It was shakeup day once again at the Potomac FLW Tour Open in Maryland. Day-3 leader Bobby Lane came in light with 14-06, while Mike Iaconelli scaled 18 pounds even and moved into the lead.
Lane's light sack actually dropped him to 3rd, because Luke Clausen, who began the day in 4th, bagged 18-07 and moved into 2nd. Clausen's rise thus continues:
The former Bassmaster Classic and Forrest Wood Cup champ rose 13 spots yesterday.
Interestingly, Clausen's fishing right next to Bryan Schmitt, a BFL angler from Deale, Md., who won last year's Potomac EverStart. Schmitt caught the heaviest limit of the day at 19-00, and the third-heaviest limit of the event. That 19 pounds pushed Schmitt all the way from 19th to 4th, where he's exactly 4 pounds off the cut pace.
Another relative local, heavy hitter David Dudley, occupies the 5th spot. Dudley lacked a kicker today and weighed 15-15, but improved five spots over his day-2 standing as those above him faltered.
Some of the pros who dipped significantly today were Vic Vatalaro (3rd to 14th), Shinichi Fukae (5th to 15th), Glenn Browne (8th to 20th) and Cliff Pirch (9th to 18th).
Only 20 pros fished today, and the field is now cut to the Top 10 for the final day of competition tomorrow. Here's a look at those Top 10 pros. Total weight is followed by distance from leader in red.
1. Michael Iaconelli -- Pittsgrove, NJ -- 51-09
2. Luke Clausen -- Otis Orchards, WA -- 50-10 (0-15)
3. Bobby Lane -- Lakeland, FL -- 50-01 (1-08)
4. Bryan Schmitt -- Deale, MD -- 47-09 (4-00)
5. David Dudley -- Lynchburg, VA -- 46-05 (5-04)
6. Michael Williamson -- Fort Smith, AR -- 46-04 (5-05)
7. Lance Vick -- Mineola, TX -- 45-14 (5-11)
8. Stetson Blaylock -- Benton, AR -- 44-10 (6-15)
9. Chad Morgenthaler -- Coulterville, Il -- 44-04 (7-05)
10. Cory Johnston -- Peterborough, On -- 44-02 (7-07)
The field is not cut to the Top 10 for the final day of competition tomorrow.
Andy Morgan tied Johnston for 10th, but dropped to 11th based on the tiebreaker (day-2 standing).
Peter Thliveros finished 17th and said he will depart immediately for Little Rock, Ark., to start practice Monday for the Arkansas River Bassmaster Elite Series. Iaconelli and Lane will have to leave after tomorrow's weigh-in, and although both have hired drivers to assist, will likely miss at least some practice.
The weights are tightest amongst the Top 3, where a pound and a half separates Ike from Lane. Schmitt, who trails by 4 pounds, would have to seem a longshot at this point, simply because he'd need all three above him to falter. And those Top 3 are stout, with resumes that include several tour-level wins, plus Classic, Cup and Angler of the Year titles.
Then again, the bite could cave in any area at any time. The way Clausen described it, he's bound to his area and it's a matter of mere fortune whether he gets a big bite or not.
Lane struggled in his best area today and said a little wind tomorrow would help him – there wasn't any today.
And Ike's still riding his one-two punch of fishing hard targets during high water, then shifting to grass during lower, outgoing tidal periods.
Ike Wants it
> Day 1: 5, 17-07
> Day 2: 5, 16-02
> Day 3: 5, 18-00 (15, 51-09)
Although Ike won the 2005 FLW Tour stop here, the sting of more recent Classic and Cup losses in a single year still stings.
"This feels good," said Iaconelli, whose last full-field, tour-level win was at Clarks Hill in 2006. "I have a little fire in my chest after losing by 3 ounces in Pittsburgh (at the Cup). It only happens once in a while that you get a legitimate shot at winning and this is one of those times.
"This is a great opportunity and I can tell you I want to win this one bad. I've not had a major win since 2006. I just came so close the last couple of years, that I really do want to win this one bad. My family's here, it's kind of a hometown crowd for me, and I'm going to do everything I can do to make this happen. The reality is, it's so close, I know I need 18-plus pounds to win tomorrow. But 20 pounds is my magic number."
He again referenced his pattern by saying he's "not camping on one spot." Instead, he's got "four good grassy areas during low tide and four good hard places that (he) can run to during dead high tide." By hard places he means wood and docks. And he noted that the Potomac's unique because twice a day there's a low tide and a high tide. That's where timing comes in, and he had his best timing of the 3 days today.
