By Todd Ceisner
BassFan Editor
It's a dream scenario for any tournament angler: Finding a spot that's not held fish before and note that it's suddenly a gathering hole for 3-pounders, and then have it to yourself for the entire duration of a 3-day tournament.
To have the scenario play out on the heavily-traveled and heavily-fished Potomac River is just plain unheard of, but that's exactly how things went for Bryan Schmitt at last week's Northern EverStart.
Schmitt's prowess at the Potomac is well-documented. He won EverStarts there in 2010 and 2011 and has posted 13 other Top-10 finishes in various FLW series at the Potomac. Still, even he was surprised that the area he found didn't attract any other competitors.
He took the lead with an 18-00 bag on day 1 and never looked back. His final-day catch of 16-02 was his smallest stringer of the event, but he won in convincing fashion, racking up a 3-day total of 52-08, which eclipsed runner-up David Hooker by more than 7 pounds.
"The Potomac has fished strange all year," he said. "Everything's very behind schedule. I actually found the spot earlier this year, but there were no fish on it. I checked it 2 weeks before the tournament and caught two quality fish off it and left. I didn't want to be seen on it. It turned out to be a special spot.
"I'm very, very happy. This one's at the top of my list right now simply because I was able to find a spot on the Potomac and had it all to myself for 3 days. That's almost impossible to do on that body of water. It was special."
Here's how he did it.
Practice
As he mentioned above, Schmitt found his winning area about a month ago and during practice immediately before the event, he wanted to find alternative spots because the Potomac is ever changing with the tide cycle, plus he didn't want to give away his prime location.
Schmitt said he'd never fished the area he won on before basically because he'd never marked fish in the area.
"It's about a half mile away from anywhere I've ever seen bass," he said. "What I think happened is I believe I found a shell bed offshore in the middle of the river. Where the grass was growing in the back of the creek, as trolling motors would come through and rip up some of the grass, the tide would come out and I think the grass would snag on the shells. The grass was pretty sparse and that's because I think it wasn't growing there. It was just snagged."
The shells created a slight hump and when combined with the grass the post-spawn fish had even more reason to use it as a stopping point in their transitional movement toward the main river.
"It was loaded with bait," he added. "I think there was some sort of shad or perch spawn happening as well."
Competition
> Day 1: 5, 18-00
> Day 2: 5, 18-06
> Day 3: 5, 16-02
> Total = 15, 52-08
Schmitt started the event picking off fish with a frog and caught a quality limit, including a 5-pounder, doing so before he made the move to what would prove to be his winning hole. He culled twice to get to 18-00 after day 1, which was good enough for a 7-ounce lead.
"There were mainly 3-pound fish on this spot and each day I was lucky to get a kicker," he said.
On day 2, he opted to fish the shell bed exclusively and caught a limit fairly early, but lacked a kicker.
"The first 30 minutes were phenomenal, but I just think it was an early-morning bite. I knew the best tide was later on and around 10 o'clock I caught a 5-pounder and I started to think this could be a special day later on," he said. "We just sat there and grinded it out all day and they bit really well. The low outgoing tide and the first 2 hours of the incoming tide, which was the last part of the day, were the best."
His 18-06 pushed his lead to nearly 6 pounds entering the final day.
Saturday brought with it stable, pleasant weather conditions, which on the Potomac means endless pleasure boat traffic and non-stop wakes.
He adjusted presentations slightly and did most of his damage before the river became really congested with boats. His 16-02 was more than enough to close out the wire-to-wire win.
"When the tide got right, the pleasure boating was a huge issue," he said. "On the Potomac it kills you because when you're fishing shallow, having 3-foot rollers hit your 3-foot grass bed isn't much fun. I was lucky to catch my weight early that day.
"No way did I believe I'd have the tournament I had off of that spot. It was a special deal. I just believe the combination of not fishing that spot for 3 weeks and having it to myself were the key elements for me."
Winning Pattern Notes
> Schmitt was conscious of where he positioned his boat because he was sure the fish he was targeting had never had a boat sitting on top of them and he was careful to not stir up the area or even cast an odd shadow in their direction.
"I stayed way off the spot," he said. "It seemed like they didn't want anything like a crankbait or Rat-L-Trap even though it seemed like it would be a good spot for it. They wanted a jig or ChatterBait."
