Martin Builds Hefty Advantage With 22-10 Sack

By BassFan Staff

A single 5-pound bite at the Potomac River right now will likely result in a pretty good tournament bag. Two such bites constitute an exceptional day, and three is something that most anglers – even pros – can only dream about.

Scott Martin, the reigning Forrest Wood Cup champion, had one of those fantasy-type days as the fourth FLW Tour Major of 2012 got under way near the nation's capital. His 22-10 sack gave him a lead of nearly 4 1/2 pounds over the rest of the 145-angler field.

There were a bunch of ties below the Floridian in the standings. Chris Baumgardner and the resurgent Mark Rose both sacked 18-04 to share 2nd, while Kenneth (Boo) Woods and veteran Gary Yamamoto deadlocked for 4th with 18-01.

Here's how the current Top 10 stacks up, with deficit margin from leader indicated by red numbers in parentheses:

1. Scott Martin: 22-10
2. (tie) Chris Baumgardner: 18-04 (4-06)
2. (tie) Mark Rose: 18-04 (4-06)
4. (tie) Gary Yamamoto: 18-01 (4-09)
4. (tie) Kenneth (Boo) Woods: 18-01 (4-09)
6. Colby Schrumpf: 17-13 (4-13)
7. (tie) Ish Monroe: 17-12 (4-14)
7. (tie) Jim Dillard: 17-12 (4-14)
9. (tie) Jim Tutt: 17-11 (4-15)
9. (tie) Dave Lefebre: 17-11 (4-15)

Martin's massive bag becomes even more impressive considering how tight the weights below him are. You have to go all the way down to 23rd place to find anyone who's more than 2 pounds behind Baumgardner and Rose. Thirty-five competitors caught at least 15 pounds and 124 weighed at least 10.

Schrumpf, a rookie from Illinois, is the only member of the Top 10 other than Martin who's not tied with somebody. His best finish in his three events thus far was a 92nd in the first Major at Hartwell.

A northeast wind that reached double digits created 4-foot rollers in some places and made long runs difficult. The forecast for tomorrow is similar – mostly sunny skies with a high of 76 and an 11-mph wind that'll almost surely be stiffer than that on the water.

The field will be reduced to the Top 20 after tomorrow's weigh-in. Only the Top 10 will advance to the final day, and the winner will be determined by highest 4-day weight.

Fat Trio for Martin

> Day 1: 5, 22-10

Martin said that each of his big fish came from a different area. He visited about 10 locales and caught keepers from most of them.

"I just caught them all day," he said. "It was one here and one there and I was fortunate to get some big bites from some of those places. I'm not junk-fishing – I've got 10 places with fish and I'm trying to hit them at the optimal times. I'm just trying to stay focused and trying to get the bigger ones to bite."

He wouldn't reveal much about his pattern other than that a Bruiser Baits product played a big role. He didn't lose any fish that would've helped him.

"I fished pretty clean – it was a good day execution-wise. One of the 5s I caught, my hand kept slipping off the reel and I didn't know how big it actually was because I was having some trouble with it. I was fumbling around a little bit, but I ended up getting it in."

He said he had company in some places (he's sharing at least one spot with Woods), but was all alone in others. It's unlikely that he'll equal his day-1 weight tomorrow, but he sees no reason why he can't catch another strong stringer.

"It's hard to predict catching big bass like that, but the biggest thing I have going is my confidence. I'll try to keep my focus and see what happens. I know I'm around some good fish, obviously, so I'll just run my pattern and stay confident."

2nd: Baumgardner Worked Through Numbers

> Day 1: 5, 18-04

Baumgardner played a numbers game to compile his sack – he estimated that he and his co-angler caught 50 keepers between them.

"I had a pretty good practice," he said. "I was pretty sure I could catch those 2 1/2- and 3-pounders, but I wasn't getting a lot of those 4- and 4-plus-pound bites. I figured if I could get in places where I could catch enough fish, I'd eventually catch a 4."

His best fish was actually closer to 5 pounds and he had two others that exceeded 4. He fished only two areas – he started and finished in the same place and visited another in between.

"There's a lot of boats in there, but it's a big area and a lot of people are camped and just sitting in one spot. I just moved around a lot and when I'd get a bite on a ChatterBait, I'd sit down and fish. Where you'd catch one, you could probably catch 10.

"There's a bunch of fish in there. It all just depends on getting a couple of the bigger bites."

2nd: Early Boost for Rose

> Day 1: 5, 18-04

Rose got his day off to a blooming start, catching his best fish of the day (a 4 3/4-pounder) first thing in the morning.

"It was just an early-morning fish that was up feeding, and I caught it on a Strike King KVD 1.5 (crankbait)," he said. "Later in the day I was just fishing Strike King plastics in the grass and whatever other cover came along.

