Wendlandt Holds Slim Lead At Prolific Potomac

By BassFan Staff

The Potomac River produced in a big way Thursday. The question remains: Can it keep it up?

Fifty-five competitors caught at least 15 pounds today and another 25 caught between 14 and 15. The top 20 after day 1 of the FLW Tour season finale is separated by just 3 pounds, evidence that the Potomac is fishing on all cylinders and teeming with 3-plus pounders. What’s more is the minimum length for a keeper today was 15 inches (per Maryland regulations, the limit will drop to 12 inches for the final three days).

While nobody was able to hit the 20-pound mark, Clark Wendlandt was more than satisfied with where his 19-11 stringer put him – in the lead as he seeks to repeat his 2015 Tour victory a few miles from the nation’s capital. He’s been fishing national-level tournaments at the Potomac since the mid-1990s and doesn’t recall a time when it was as prolific as it is now.

“It’s never been this good, never even close,” the three-time FLW Tour Angler of the Year said. “It’s had numbers before, but not the size.”

Wendlandt was among the final 10 boats to blast off this morning, as was Tom Monsoor, whose 19-06 is more than his two-day cumulative weight in four other tournaments this season and has him in 2nd place.

Kurt Dove, a former resident of the D.C. region, is 3rd with 18-14, including a 5-15 kicker that highlighted his afternoon. Australian native Carl Jocumsen bagged 18-11 and sits in 4th as he tries to finish his first FLW Tour season on a high note. Alabama’s Robert Behrle has 18-10 in 5th.

It may very well take a 15-pound daily average to earn a check this week, an astounding number compared to previous FLW Tour stops at the Potomac. When Wendlandt won two years ago in late June, the 50th-place finisher had 23-02. In 2012, 50th was 28-12.

Bryan Thrift took one more step toward securing his second career FLW Tour Angler of the Year title with a 14-09 stringer that has him in 67th place. Andy Morgan, who was 2nd in points coming in, shaved 23 points off a 77-point deficit with a 15-07 effort, which is good for 44th so far.

Here's a look at the top 10 after the first day of competition, with the deficit margin from Wendlandt indicated by red numbers in parentheses:

1. Clark Wendlandt: 19-11
2. Tom Monsoor: 19-06 (0-05)
3. Kurt Dove: 18-14 (0-13)
4. Carl Jocumsen: 18-11 (1-00)
5. Robert Behrle: 18-10 (1-01)
6. Clark Reehm: 18-02 (1-09)
7. Matt Arey: 18-01 (1-10)
8. Andy Young: 17-15 (1-12)
9. David Dudley: 17-08 (2-03)
10. Chris Johnston: 17-07 (2-04)

The pressure on some competitors will be ratcheted up Friday as they chase valuable points toward a Forrest Wood Cup berth. Many of the anglers around the projected cut line struggled today. Of the 15 anglers between 31st and 45th in points, nine of them are 90th or lower on the leaderboard, so they need to bounce back on day 2 in order to help their chances.

Capitalizing during the early-morning stages of the incoming tide was crucial for many and that window will extend deeper into the day on Friday. Much like practice, conditions were hot and muggy today, but some clouds are expected for Friday, which could benefit those throwing reaction baits.

The field will be reduced to the top 20 after day 2 and the top 10 following Saturday will compete Sunday, when the winner will be determined by highest cumulative weight.

Wendlandt Fished in a Crowd

> Day 1: 5, 19-11

Wendlandt said his affinity for the Potomac has evolved over the years. There were times early on where he couldn’t figure it out, but now he’s tuned in to the tides and how the fish behave in relation to the cyclical water fluctuations and the vegetation and other cover.

“I fish well here,” he said. “I’ve always liked it, but the first few years I was terrible here. I never caught anything. It took some time, but I just like it. It’s a good place to fish and it’s dynamic and constantly changing and I like that. I can change with it and hopefully beat someone who’s unable to.”

Unlike others, he didn’t catch the majority of his weight early on. It took him a while to settle in and when he did, the bulk of his bites came out of one area that was heavily fished by other tournament boats.