While Schmitt caught most of his fish on a homemade jig, he weighed in three caught on a Z-Man ChatterBait.
His jig presentation was more about dragging and bumping into the grass with periodic pauses.
"If you popped it real quick, I'd get a bite," he added. "On the final day, I had to be real erratic with it. I'd pop and hop it and drag it and pause it."
> The shell bed topped off at 3 feet and fell off to 5 and 6 feet on all sides.
"It was an area someone else would zoom right by," he said. "I'd ridden over it hundreds of times, but what it triggered it for me was a month ago, my depthfinder showed some clumps of grass when I was on plane. I stopped and said, 'Wait a minute, what's this doing here?'"
> When other boats would zoom past him headed toward the back of the creek, Schmitt sat down in his boat and made it look like he was just drifting or tinkering with tackle or catfishing – anything that threw competitors off the scent of what proved to be the winning spot
"If anyone else had found it, it wouldn't have been a winning spot," he said. "There's never been a tournament on the Potomac where I can say I fished a spot for 3 days without having another boat on it."
Winning Gear Notes
> Jig gear: 7' medium-heavy Bass Pro Shops Carbon Lite casting rod, Shimano Curado and Chronarch casting reels (7.1:1 ratio), 15-pound P-Line Ultimate Fluorocarbon line, 1/2-oz. homemade football-head jig (black/blue), Strike King Rage Craw and Rage Chunk trailers (black/blue).
> He also weighed in three fish caught on a 3/8-oz. Z-Man Original ChatterBait (black/blue).
> Fishing in the tide prompted him to go with a heavier jig so he could maintain bottom contact.
The Bottom Line
> Main factor in his success – "The Potomac River being behind schedule and finding a very out-of-the-way spot and having it to myself and knowing how to manage the spot."
> Performance edge – "My Humminbird electronics were key to finding this spot. I believe with my electronics I could figure out if it was hard bottom or not. After riding over it, it showed me it was hard. The Power-Poles were also a lifesaver."
Notable
> In 2011, Schmitt was hit with a year-long suspension by FLW after it was determined he violated FLW Tour rule No. 5 regarding off-limits, practice and competition for the Potomac River Tour Open, in which he finished 4th. He was later disqualified from the Lake Guntersville Tour Open as a result of the late-to-arise rule violation and the ban put him on the sidelines for the 2012 season. When the suspension was announced, he said he would issue a statement, but never did.
When asked about the matter this week, he declined to comment on the specifics surrounding his ban, but did say he's spoken with (FLW officials) Kathy Fennel and Bill Taylor and "everything is back to normal."
"It was painful not being not being able to fish for a year," he said, "but it served as extra fuel for my fire to do well this year."
> Schmitt, 32, is a charter captain and does guide trips on Chesapeake Bay virtually every day for rock fish and stripers.
Much of the tackle referenced above is available at the BassFan Store. To browse the selection, click here.
Final Standings
> Field size: 137 boats
1. Bryan Schmitt -- Deale, Md -- 18-00 (5) -- 18-06 (5) -- 36-06 (10) -- 16-02 (5) -- 52-08 (15) -- $37,554
2. David Hooker -- Stafford, Va -- 12-05 (5) -- 17-10 (5) -- 29-15 (10) -- 15-05 (5) -- 45-04 (15) -- $14,083
3. Jason Tibbetts -- Centreville, Va -- 14-02 (5) -- 16-05 (5) -- 30-07 (10) -- 13-08 (5) -- 43-15 (15) -- $9,388
4. Robert Grike -- Dumfries, Va -- 12-04 (5) -- 17-14 (5) -- 30-02 (10) -- 12-14 (5) -- 43-00 (15) -- $8,450
5. Terry Olinger -- The Plains, Va -- 14-10 (5) -- 13-15 (5) -- 28-09 (10) -- 13-14 (5) -- 42-07 (15) -- $7,511
6. Mike McDonald -- Randleman, NC -- 14-02 (5) -- 14-12 (5) -- 28-14 (10) -- 13-05 (5) -- 42-03 (15) -- $6,572
7. Shayne Berlo -- Fairfax, Va -- 10-14 (5) -- 17-09 (5) -- 28-07 (10) -- 13-09 (5) -- 42-00 (15) -- $5,633
8. Rodney (Tank) Mosley -- Woodbridge, Va -- 16-01 (5) -- 12-09 (5) -- 28-10 (10) -- 11-07 (5) -- 40-01 (15) -- $4,694
9. Gilbert Gagner -- Highgate Springs, Vt -- 12-04 (5) -- 18-06 (5) -- 30-10 (10) -- 7-13 (5) -- 38-07 (15) -- $3,755
10. James Steiner -- Levittown, Pa -- 16-05 (5) -- 13-08 (5) -- 29-13 (10) -- 7-09 (5) -- 37-06 (15) -- $2,817
The following anglers did not make the cut and did not fish on day 3.