"Timing's everything on this river. If I was to give my timing a percentage, it was like 70% on day 1, maybe 80% yesterday, and better today. There was still a period where I miscued just a tiny bit for a couple of hours, but the rest of the day, my timing was on. I was making the right moves when I had to move. When I should stay, I stayed. Those things were just on today. I fished real fluid and it worked out great.
"My goal tomorrow is obviously to fish hard – put my head down, fish hard and try to win. And the real goal is to get my timing down, where I make all the right moves all day in regards to where to be during what tide. I honestly feel like if I can do that, and get my timing to 100%, I can catch 20 pounds."
2nd: Clausen Will Camp
> Day 1: 5, 15-03
> Day 2: 5, 17-00
> Day 3: 5, 18-07 (15, 50-10)
Clausen has gone about as long as Ike between wins. The last time Clausen raised the trophy was the 2006 Classic at Toho.
In regards to his 2nd-place standing, Clausen said: "It feels good, but I just wish I had more figured out. All I have is one area, and Bryan Schmitt and I are right next to each other. I weighed one 16-incher today I couldn't get rid of, and getting five of the right bites in a day is tough. The potential to catch a 20-pound bag is there, but there's the potential to catch a 10-pound bag too."
The area was crowded the first 2 days, Clausen said, and although the cut offered some respite, the area was heavily fished by local boats today. Clausen added that he and Schmitt are working well together – there've been no issues, and they only cross paths once in a while.
"Between me, Mike and Bobby, the three of us are pretty close, and I think one of us is going to catch 18-plus pounds tomorrow," Clausen said. "I have to catch at least that to have a shot, I think."
About not winning over the past 5 years, Clausen noted: "It's been a real long time. I'm just going to go fishing. That's all a guy can do. I'm hanging out in that area all day tomorrow and slinging lots of stuff. I'll fish as hard as I can until it's time to come in. There's nothing more I can do.
"A lot of the times in there, it seems a crapshoot of whether you'll catch a 16-incher or a 4-pounder. I do think the possibility of getting five good bites is in there. We'll just have to wait and see. There's not a lot else I can do."
3rd: Tougher Day for Lane
> Day 1: 5, 17-03
> Day 2: 5, 18-08
> Day 3: 5, 14-06 (15, 50-01)
Lane didn't come in light for want of a kicker – he boated a 5-pounder. The fishing was just a lot tougher, he said, and his filler fish were considerably smaller.
"I don't think the good fish have left the area," he said. "I don't know what happened. It was weird today. We didn't have any wind, so I'd like a little wind to blow tomorrow. All in all, though, I fished pretty clean. I caught 40 or 50 fish, but a lot more smaller fish.
"We have another day tomorrow and I don't know, I might mix it up. I didn't have a fish until 9:00 today, so I might go start somewhere new, then go back to my area around 10:00 and try to finish out."
About whether he thinks he can win, he said: "I think the size is still there – they just didn't bite today. If we get a change in tide, maybe a little wind, I think I have a very good shot at winning. I'd not be real happy with anything else but a win, just because I love this river so much."
4th: Schmitt Stoked
> Day 1: 5, 15-07
> Day 2: 5, 13-02
> Day 3: 5, 19-00 (15, 47-09)
Schmitt notched a significant win when he won the Potomac EverStart last year, but he was awed today as he looked around him and saw Ike, Clausen, Lane and Dudley.
"Oh man, it's overwhelming," Schmitt said. "You look at that Top 5 – they all know how to catch them. I'm thankful to be where I'm at, but I feel I can do even better. I'll give 'er a good run tomorrow."
Schmitt didn't have a big kicker today, just "four solid fish and a heavy 2-pounder." He did lose a big one, he said, and faces a big decision: Whether to camp in the area with Clausen, or check some other stuff.
"I had other stuff in practice, but (our area) was my first spot. Every day I've left it and never done better. Today I left it for about 30 minutes. I've decided that tomorrow I'll just stay in there. I feel the fish are there to win."
About whether or not he thinks he can win, he said: "Of course, it'd be nice if they stumbled a little bit, but I don't think it's a lock for Iaconelli by any means, or for any of them. Really, any of the Top 5 could win this. I think we're all capable of doing it."
5th: Dudley Throwing Everything
> Day 1: 5, 16-00
> Day 2: 5, 14-06
> Day 3: 5, 15-15 (15, 46-05)
Dudley believes he's still got a shot, "simply because it's the Potomac, and anything can happen. There's a lot of fish in this place."