“Whether that area will hold up or not, I have no idea,” he said. “It’s not like I can say, ‘I’ll go catch them there.’ I fished all over during practice and got bites in lots of places. I’ll have to change if that’s what I have to do. If it’s too crowded and I’m not getting bit, I’ll have to move.”

He figures he caught close to 20 keepers and did fish around some water that helped him win two years ago, but he thinks it’s too early to tell if he’s around the winning fish.

2nd: Finally, A Good Day for Monsoor

> Day 1: 5, 19-06

For once this season, things finally went Monsoor’s way today and he thinks he can make it happen again tomorrow at the Potomac. It’s been a miserable season for the native of La Crosse, Wis. He’s carded four triple-digits finishes and nothing better than 65th, so this is last shot to snap out of the funk.

“After the year I’ve been having, I’m real surprised,” he said as he tied up a few new jigs for Friday’s action. “I’ve been having the best practices of my life and the worst tournaments. Everywhere we’ve gone, I’ve been terrible. Today, they actually bit like they do in practice. That’s a first this year.”

He had all of his weight by mid-afternoon and he considered checking in early. The key today was keeping things simple, he said.

“Figuring out the tide and what to do (were key),” he added. “I think this is really the first year I’ve figured it out. It’s so simple it’s ridiculous, which is why I’m keeping it to myself.

“I’m sure there are spots where the tide going in or out makes a big difference, like a small point or something like that, but I’m not doing that.”

He caught a limit within his first hour on the water, including three 3-plus pounders, and tacked on upgrades from there.

“It went to heck for a while,” he said. “I went to three spots and the third spot I went to was to see if I could catch a big fish. My co-angler caught one and I caught two to get rid of my little ones.”

He’s not sure if the same areas will produce again tomorrow. He said it was just nice to have some success when it counted.

“I have no idea. I’ll see tomorrow. Just going fishing and having fun,” he added. “Finally getting them to bite during the tournament is really fun.”

3rd: Dove Fished Clean

> Day 1: 5, 18-14

Dove has had good starts to tournaments before, but he knows he needs to keep up his current pace to keep his name near the top of the leaderboard.

“I’ve led (an Elite Series) before at Amistad and it doesn’t feel a lot different here,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for 10 years and it was just one great fishing day. I’ve had a lot of those. It just so happened that day 1 of the Potomac River was a good fishing day. Tomorrow, I anticipate another good day and hope it turns great.”

He fished clean today and sorted through 10 keepers under the 15-inch guidelines. He expects his keeper count to increase greatly tomorrow with the relaxed size restriction.

“It’ll be pretty much the same stuff,” he said, “It’ll only be a 15-minute change in the tide. It’s not rocket science here. When I got to my first area today, they weren’t biting. It took a little more than an hour to put one in the boat and my first limit was around 13 pounds.”

He already had roughly 15 pounds this afternoon when he flipped a Strike King DB Craw rigged on a 5/0 Hayabusa FPP straight hook into some grass and pulled out a 5-15 kicker that allowed him to cull a 2 1/2-pounder.

“That was the biggest fish I’ve caught all week and that’s what put me over the top,” he said. “I expected to have in the 14- to 16-pound range and knew a big one would put me in that 17 or 18 range. It was an area where I felt like I could catch a big one.”

He also threw some topwater baits and vibrating jig depending on his surroundings.

“I went through five areas and two main areas I knew would produce well,” he said.

He said one was up north that he targeted in the morning on the low incoming tide. Later in the day, he headed south to catch the outgoing tide.

“I was able to capitalize on the two feeding periods,” he said. “When the tide was high, things slowed way down.”

4th: Stability Key For Jocumsen

> Day 1: 5, 18-11

Jocumsen came into the tournament with a bit of confidence. He learned what not to do from his experience at the Potomac River Elite Series last August and started to get dialed in during practice this week.

His game plan fell into place today and he had a 16-pound bag by 8:30 this morning, which allowed him to fish with an open mind the rest of the day.

“I made one other move to an area that I didn’t really want to touch, but I wanted to check,” he said. “I made one cast and caught a 5 and called it good. I had one of those days. I was relaxed and tried to get my co-angler some fish. I upgraded one other time and caught other keepers off random places.”

He said the weather staying mostly stable and consistent this week could be a key to his success. He’s struggled at events where there’s a drastic swing in conditions between practice and competition.