11. Larry Kempler -- Bluemont, Va -- 16-03 (5) -- 12-02 (5) -- 28-05 (10) -- $2,347
12. John Hutchins -- Warrenton, Va -- 17-09 (5) -- 10-09 (5) -- 28-02 (10) -- $2,347
13. Barton Wines -- Marshall, Va -- 13-03 (5) -- 14-12 (5) -- 27-15 (10) -- $2,347
14. Dave Lefebre -- Erie, Pa -- 14-11 (5) -- 13-04 (5) -- 27-15 (10) -- $2,347
15. Joseph Wood -- Westport, Ma -- 14-04 (5) -- 13-11 (5) -- 27-15 (10) -- $2,347
16. Jason Abram -- Piney Flats, Tn -- 13-00 (5) -- 14-09 (5) -- 27-09 (10) -- $1,878
17. Aaron Hastings -- Middletown, Md -- 14-01 (5) -- 13-03 (5) -- 27-04 (10) -- $1,878
18. Otis Darnell -- Linden, Va -- 12-13 (5) -- 14-04 (5) -- 27-01 (10) -- $1,878
19. Josh Wagy -- Dewitt, Va -- 11-11 (5) -- 15-00 (5) -- 26-11 (10) -- $1,878
20. Jeff Mandes -- Smyrna, De -- 11-09 (5) -- 15-01 (5) -- 26-10 (10) -- $1,878
21. Paul Mueller -- Southbury, Ct -- 13-14 (5) -- 12-08 (5) -- 26-06 (10) -- $1,408
22. Kurt Mitchell -- Milford, De -- 12-08 (5) -- 13-14 (5) -- 26-06 (10) -- $1,408
23. Nick Gainey -- Charleston, SC -- 12-12 (5) -- 13-07 (5) -- 26-03 (10) -- $1,408
24. Matt Stoupa -- Colonial Heights, Va -- 14-07 (5) -- 11-10 (5) -- 26-01 (10) -- $1,408
25. Gary Marean -- Manassas, Va -- 11-13 (5) -- 14-01 (5) -- 25-14 (10) -- $1,408
26. Mickey Pettry -- Manassas, Va -- 16-00 (5) -- 9-10 (5) -- 25-10 (10) -- $1,221
27. Michael Hall -- Annandale, Va -- 15-02 (5) -- 10-06 (5) -- 25-08 (10) -- $1,221
28. Chris Johnston -- Peterborough, On -- 14-09 (5) -- 10-11 (5) -- 25-04 (10)
29. William Shelton III -- La Crosse, Va -- 11-01 (5) -- 14-03 (5) -- 25-04 (10)
30. Robert Pearson -- Herndon, Va -- 15-01 (5) -- 10-01 (5) -- 25-02 (10)
31. Cory Johnston -- Peterborough, On -- 13-07 (5) -- 11-10 (5) -- 25-01 (10)
32. Charlie Machek -- Richmond, Va -- 14-05 (5) -- 10-11 (5) -- 25-00 (10)
33. Tom Wolverton -- Hamiltom, Nj -- 12-04 (5) -- 12-10 (5) -- 24-14 (10)
34. Bobby Clarke -- Virginia Beach, Va -- 12-07 (5) -- 12-06 (5) -- 24-13 (10)
35. Mike Moran -- Ruffs Dale, Pa -- 10-12 (5) -- 14-00 (5) -- 24-12 (10)
36. Ron Nelson -- Berrien Springs, Mi -- 14-02 (5) -- 10-09 (5) -- 24-11 (10)
37. Kevin Gordon -- Alexandria, Va -- 9-01 (5) -- 15-09 (5) -- 24-10 (10)
38. Brian Divito -- St Petersburg, Fl -- 14-08 (5) -- 9-15 (5) -- 24-07 (10)
39. Chris Dillow -- Waynesboro, Va -- 10-05 (5) -- 13-10 (5) -- 23-15 (10)
40. Brandon Coulter -- Knoxville, Tn -- 11-11 (5) -- 12-04 (5) -- 23-15 (10)