He did change areas a little today, but not the way he fished. Basically, he's got a bunch of rods on the deck and he's throwing whatever feels right for where he's at and what stage the tide's in. So far, his repertoire has included cranking, flipping, swim-jigs and ChatterBaits.
"I'm getting plenty of bites, it's just a matter of swinging on the right one," he said. "I was missing that key kicker today. I didn't have a kicker bite, and that goes a long ways when you get one."
Notable
> Day 3 stats – 20 pros, 17 limits, 2 threes, 1 two.
> Pros fish from their own boats tomorrow because it's a Tour Open.
> Morgan on missing the cut: "I was put out on the tiebreaker. I'm real bummed. I think I could have caught another 14 to 16 pounds – maybe even a bigger bag. They're biting. I had a 12-pound limit in 10 minutes today. The whole trouble is I just couldn't catch a big sack – I couldn't get any big ones."
> Cory Leonard of Castalia, N.C. won the co-angler division with a 37-11 total.
Weather Forecast
> Sun., June 5 - Isolated T-Storms - 82°/64°
- Wind: From the NE at 5 mph
Day 3 Standings
1. Michael Iaconelli -- Pittsgrove, Nj -- 5, 17-07 -- 5, 16-02 -- 5, 18-00 -- 15, 51-09
2. Luke Clausen -- Otis Orchards, Wa -- 5, 15-03 -- 5, 17-00 -- 5, 18-07 -- 15, 50-10
3. Bobby Lane -- Lakeland, Fl -- 5, 17-03 -- 5, 18-08 -- 5, 14-06 -- 15, 50-01
4. Bryan Schmitt -- Deale, Md -- 5, 15-07 -- 5, 13-02 -- 5, 19-00 -- 15, 47-09
5. David Dudley -- Lynchburg, Va -- 5, 16-00 -- 5, 14-06 -- 5, 15-15 -- 15, 46-05
6. Michael Williamson -- Fort Smith, Ar -- 5, 11-07 -- 5, 17-12 -- 5, 17-01 -- 15, 46-04
7. Lance Vick -- Mineola, Tx -- 5, 13-10 -- 5, 17-12 -- 5, 14-08 -- 15, 45-14
8. Stetson Blaylock -- Benton, Ar -- 5, 13-06 -- 5, 16-11 -- 5, 14-09 -- 15, 44-10
9. Chad Morgenthaler -- Coulterville, Il -- 5, 15-05 -- 5, 16-04 -- 5, 12-11 -- 15, 44-04
10. Cory Johnston -- Peterborough, On -- 5, 15-10 -- 5, 14-04 -- 5, 14-04 -- 15, 44-02
The following anglers didn't make the cut and will not be fishing tomorrow.
11. Andy Morgan -- Dayton, Tn -- 5, 12-13 -- 5, 16-00 -- 10, 28-13 -- 5, 15-05 -- 15, 44-02 -- $12,500
12. Jt Kenney -- Palm Bay, Fl -- 5, 14-00 -- 5, 15-10 -- 10, 29-10 -- 5, 13-14 -- 15, 43-08 -- $12,500
13. Kyle Mabrey -- Mccalla, Al -- 5, 15-07 -- 5, 13-09 -- 10, 29-00 -- 5, 14-05 -- 15, 43-05 -- $12,500
14. Vic Vatalaro -- Kent, Oh -- 5, 20-02 -- 5, 13-00 -- 10, 33-02 -- 5, 10-02 -- 15, 43-04 -- $12,500
15. Shinichi Fukae -- Palestine, Tx -- 5, 13-07 -- 5, 18-06 -- 10, 31-13 -- 5, 9-10 -- 15, 41-07 -- $12,500
16. Robert Pearson -- Herndon, Va -- 5, 12-08 -- 5, 15-12 -- 10, 28-04 -- 5, 12-15 -- 15, 41-03 -- $12,000
17. Pete Thliveros -- Saint Augustine, Fl -- 5, 14-00 -- 5, 14-15 -- 10, 28-15 -- 5, 11-01 -- 15, 40-00 -- $12,000
18. Clifford Pirch -- Payson, Az -- 5, 16-01 -- 5, 14-08 -- 10, 30-09 -- 3, 5-06 -- 13, 35-15 -- $12,000
19. John Mcgoey -- Omemee, On -- 5, 15-09 -- 5, 13-10 -- 10, 29-03 -- 3, 6-07 -- 13, 35-10 -- $12,000
20. Glenn Browne -- Ocala, Fl -- 5, 17-04 -- 5, 13-15 -- 10, 31-03 -- 2 3-15 -- 12, 35-02 -- $12,000