“My weakness is those drastic changes,” he said. “I’m not adjusting quick enough when those changes happen. The weather has stayed steady and at the Harris Chain (16th place), it was the same thing.”

He tallied close to 20 keepers and culled three times. His big fish were a 5-pounder and one in the 4 1/2-pound range. Most of his damage was done with a spinning rod in hand.

“I never got on moving baits in practice,” he said. “Caught most of them on spinning gear fishing slow. My key upgrades were on a ChatterBait. I wasn’t expecting it, but the conditions were right and I got those two bites.”

5th: Behrle Played Defense

> Day 1: 5, 18-10

Behrle had initially planned to hit a few spots throughout the day, but opted to camp in one area after catching a good limit this morning. It was more of a defensive move, he said, as another competitor was fishing around the perimeter of the area most of the day.

“When the tide got right, it was on for like five or six casts in a row,” he said. “My biggest fear was I had a guy circling me like a buzzard all day. I didn’t move all day. I went from 7:30 on and never moved 20 yards.

“There were some other guys there, but they’d go on, but he kept circling the wagons. Hoping he leaves me alone tomorrow. I’m going to talk to him and maybe I’ll key him on the color and maybe he’ll go catch ‘em somewhere else.”

He said he quit fishing around 10:30 and “played defense” the rest of the day. He figures he threw back the equivalent of a 16- or 17-pound bag through the course of culling and catching fish that didn’t help him. He had one dead fish, which cost him 4 ounces.

“I’m just fishing real slow right on the bottom,” he said. “So slow that when they hit they just about rip the rod out of my hand.”

6th: Morning Productive for Reehm

> Day 1: 5, 18-02

Clark Reehm doesn’t fancy himself as a tidal-water expert. He’s more at home on the grass lakes of east Texas, but he’s grown fond of a spot he found in practice that kicked out some key fish today.

“I had an awful practice and found one little spot,” he said. “When you look at the big picture, after three days of being out there, that’s all I got. Knowing this is a four-day deal I’ll have to manage it. I’m not familiar with the tides here and I’m not sure if it’ll reload. The beauty is I have nobody fishing around me.”

He said the early morning was when most of his bites happened, but he picked up on something later in the day that he hopes to employ tomorrow when the action slows.

“When I first got there, I caught them pretty quick,” he said. “On tidal water, you learn about it as you go. My co-angler caught one today that tipped me off on what to try tomorrow during the rising tide, so I think I have it figured out for low tide and high rising tide.”

126th: McMillan Foiled By Flipping

> Day 1: 5, 11-09

Brandon McMillan knew his bag wasn’t going to put him anywhere near the lead or close to the top 20 for that matter. What he didn’t expect was to be in the 120s after catching 11 1/2 pounds.

“I knew it wasn’t going to be good, but I didn’t figure I’d be where I’m at,” said the Floridian, who came into the event 29th in points. “I thought I’d be in the 80s and just need to catch a 4-pounder tomorrow and I’d be good.”

This is his first tournament at the Potomac and he figured it would play to his strength, which is flipping grass and mats. He flipped for several hours this morning and never got a bite. After changing techniques, he went back to flipping later in the day, but only managed three bites.

“I know two weren’t even keepers,” he said. “I went and did what I thought I needed to do to get to the Cup.”

He thinks 16 pounds Friday should help him gain enough spots in the standings to preserve his Cup berth.

“I don’t know if this place can shovel them out again like it did today,” he added. “It seems like it’s just as easy to catch 10 as it is to catch 17 this week. My gut tells me if I catch 15 to 16, I’ll be able to make the Cup. I think there'll be a lot of flip-flopping tomorrow. I’m just thankful I don’t have to check in until 5 o’clock.”

Notable

> Day 1 stats – 161 anglers, 135 limits, 10 fours, 9 threes, 4 twos, 2 ones, 1 zero.

> Mississippi River FLW Tour winner Bryan Schmitt, a favorite to do well this week, is 29th after catching 16-02.