41. James Donegan -- Leesburg, Va -- 13-04 (5) -- 10-09 (5) -- 23-13 (10)
42. Mike Gardner -- Sterling, Va -- 12-12 (5) -- 11-00 (5) -- 23-12 (10)
43. Troy Garrison -- Topsham, Me -- 11-02 (5) -- 12-08 (5) -- 23-10 (10)
44. RC Cooper -- Nashua, NH -- 9-15 (5) -- 13-10 (5) -- 23-09 (10)
45. Les King -- Owings, Md -- 12-02 (5) -- 11-05 (5) -- 23-07 (10)
46. Randy Yarnall -- Womelsdorf, Pa -- 10-09 (5) -- 12-06 (5) -- 22-15 (10)
47. James Tyson -- Middletown, Pa -- 12-02 (5) -- 10-12 (5) -- 22-14 (10)
48. Derik Hudson -- Hurt, Va -- 9-14 (5) -- 12-14 (5) -- 22-12 (10)
49. Thomas Wooten -- Huddleston, Va -- 9-01 (5) -- 13-07 (5) -- 22-08 (10)
50. David Barker -- Emitsburg, Md -- 12-02 (5) -- 10-02 (5) -- 22-04 (10)
51. Scott Cooke -- Marengo, Oh -- 11-06 (5) -- 10-14 (5) -- 22-04 (10)
52. William Kramer -- Gaithersburg, Md -- 5-11 (3) -- 16-08 (5) -- 22-03 (8)
53. Ray Roux -- Ephrata, Pa -- 10-07 (5) -- 11-11 (5) -- 22-02 (10)
54. Matt Stasiak -- Pittsburgh, Pa -- 11-10 (5) -- 10-05 (5) -- 21-15 (10)
55. Tom Belinda -- Holidaysburg, Pa -- 8-13 (5) -- 12-11 (5) -- 21-08 (10)
56. Kermit Crowder -- Matoaca, Va -- 10-08 (5) -- 10-12 (5) -- 21-04 (10)
57. Kyle Hoffman -- Harpers Ferry, WV -- 11-05 (5) -- 9-13 (5) -- 21-02 (10)
58. Joseph Thompson -- Landenberg, Pa -- 10-00 (5) -- 11-02 (5) -- 21-02 (10)
59. Al Farace -- Hunt Valley, Md -- 11-02 (5) -- 9-14 (5) -- 21-00 (10)
60. Derek Cummings -- Clayton, NC -- 10-13 (5) -- 10-00 (5) -- 20-13 (10)
61. John Vanore -- Mullica Hill, Nj -- 7-02 (5) -- 13-10 (5) -- 20-12 (10)
62. David Perdue -- Wirtz, Va -- 10-07 (5) -- 10-05 (5) -- 20-12 (10)
63. Anthony Clark -- Hyattsville, Md -- 10-05 (5) -- 10-07 (5) -- 20-12 (10)
64. Bryan Sisk -- Glenelg, Md -- 9-09 (5) -- 11-02 (5) -- 20-11 (10)
65. Omari Navies -- Fort Washington, Md -- 8-12 (5) -- 11-10 (5) -- 20-06 (10)
66. Jeremy Southerly -- Fulks Run, Va -- 11-02 (5) -- 9-03 (5) -- 20-05 (10)
67. Thomas Turner -- Kingsville, Md -- 12-04 (5) -- 8-00 (4) -- 20-04 (9)
68. Chris Flint -- Potsdam, NY -- 8-11 (5) -- 11-09 (5) -- 20-04 (10)
69. Robert Parmer -- Linden, Pa -- 11-08 (5) -- 8-12 (5) -- 20-04 (10)
70. Walter (Mike) Snider -- Mt Airy, Md -- 10-07 (5) -- 9-13 (5) -- 20-04 (10)
71. Michael Kruse -- Fredericksburg, Va -- 9-07 (5) -- 10-12 (5) -- 20-03 (10)
72. Wilbert Thornton -- Fayetteville, NC -- 13-15 (5) -- 6-03 (4) -- 20-02 (9)
73. Frank Poirier -- Hopewell, Va -- 10-10 (5) -- 8-13 (5) -- 19-07 (10)