"I was just blessed with good quality today, which kind of went against what I did in practice. I got a lot of bites in practice, but a lot of them were little fish."

He went through about a dozen keepers and had three that topped 4 pounds.

"There were people around, but I wasn't in big crowds – just a few boats here and there. My starting spot had a few people, but I was able to get by myself a few times and I was just jumping around after that.

"I fished pretty clean today and things just went right. You have those days in your career, and you also have days like I had in the first couple of tournaments this year when a lot of things go wrong. It's nice going back to my roots from the Mississippi River, fishing moving water and junk-fishing. A lot of my focus recently has been on offshore ledges and it's fun to get back on the bank."

4th: Woods Slowed Down

> Day 1: 5, 18-01

Woods said he had an excellent practice, but had to make a bait change in order to catch the bigger fish today.

"I was averaging 17 to 18 pounds a day in practice, but there'd usually only be three or four boats in a spot at a time and I could catch them on moving baits," he said. "Today, with so many boats in the area and everybody moving around, I had to really slow down."

He weighed two fish that were over 4 pounds each and lost one of a similar size that would've boosted his bag by about half a pound. He spent much of the day fishing around Martin and several other members of the Top 20.

"Anytime you get on the Potomac, especially around the grass or weedlines that are holding fish, you're going to be in a crowd. You just have to put your head down and fish.

"I've got a couple other areas that are similar that are off the beaten path. I wouldn't think anybody fished them today because it would've been a long run in those waves. I'd prefer not to go there, but I will if I have to. I'll start tomorrow where I fished today and see what happens."

105th: Tough Start for Hite

> Day 1: 5, 11-14

Brett Hite lost about an hour of fishing time due to equipment malfunctions and never hooked up with a fish that was much over 3 pounds.

"I just never had a good quality bite," he said. "I tried to wait them out a long time in one area and they never bit, and another area I had got real muddy. It seems like the fish here don't like it when the water gets stained.

"I have three places that I think are good areas that are holding good fish. I might run my pattern in a little bit different time order tomorrow and see if that switch helps me out. I think it will."

Notable

> Day 1 stats – 145 anglers, 123 limits, 9 fours, 10 threes, 2 twos, 1 zero.

> Martin finished 104th in the Tour Open at the Potomac a year ago. "I actually found the fish to do well in that one, but I didn't manage my time right," he said.

> Angler of the Year (AOY) leader Jason Christie managed just four fish for 8-06 and is in 130th place.