Weather Forecast

> Fri., June 16 – Mostly Cloudy – 82°/69°
- Wind: Light and variable

> Sat., June 17 – Thunderstorms Likely – 84°/71°
- Wind: From the SSE at 5 to 10 mph

> Sun., June 18 – Partly Cloudy – 89°/73°
- Wind: From the SSW at 10 to 20 mph

Day 1 Standings

1. Clark Wendlandt -- Leander, Tx -- 19-11 (5)

2. Tom Monsoor -- La Crosse, Wi -- 19-6 (5)

3. Kurt Dove -- Del Rio, Tx -- 18-14 (5) -- $500

4. Carl Jocumsen -- Frisco, Tx -- 18-11 (5)

5. Robert Behrle -- Hoover, Al -- 18-10 (5)

6. Clark Reehm -- Huntington, Tx -- 18-2 (5)

7. Matt Arey -- Shelby, NC -- 18-1 (5)

8. Andy Young -- Mound, Mn -- 17-15 (5)

9. David Dudley -- Lynchburg, Va -- 17-8 (5)

10. Chris Johnston -- Peterborough, On -- 17-7 (5)

11. Jim Jones -- Big Bend, Wi -- 17-6 (5)

12. Grae Buck -- Harleysville, Pa -- 17-5 (5)

13. Cody Bird -- Granbury, Tx -- 17-2 (5)

14. Justin Atkins -- Florence, Al -- 17-1 (5)

15. Jason Johnson -- Gainesville, Ga -- 17-1 (5)

16. Scott Suggs -- Alexander, Ar -- 17-1 (5)

17. Chad Warren -- Sand Springs, Ok -- 17-0 (5)

18. Shinichi Fukae -- Palestine, Tx -- 16-15 (5)

19. Todd Auten -- Lake Wylie, SC -- 16-12 (5)

20. Michael Neal -- Dayton, Tn -- 16-11 (5)

21. Jay Kendrick -- Grant, Al -- 16-7 (5)

22. John Voyles -- Petersburg, In -- 16-7 (5)

23. Cory Johnston -- Cavan, On -- 16-7 (5)

24. Shane Lehew -- Catawba, NC -- 16-6 (5)

25. Mike Surman -- Boca Raton, Fl -- 16-6 (5)

26. Clayton Batts -- Macon, Ga -- 16-5 (5)

27. Rusty Trancygier -- Hahira, Ga -- 16-3 (5)

28. Bryan Schmitt -- Deale, Md -- 16-2 (5)

29. William(Billy) Shelton Iii -- La Crosse, Va -- 16-1 (5)

30. Brandon Cobb -- Greenwood, SC -- 16-1 (5)

31. Chris Neau -- New Orleans, La -- 16-0 (5)

32. Keith Bryan -- Novato, Ca -- 15-15 (5)

33. Rex Huff -- Corbin, Ky -- 15-14 (5)

34. Anthony Gagliardi -- Prosperity, SC -- 15-14 (5)

35. Joseph Webster -- Fulton, Ms -- 15-14 (5)

36. Andrew Upshaw -- Tulsa, Ok -- 15-14 (5)

37. Dean Alexander -- Georgetown, Tx -- 15-13 (5)

38. James Watson -- Lampe, Mo -- 15-11 (5)

39. Stephen Patek -- Garland, Tx -- 15-10 (5)

40. Cody Meyer -- Auburn, Ca -- 15-10 (5)

41. Johnny McCombs -- Morris, Al -- 15-9 (5)

42. Curtis Richardson -- Belleville, On -- 15-9 (5)

43. Timmy Thompkins -- Myrtle Beach, SC -- 15-8 (5)

44. Andy Morgan -- Dayton, Tn -- 15-7 (5)

45. Barry Wilson -- Birmingham, Al -- 15-6 (5)

46. Rob Kilby -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 15-6 (5)

47. Todd Hollowell -- Fishers, In -- 15-6 (5)

48. Jason Meninger -- Gainesville, Ga -- 15-6 (5)

49. Randy Blaukat -- Joplin, Mo -- 15-5 (5)

50. Bill Hutchison -- Bessemer, Al -- 15-4 (5)

51. Jeff Sprague -- Point, Tx -- 15-3 (5)