74. Ron Wolfarth -- Oakboro, NC -- 10-02 (5) -- 9-04 (5) -- 19-06 (10)
75. Richard Damianos -- Cortland, NY -- 11-08 (5) -- 7-12 (5) -- 19-04 (10)
76. Edwin Jackson -- Marshall, Va -- 11-05 (5) -- 7-15 (5) -- 19-04 (10)
77. Fred Aldridge -- Brandystation, Va -- 9-08 (5) -- 9-10 (4) -- 19-02 (9)
78. George Lambeth -- Thomasville, NC -- 13-05 (5) -- 5-12 (3) -- 19-01 (8)
79. Ryan Ingalls -- Fairfax, Va -- 9-09 (5) -- 9-06 (5) -- 18-15 (10)
80. Dean Meckes -- Clayton, NY -- 9-09 (5) -- 9-05 (4) -- 18-14 (9)
81. Timothy Mcfaul -- Egg Harbor Township, Nj -- 13-09 (5) -- 5-02 (2) -- 18-11 (7)
82. Ron Brown -- Mount Pleasant, SC -- 13-03 (5) -- 5-08 (4) -- 18-11 (9)
83. Gregory Wilder -- Brooklyn Park, Md -- 13-01 (5) -- 5-09 (4) -- 18-10 (9)
84. Gary Schembs -- Fredericksburg, Va -- 8-10 (5) -- 9-14 (5) -- 18-08 (10)
85. Paul Kimball -- Glastonbury, Ct -- 7-02 (5) -- 11-02 (5) -- 18-04 (10)
86. Joshua Sanders -- Morganton, NC -- 10-04 (5) -- 8-00 (5) -- 18-04 (10)
87. John Shumate -- Finksburg, Md -- 9-08 (5) -- 8-11 (5) -- 18-03 (10)
88. Rick Nitkeiewicz -- Pittsburgh, Pa -- 9-15 (5) -- 8-00 (5) -- 17-15 (10)
89. Chris Blanc -- Cos Cob, Ct -- 8-00 (4) -- 9-15 (5) -- 17-15 (9)
90. Neville Green -- Bealeton, Va -- 9-09 (5) -- 8-05 (5) -- 17-14 (10)
91. Harold Marietta -- Hunker, Pa -- 10-10 (5) -- 7-03 (4) -- 17-13 (9)
92. Mark Ward -- Thomasville, Pa -- 9-08 (5) -- 8-05 (5) -- 17-13 (10)
93. Mike Hancin -- North Franklin, Ct -- 8-09 (5) -- 9-01 (5) -- 17-10 (10)
94. Chris Baumgardner -- Gastonia, NC -- 7-13 (5) -- 9-11 (5) -- 17-08 (10)
95. Doug Larson -- Suffolk, Va -- 7-08 (5) -- 9-15 (5) -- 17-07 (10)
96. Coy Watts -- Conway, SC -- 6-15 (5) -- 10-01 (5) -- 17-00 (10)
97. Melvin Smitson -- Baltimore, Md -- 9-03 (5) -- 7-09 (5) -- 16-12 (10)
98. Steve Miller -- Mechanicsville, Va -- 6-11 (5) -- 9-13 (5) -- 16-08 (10)
99. Christiana Bradley -- Bealeton, Va -- 3-08 (3) -- 12-14 (5) -- 16-06 (8)
100. David Cooke -- Mooresville, NC -- 8-06 (5) -- 8-00 (5) -- 16-06 (10)
101. Chris Mcreynolds -- Louisville, Tn -- 9-00 (5) -- 7-05 (4) -- 16-05 (9)
102. Don Haskins -- Baltimore, Md -- 9-01 (5) -- 7-03 (5) -- 16-04 (10)
103. John Trask -- Jay, Me -- 14-01 (5) -- 2-02 (1) -- 16-03 (6)
104. Robert Montgomery -- Connelsville, Pa -- 12-00 (5) -- 4-03 (3) -- 16-03 (8)
105. David Wright -- Red Lion, Pa -- 8-06 (5) -- 7-05 (5) -- 15-11 (10)