Weather Forecast

> Fri., May 18 –Mostly Sunny - 76°/56°
- Wind: From the E/NE at 11 mph

> Sat., May 19 – Partly Cloudy - 79°/60°
- Wind: From the E/NE at 13 mph

> Sun., May 20 – Partly Cloudy - 78°/64°
- Wind: From the NE at 9 mph

Day 1 Standings

1. Scott Martin -- Clewiston, Fl -- 22-10 (5)

2. Chris Baumgardner -- Gastonia, Nc -- 18-04 (5)

2. Mark Rose -- West Memphis, Ar -- 18-04 (5)

4. Kenneth (Boo) Woods -- Hazard, Ky -- 18-01 (5)

4. Gary Yamamoto -- Palestine, Tx -- 18-01 (5)

6. Colby Schrumpf -- Highland, Il -- 17-13 (5)

7. Jim Dillard -- West Monroe, La -- 17-12 (5)

7. Ishama Monroe -- Hughson, Ca -- 17-12 (5)

9. Dave Lefebre -- Erie, Pa -- 17-11 (5)

9. Jim Tutt -- Longview, Tx -- 17-11 (5)

11. Travis Fox -- Rogers, Ar -- 17-07 (5)

11. Jim Moynagh -- Carver, Mn -- 17-07 (5)

13. Lancen Halbert -- Enoree, Sc -- 17-06 (5)

14. Luke Clausen -- Spokane, Wa -- 17-05 (5)

15. Tim Johnson -- Dallas, Ga -- 17-04 (5)

16. Micah Frazier -- Newnan, Ga -- 16-14 (5)

17. David Dudley -- Lynchburg, Va -- 16-11 (5)

17. Clark Wendlandt -- Leander, Tx -- 16-11 (5)

19. Wesley Strader -- Spring City, Tn -- 16-10 (5)

20. Ron Shuffield -- Bismarck, Ar -- 16-06 (5)

21. Adrian Avena -- Vineland, Nj -- 16-05 (5)

22. Dan Morehead -- Paducah, Ky -- 16-03 (5)

23. Ray Scheide -- Dover, Ar -- 15-13 (5)

24. Cody Bird -- Granbury, Tx -- 15-11 (5)

24. Tom Mann Jr -- Buford, Ga -- 15-11 (5)

26. Cody Meyer -- Auburn, Ca -- 15-09 (5)

27. Tim Wilson -- Gas City, In -- 15-08 (5)

28. Jason Reyes -- Huffman, Tx -- 15-07 (5)

28. Bryan Thrift -- Shelby, Nc -- 15-07 (5)

30. Bill Day -- Frankfort, Ky -- 15-06 (5)

30. Randall Tharp -- Gardendale, Al -- 15-06 (5)

32. Randy Blaukat -- Joplin, Mo -- 15-05 (5)

33. Kevin Hawk -- Guntersville, Al -- 15-02 (5)

34. Chad Grigsby -- Maple Grove, Mn -- 15-01 (5)

35. Ramie Colson Jr -- Cadiz, Ky -- 15-00 (5)

36. Zach Caudle -- Shreveport, La -- 14-13 (5)

36. Brent Ehrler -- Redlands, Ca -- 14-13 (5)

38. Thanh Le -- Lake Havasu City, Az -- 14-11 (5)

38. Clifford Pirch -- Payson, Az -- 14-11 (5)

40. Shane Long -- Springfield, Mo -- 14-09 (5)

40. Keith Monson -- Burgin, Ky -- 14-09 (5)

40. Shad Schenck -- Waynetown, In -- 14-09 (5)

40. John Voyles -- Petersburg, In -- 14-09 (5)

44. Scott Canterbury -- Springville, Al -- 14-07 (5)

44. Anthony Gagliardi -- Prosperity, Sc -- 14-07 (5)

44. Scott Suggs -- Bryant, Ar -- 14-07 (5)

47. Darrel Robertson -- Jay, Ok -- 14-06 (5)

48. John Devere -- Berea, Ky -- 14-04 (5)

48. Pete Thliveros -- Saint Augustine, Fl -- 14-04 (5)

48. Kyle Welcher -- Opelika, Al -- 14-04 (5)

51. George Cochran -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 14-00 (5)

51. John Cox -- Debary, Fl -- 14-00 (5)

51. Van Roy Foster Jr -- Dalton, Ga -- 14-00 (5)

51. Koby Kreiger -- Okeechobee, Fl -- 14-00 (5)

51. Jason Meninger -- Gainesville, Ga -- 14-00 (5)

56. Wes Thomas -- Hanover, In -- 13-15 (5)

57. Roland Martin -- Naples, Fl -- 13-14 (5)

57. Spencer Shuffield -- Bismarck, Ar -- 13-14 (5)

59. Brad Knight -- Wartburg, Tn -- 13-13 (5)

60. Todd Auten -- Lake Wylie, Sc -- 13-11 (5)

60. Stetson Blaylock -- Benton, Ar -- 13-11 (5)

60. Dion Hibdon -- Sunrise Beach, Mo -- 13-11 (5)

60. John Mcginnis -- Clarkson, Ky -- 13-11 (5)

60. Blake Nick -- Adger, Al -- 13-11 (5)

65. Matt Arey -- Shelby, Nc -- 13-10 (5)

65. Brandon Coulter -- Knoxville, Tn -- 13-10 (5)

65. Shinichi Fukae -- Palestine, Tx -- 13-10 (5)

65. Andy Morgan -- Dayton, Tn -- 13-10 (5)

65. Shawn Murphy -- Nicholasville, Ky -- 13-10 (5)

65. Larry Nixon -- Bee Branch, Ar -- 13-10 (5)

65. Marty Stone -- Fayetteville, Nc -- 13-10 (5)

72. James Watson -- Waynesville, Mo -- 13-09 (5)