52. Eric Jackson -- Walling, Tn -- 15-3 (5)

53. Christopher Brasher -- Longview, Tx -- 15-2 (5)

54. Joe Holland -- Jefferson, Me -- 15-2 (5)

55. Ramie Colson Jr -- Cadiz, Ky -- 15-1 (5)

56. Chris Whitson -- Louisville, Tn -- 14-15 (5)

57. Wesley Strader -- Spring City, Tn -- 14-14 (5)

58. Zack Birge -- Blanchard, Ok -- 14-14 (5)

59. Pete Ponds -- Madison, Ms -- 14-12 (5)

60. Alex Davis -- Albertville, Al -- 14-12 (5)

61. Scott Martin -- Clewiston, Fl -- 14-11 (5)

62. Bradley Hallman -- Norman, Ok -- 14-11 (5)

63. Bill Smith Jr -- Burlington, Ky -- 14-11 (5)

64. Jeff Cannon -- Douglasville, Ga -- 14-11 (5)

65. Bill Day -- Frankfort, Ky -- 14-10 (5)

66. Dylan Hays -- Sheridan, Ar -- 14-10 (5)

67. Jim Dillard -- West Monroe, La -- 14-9 (5)

68. Bryan Thrift -- Shelby, NC -- 14-9 (5)

69. Alvin Shaw -- Roaring Gap, NC -- 14-9 (5)

70. Mark Fisher -- Wauconda, Il -- 14-8 (4)

71. Jamie Horton -- Centerville, Al -- 14-6 (5)

72. Kyle Weisenburger -- Ottawa, Oh -- 14-6 (5)

73. Jeremy Lawyer -- Sarcoxie, Mo -- 14-5 (5)

74. Jt Kenney -- Palm Bay, Fl -- 14-4 (5)

75. Bill McDonald -- Greenwood, In -- 14-2 (5)

76. Brian Latimer -- Belton, SC -- 14-2 (5)

77. Brandon Medlock -- Lake Placid, Fl -- 14-1 (5)

78. Jim Tutt -- Longview, Tx -- 14-1 (5)

79. Matt Greenblatt -- Port St Lucie, Fl -- 14-1 (5)

80. Peter Cherkas -- Des Moines, Ia -- 14-1 (5)

81. Jordan Osborne -- Longview, Tx -- 14-0 (5)

82. Lendell Martin Jr -- Nacogdoches, Tx -- 13-14 (5)

83. Matt Wittekiend -- Angleton, Tx -- 13-13 (5)

84. Tom Redington -- Royse City, Tx -- 13-11 (5)

85. Troy Morrow -- Eastanollee, Ga -- 13-11 (5)

86. Brandon Mosley -- Choctaw, Ok -- 13-10 (5)

87. Matt Reed -- Madisonville, Tx -- 13-9 (5)

88. Billy Hines -- Vacaville, Ca -- 13-9 (5)

89. Tim Frederick -- Leesburg, Fl -- 13-8 (5)

90. Jason Lambert -- Michie, Tn -- 13-8 (5)

91. Jason Abram -- Piney Flats, Tn -- 13-7 (5)

92. Cody Kelley -- Conway, Ar -- 13-7 (5)

93. Bradley Dortch -- Atmore, Al -- 13-7 (5)

94. Drew Montgomery -- Maiden, NC -- 13-5 (5)

95. Joey Cifuentes -- Clinton, Ar -- 13-5 (5)

96. Jimmy Reese -- Witter Springs, Ca -- 13-5 (5)

97. Austin Felix -- Eden Prairie, Mn -- 13-3 (5)

98. Daniel Kweekul -- Bryant, Ar -- 13-3 (5)

99. Evan Barnes -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 13-3 (5)

100. Luke Dunkin -- Lawrenceburg, Tn -- 13-2 (5)

101. Buddy Gross -- Chickamauga, Ga -- 13-2 (5)

102. Nick Gainey -- Charleston, SC -- 13-1 (5)

103. John Cox -- Debary, Fl -- 13-0 (5)

104. Billy McCaghren -- Mayflower, Ar -- 12-14 (5)

105. Zell Rowland -- Montgomery, Tx -- 12-13 (5)

106. Jeff Gustafson -- Keewatin, On -- 12-13 (5)

