Nelson Leads Way Into Championship Round

Saturday, June 28, 2025

Photo: MLF/Phoenix Moore

Ron Nelson caught 28 scorable fish in the Knockout Round at the Potomac River, but said he wasn't really in lockstep with the fishery.

By MLF Communications Staff

CHARLES COUNTY, Md. – There are few secrets on a fishery as well known as the Potomac River, and yet, that doesn’t mean it won’t cause pros to scratch their heads now and again.

Take the Knockout Round of the MLF Bass Pro Tour event on Saturday. The leader, Ron Nelson of Berrien Springs, Mich., admits he never got into a good rhythm with the tides. Tennessee's Ott DeFoe was able to light up ScoreTracker the first period with more weight than he had all the day before combined. And Casey Ashley went from catching 35 fish and contending for the lead on Friday to a mere 11 Saturday and missing the cut.

Like the fishery’s infamous tides, it was a day of rising and falling across the board.

While leading Saturday may make it seem like Nelson is in control – he did catch 28 scorable bass weighing 58 pounds, 15 ounces – he admits he was anything but for most of it.

“Really kinda surprised about the whole day, the whole week, really,” Nelson admitted. “I love fishing here, but it’s been a different Potomac for me than usual. I just haven’t gotten into a rhythm. Today, I fished all new water, running up and down the river trying to fish the tides. Fishing all different types of cover. It wasn’t until I switched baits that things clicked a little.”

After a solid first period, Nelson made the switch to a swim jig to start Period 2, which changed everything.

“The tide changed and I picked up that swim jig, and they just went to snapping,” Nelson said. “I went on a little flurry. I had a goal to catch 10 fish a period, and I had nine after the first period. I must’ve caught seven or eight in that flurry.”

A similar flurry near lines-out – admittedly while he was practicing and trying to eliminate water for Sunday – ultimately placed him in the top spot. But to say he’s still seeking something better is an understatement.

“I usually am able to locate a big group of fish, but I’ve not been able to do that this time yet,” Nelson said. “So, I’m grateful to make it to the Championship round, but I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. It could be horrendous or lights out.”

DeFoe knew all along that he had a good amount of fish in his mid-river area. His 32-fish, second-place showing the first day of the Qualifying Round proving solid evidence.

However, he was also sharing his area with the likes of Keith Carson and a few others. That’s pretty typical on the Potomac, but it still made him second-guess himself on Friday and not fish it first thing, causing him to struggle.

He wasn’t about to make that mistake twice.

“Yesterday was just terrible for me,” DeFoe said. “So, today I started where I caught most my fish the first day, and that was definitely the right call with 30-something pounds the first period today.”

What was even better for DeFoe was he did all his damage in the first period with a high tide, which usually is anglers’ Achilles' heels. And considering the tide looks to be “getting worse” tomorrow (i.e. staying at high tide longer), DeFoe still has plenty of confidence he’ll make a run at the win.

Meanwhile, that tide news is only going to make Carson sweat more than he did today.

While DeFoe and Carson are fishing near one another – with DeFoe commenting how incredible the amount of fish the two have pulled from the area is – Carson is relying heavily on a low tide to pull fish from cover to the channels. That didn’t happen until near the end of the third period Saturday, which just so happens to be when he made a massive run to grab the final spot in the Championship Round.

“It’s all about the tide,” Carson said. “I just kind of wait, because I know the last hour I’ll catch the most fish, but it’s so stressful. It’s terrible. The whole time I’m thinking I’m not going to make it, and then suddenly I’m in.”

Adrian Avena won Saturday’s Berkley Big Bass Award, boating a 4--5 largemouth in Period 2. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day.

The final 10 anglers will launch at 7:15 a.m. ET Sunday from Smallwood State Park, located at 2750 Sweden Point Road in Marbury. The takeout will be held at the same location beginning at 3:45 p.m.

The MLFNOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. MLFNOW! is livestreamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.

The tournament features anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the Bass Pro Tour visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.

Knockout Round

(Figure at far right indicates weight of angler's heaviest fish for the day)

1. Ron Nelson -- 58-15 (28) -- 3-14

2. Ott DeFoe -- 54-03 (24) -- 3-05

3. Keith Poche -- 53-06 (24) -- 3-15

4. Cole Floyd -- 51-15 (24) -- 3-06

5. James Elam -- 46-05 (20) -- 3-11

6. Spencer Shuffield -- 43-04 (21) -- 3-03

7. Adrian Avena -- 43-00 (17) -- 4-05

8. Bradley Roy -- 41-14 (20) -- 3-00

9. Keith Carson -- 40-14 (16) -- 3-09

The following anglers did not make the cut and will not advance to the Championship Round