73. Rob Kilby -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 13-08 (5)

74. Allen Boyd -- Salem, In -- 13-07 (5)

75. Brent Long -- Cornelius, Nc -- 13-06 (5)

75. Michael Williamson -- Fort Smith, Ar -- 13-06 (5)

77. Wade Hendricks -- Thompsons Station, Tn -- 13-04 (5)

77. Vic Vatalaro -- Kent, Oh -- 13-04 (5)

79. David Wolak -- Wake Forest, Nc -- 13-03 (5)

80. Clent Davis -- Montevallo, Al -- 13-02 (5)

80. Andy Gaia -- Tomball, Tx -- 13-02 (5)

82. Craig Dowling -- Nashville, Tn -- 13-01 (5)

82. Terry Segraves -- Kissimmee, Fl -- 13-01 (5)

84. Christopher Brasher -- Spring, Tx -- 13-00 (5)

85. Jonathan Newton -- Rogersville, Al -- 12-15 (5)

86. JT Kenney -- Palm Bay, Fl -- 12-13 (5)

87. Tom Monsoor -- La Crosse, Wi -- 12-12 (5)

88. Terry Bolton -- Paducah, Ky -- 12-11 (5)

89. Jacob Powroznik -- Prince George, Va -- 12-10 (5)

90. Justin Lucas -- Guntersville, Al -- 12-09 (5)

91. Randy McAbee Jr -- Bakersfield, Ca -- 12-08 (5)

91. Troy Morrow -- Eastanollee, Ga -- 12-08 (5)

93. Brad Rightnour -- Mingoville, Pa -- 12-07 (5)

93. Joe Thompson -- Landenberg, Pa -- 12-07 (5)

95. Glenn Chappelear -- Acworth, Ga -- 12-06 (5)

95. Kyle Mabrey -- Mccalla, Al -- 12-06 (5)

95. Jacob Wheeler -- Indianapolis, In -- 12-06 (5)

98. Todd Hollowell -- Fishers, In -- 12-05 (5)

99. Tim McDonald -- Prestonsburg, Ky -- 12-04 (5)

100. Ryan Chandler -- Hobart, In -- 12-03 (5)

100. Jay Yelas -- Corvallis, Or -- 12-03 (5)

102. Greg Bohannan -- Rogers, Ar -- 12-02 (5)

103. Stacey King -- Reeds Spring, Mo -- 12-00 (5)

103. Barry Wilson -- Birmingham, Al -- 12-00 (5)

105. Jeff Cloud -- Lubbock, Tx -- 11-14 (5)

105. Brett Hite -- Phoenix, Az -- 11-14 (5)

107. Mike Neilson -- Markham, On -- 11-11 (5)

108. Glenn Browne -- Ocala, Fl -- 11-10 (5)

108. Robbie Dodson -- Harrison, Ar -- 11-10 (5)

110. Robert Pearson -- Herndon, Va -- 11-09 (5)

111. Jason Cordiale -- Orinda, Ca -- 11-07 (5)

111. Tom Redington -- Royse City, Tx -- 11-07 (5)

113. JT Palmore -- Blackstone, Va -- 11-03 (5)

114. Dearal Rodgers -- Camden, Sc -- 11-02 (5)

114. Rusty Trancygier -- Hahira, Ga -- 11-02 (5)

116. Ken Golub -- Pittsford, Ny -- 10-14 (5)

117. Jack Wade -- Knoxville, Tn -- 10-13 (5)

118. Chris Wilkerson -- Conroe, Tx -- 10-11 (5)

119. Brandon Rummel -- Knoxville, Tn -- 10-10 (4)

120. Derrick Snavely -- Rogersville, Tn -- 10-09 (5)

121. Richard Lowitzki -- St Charles, Il -- 10-08 (4)

122. Kelley Jaye -- Dadeville, Al -- 10-05 (5)

123. Charlie Evans -- Gilbertsville, Ky -- 10-04 (5)

124. David Fritts -- Lexington, Nc -- 10-01 (5)

125. Mike Surman -- Boca Raton, Fl -- 9-15 (5)

126. Charlie Ingram -- Santa Fe, Tn -- 9-13 (4)

127. Andrew Upshaw -- Hemphill, Tx -- 9-06 (4)

128. Tim Gaskill -- Edwardsville, Il -- 9-00 (4)

129. Chad Morgenthaler -- Coulterville, Il -- 8-13 (4)

130. Jason Christie -- Park Hill, Ok -- 8-06 (4)

130. Payden Hibdon -- Sunrise Beach, Mo -- 8-06 (4)

132. Jerry Willis -- Atlanta, Ga -- 7-15 (3)

133. Guido Hibdon -- Sunrise Beach, Mo -- 7-14 (4)

134. Nick Larson -- Ball Ground, Ga -- 7-10 (3)

135. Todd Schmitz -- Goshen, In -- 7-04 (3)

136. Jay Keith -- Camden, Sc -- 6-11 (3)

137. Robert Behrle -- Hoover, Al -- 6-06 (3)

138. Christian Romans -- Carrollton, Ky -- 6-05 (3)

139. Terry Baksay -- Easton, Ct -- 6-04 (3)

140. Matthew Stefan -- Park Ridge, Il -- 6-03 (2)

141. Chris Neau -- New Orleans, La -- 6-00 (3)

142. Jordan Card -- Cary, Nc -- 5-15 (3)

143. David Kromm -- Kennewick, Wa -- 5-11 (3)

144. Wil Hardy -- Harlem, Ga -- 4-15 (2)

Dakota Lucy -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 0-00 (0)

Big Bass

Day 1: Jim Moynagh -- 6-03 -- $500