107. Jonathan Henry -- Grant, Al -- 12-13 (5)

108. Jeff Dobson -- Bartlesville, Ok -- 12-11 (5)

109. Jay Yelas -- Lincoln City, Or -- 12-9 (4)

110. Shawn Murphy -- Nicholasville, Ky -- 12-8 (5)

111. Scott Ashmore -- Broken Arrow, Ok -- 12-7 (5)

112. Chase Brooks -- Iraan, Tx -- 12-7 (5)

113. Tim McDonald -- Prestonsburg, Ky -- 12-7 (5)

114. Larry Nixon -- Bee Branch, Ar -- 12-6 (5)

115. Matthew Stefan -- Junction City, Wi -- 12-6 (5)

116. Dan Morehead -- Paducah, Ky -- 12-5 (5)

117. Darrel Robertson -- Jay, Ok -- 12-5 (5)

118. Wade Curtiss -- Meadow Vista, Ca -- 12-4 (5)

119. John Devere -- Berea, Ky -- 12-4 (5)

120. Chris McCall -- Palmer, Tx -- 12-3 (5)

121. Jason Reyes -- Huffman, Tx -- 12-1 (5)

122. Mark Rose -- West Memphis, Ar -- 11-15 (5)

123. Josh Douglas -- Isle, Mn -- 11-14 (5)

124. Terry Bolton -- Paducah, Ky -- 11-14 (5)

125. Kerry Milner -- Bono, Ar -- 11-11 (5)

126. Brandon McMillan -- Clewiston, Fl -- 11-9 (5)

127. Jimmy Houston -- Cookson, Ok -- 11-8 (5)

128. David Smith -- Del City, Ok -- 11-7 (5)

129. Powell Kemp -- Scotland Neck, NC -- 11-6 (4)

130. Charlie Evans -- Berea, Ky -- 11-6 (5)

131. Ron Farrow -- Rock Hill, SC -- 11-6 (4)

132. Capt Blake Smith -- Lakeland, Fl -- 11-2 (5)

133. Aaron Britt -- Yuba City, Ca -- 11-1 (5)

134. Joshua Weaver -- Macon, Ga -- 11-1 (5)

135. Richard Lowitzki -- Hampshire, Il -- 11-0 (5)

136. Chris Gosselaar -- Fresno, Ca -- 10-13 (5)

137. Scott Wiley -- Bay Minette, Al -- 10-12 (5)

138. Scott Canterbury -- Odenville, Al -- 10-11 (4)

139. Jamey Caldwell -- Carthage, NC -- 10-9 (4)

140. Kurt Mitchell -- Milford, De -- 10-4 (5)

141. Derrick Blake -- Rockwood, Tn -- 10-1 (4)

142. Gary Yamamoto -- Palestine, Tx -- 10-0 (3)

143. Chad Randles -- Elkhorn, Ne -- 10-0 (5)

144. Brad Knight -- Lancing, Tn -- 9-13 (4)

145. Greg Bohannan -- Bentonville, Ar -- 8-14 (4)

146. Jim Moynagh -- Carver, Mn -- 8-12 (3)

147. Jimmy Brewer -- Marshall, Tx -- 8-7 (3)

148. Michael Wooley -- Collierville, Tn -- 8-6 (3)

149. Peter Thliveros -- Saint Augustine, Fl -- 8-6 (4)

150. Tracy Adams -- Wilkesboro, NC -- 8-5 (3)

151. Robert Pearson -- Herndon, Va -- 8-4 (3)

152. Casey Scanlon -- Lake Ozark, Mo -- 8-1 (3)

153. Kyle Cortiana -- Broken Arrow, Ok -- 7-14 (3)

154. Rodney Thomason -- Little Rock, Ar -- 6-15 (3)

155. Bob Morin -- Seymour, Tn -- 5-1 (2)

156. Braxton Setzer -- Montgomery, Al -- 4-15 (2)

157. Blake Nick -- Trussville, Al -- 4-15 (2)

158. Harry Moore -- Valley, Al -- 4-5 (2)

159. Daryl Biron -- South Windsor, Ct -- 2-11 (1)

160. Michael McCoy -- Mentor On The Lake, Oh -- 2-5 (1)

161. Jim Moulton -- Merced, Ca -- 0-0 (0)