106. Garry Woodruff -- Candia, NH -- 6-10 (3) -- 9-00 (5) -- 15-10 (8)
107. Burley Warf -- Moneta, Va -- 7-06 (5) -- 7-15 (4) -- 15-05 (9)
108. Russ Simpson -- Charleston, WV -- 7-12 (5) -- 6-15 (5) -- 14-11 (10)
109. Billy Micciulla -- Staten Island, NY -- 4-08 (3) -- 10-02 (5) -- 14-10 (8)
110. David Wilder -- Middle River, Md -- 9-03 (5) -- 5-07 (4) -- 14-10 (9)
111. John Mcgoey -- Omemee, On -- 5-10 (4) -- 9-00 (5) -- 14-10 (9)
112. Jason Ober -- Johnstown, Pa -- 11-06 (5) -- 3-02 (3) -- 14-08 (8)
113. Ronald Martinez Jr. -- Valley View, Oh -- 8-05 (5) -- 6-00 (5) -- 14-05 (10)
114. Jimmy Kennedy -- Plainfield, Vt -- 7-11 (3) -- 6-08 (4) -- 14-03 (7)
115. Ed Casey -- Whiteford, Md -- 3-08 (2) -- 10-09 (5) -- 14-01 (7)
116. Joseph Dellavalle -- Doylestown, Pa -- 7-15 (5) -- 6-02 (5) -- 14-01 (10)
117. Mark Heatwole -- Harrisonburg, Va -- 3-13 (2) -- 10-01 (5) -- 13-14 (7)
118. Jonathan Else -- Bloomsburg, Pa -- 7-12 (5) -- 5-15 (4) -- 13-11 (9)
119. Mike Blake -- Carrollton, Oh -- 8-14 (5) -- 4-04 (2) -- 13-02 (7)
120. Daniel Welch -- New Martinsville, WV -- 4-04 (2) -- 8-12 (5) -- 13-00 (7)
121. Brendan Knaggs -- Whitby, On -- 8-11 (5) -- 4-05 (3) -- 13-00 (8)
122. Adam Janerella -- Jersey Shore, Pa -- 12-10 (5) -- 0-00 (0) -- 12-10 (5)
123. Jerrod Lloyd -- Millville, Nj -- 11-15 (5) -- 0-00 (0) -- 11-15 (5)
124. Chris Price -- Church Hill, Md -- 11-11 (5) -- 0-00 (0) -- 11-11 (5)
125. Sean Stepp -- Stafford, Va -- 11-09 (5) -- 0-00 (0) -- 11-09 (5)
126. Chris Murphy -- Warrenton, Va -- 11-09 (4) -- 0-00 (0) -- 11-09 (4)
127. Red Moore -- Graham, NC -- 4-06 (2) -- 7-03 (4) -- 11-09 (6)
128. Matthew Caffi -- Fairfax, Va -- 10-08 (5) -- 0-00 (0) -- 10-08 (5)
129. Michael Huminik -- Stafford, Va -- 10-00 (5) -- 0-00 (0) -- 10-00 (5)
130. Dave Shively -- Butler, Pa -- 7-07 (5) -- 2-07 (2) -- 9-14 (7)
131. Ernie Freeman -- Broad Run, Va -- 9-09 (5) -- 0-00 (0) -- 9-09 (5)
132. Jeffrey Ware -- Rixeyville, Va -- 8-09 (5) -- 0-00 (0) -- 8-09 (5)
133. AC Campbell -- Mineral Springs, Pa -- 6-12 (4) -- 0-00 (0) -- 6-12 (4)
134. Michael Egan -- Matawan, Nj -- 4-11 (3) -- 2-01 (1) -- 6-12 (4)
135. Patrick Farrall -- Ellicott City, Md -- 6-01 (3) -- 0-00 (0) -- 6-01 (3)
136. Jess Caraballo -- Danbury, Ct -- 5-04 (3) -- 0-00 (0) -- 5-04 (3)
137. Mark Checki -- Gouldsboro, Pa -- 1-03 (1) -- 0-00 (0) -- 1-03 (1)
Big Bass Award
> Day 1: Chris Murphy/Larry Kempler – 5-02 ($137 ea.)
> Day 2: Gilbert Gagner – 6-02 ($274)
