Brainard Enid, OK 1 02-13 4
Day 1: 0 00-00 Day 2: 1 02-13
Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 69 440 1074-10
2 63 424 1035-15
———————————-
132 864 2110-09
By: Helen White, Bassmaster
