Avena ‘Got Lucky’, Leads With 16-12

By BassFan Staff

So, there are some bass in the Potomac River after all.

Whether they’ll bite as good tomorrow as they did today remains to be seen, but the results from day 1 of the FLW Tour season finale seemed to exceed the expectations of most who are fishing near the nation’s capital.

Adrian Avena, a New Jersey native who has fished the Potomac plenty over the years and has a good understanding of the tide cycles, has control of the event at this point after bagging 16-12. He was the lone pro to crack the 16-pound mark.

Troy Morrow, who was 2nd at Lake Eufaula in May and needs another solid finish to get into the Forrest Wood Cup, got started with 15-06, which has him in 2nd. He’s an ounce ahead of Potomac standout Bryan Schmitt.

Travis Fox closed the weigh-in with a 15-02 bag that has him in 4th while Shinichi Fukae caught 15-01 to anchor the Top 5. A little more than 2 1/2 pounds separates the Top 10 at this point and it’s expected to remain tight throughout.

Here's a look at the Top 10 following day 1 of competition, with deficit margin from Avena indicated by red numbers in parentheses:

1. Adrian Avena: 16-12
2. Troy Morrow: 15-06 (1-06)
3. Bryan Schmitt: 15-05 (1-07)
4. Travis Fox: 15-02 (1-10)
5. Shinichi Fukae: 15-01 (1-11)
6. Clark Wendlandt: 14-13 (1-15)
7. Andrew Upshaw: 14-08 (2-04)
8. John Voyles: 14-07 (2-05)
9. Randy Haynes: 14-06 (2-06)
10. Jay Yelas: 14-03 (2-09)

Based on where everyone sits after day 1, Scott Martin is the new leader in the Angler of the Year race, thanks to his 13-11 stringer that has him in 15th. He has an 11-point lead over John Cox, who caught 11-11 and is 48th.

Bryan Thrift, who came into the event with a 9-point lead over Cox, stumbled today with 9-06 and will go out Friday in 100th place. He’s dropped to 6th in the AOY race. He’ll need to pick up 50 or so spots on the leaderboard tomorrow and hope Martin slips and Cox stays where he’s at to get back in the race for his second career AOY.

The updated Top 10 is as follows:
1. Scott Martin: 1100 points
2. John Cox: 1089
3. Adrian Avena: 1068
4. Tracy Adams: 1067
5. Luke Clausen: 1053
6. Bryan Thrift: 1046
7. Wesley Strader: 1040
8. Dave Lefebre: 1034
9. Ish Monroe: 1030
10. Shinichi Fukae: 1019

After a practice session left some wondering if a limit was even possible in the face of tough conditions following two intense storms that bookended practice, 114 of the 142 competitors brought five to the scale today. As the weekend approaches, the tide cycle should continue to give the field more time with higher water, allowing access to some backwaters and bringing more shoreline cover into play.

Three pounds separates 20th and 90th so execution will be a huge key Friday when it's supposed to get cloudy with a chance of rain.

The field will be reduced to the Top 20 after Friday, with the Top 10 after Saturday’s round advancing to the final round on Sunday, when the winner will be determined by cumulative weight.

Avena Ran Tides

> Day 1: 5, 16-12

Asked how he felt about being the day-1 leader on a fishery he’s pretty familiar with, Avena was to the point.

“I got lucky,” he said. “The thing about here is it’s fishing tough right now. There is just not the quantity of 3- and 4-pounders that were here 5 years ago. I’m going to get bites, but I can’t say I’ll get more 3s and 4s.

“There’s no way I’ll catch 16 again. If you can average 15 a day you could run away with it. It’s just tough to be consistent here.”

He sewed up a spot in the Cup today with a bag that included four 3-plus pounders and one around 2 3/4. He spent the morning running south to north, hitting areas on the outgoing tide. He caught his weight by 9 a.m.

“Once I ran out of tide, then I’d start fishing and go back through some places,” he said. “I never went back today, but I started hunkering down. The biggest thing is the tide will get better as the weekend goes on.”

He's hoping the weather stabilizes somewhat as any additional rain could mess with areas he’s focusing on.

“We can’t have really crazy weather,” he said. “Some places are just starting to clear up. If we get some consistent weather, the fishing could stay good. If it’s gets blown out, I’ll have to start from square one.”

2nd: Morrow Surprised, but Pleased

> Day 1: 5, 15-06

Morrow stayed away from the crowded grass beds today and opted to sample areas to the north.

“I went outside the box and it worked today,” he said. “I have no idea about tomorrow, though.

“I figured the weights would be better than they were so I’m surprised by my weight. I didn’t expect to catch that much and I didn’t expect to be in 2nd.”

Another Top-10 finish would give him three this season and lock up a Cup berth. He came into this week 45th in points.

He made the most of some bad timing today as he ran to an area he wanted to get into, but the water was too low.

“I caught my limit while I was waiting for the tide to come up,” he said. “When I finally got in there, my co-angler caught a decent fish and I was able to cull.”

He weighed four largemouth and a smallmouth and said four different baits accounted for his weigh-in fish.

“I’m interested to see what happens tomorrow,” he said. “I jumped off a 2 1/2 today that would’ve helped me since I weighed in a 1 1/2-pounder.”

3rd: Schmitt Off By Himself

> Day 1: 5, 15-05

For Schmitt, who’s a known stud at the Potomac, practice was about finding plenty of options for various situations. He was pleased with how today went considering the conditions and how tough the fishing’s been.

“It’s a good start considering how tough this place has been,” he said. “I was trying to find as many out of the way groups of fish that I could. I knew the main grass beds would get pounded and I managed to find a lot of fish that nobody else is fishing.”

That could spell trouble for the rest of the field. He had his weight by 8:30 this morning, but then fell into “know-too-much mode,” he said, as he zoomed around to areas he’d had success at in the past. He wound up catching 12 fish, but lost several, including some that would’ve added to his weight.

“I got my ripping and running out of the way today,” he added. “I’m going to start narrowing it down tomorrow. By far, this is the toughest the river has fished this time of year that I can remember. It got blazing hot and when that happens it makes it tough. They’re moving and we’ve got muddy water so we have a lot of bad variables.”

4th: Fox Happy Where He’s At

> Day 1: 5, 15-02

Fox was boat number 142 today and he made the most of the longer day. He fished primarily around grass, but also caught some fish off wood.

“I feel blessed about today,” he said. “My goal, ironically, was to catch 15 pounds, but I sure didn’t think 15 would put me where I’m at. I’m thrilled where I’m at. I figured someone would crack 17 or 18 or 19.”

He’s had good starts at the Potomac before. In 2012, he was 7th after day 1. Today’s bag was anchored by a 5-pounder that bit around 9 a.m. That fish had him thinking 17 was possible, but it was mostly one here and there the rest of the day.

He tried to steer clear of dirty water in practice, but had some success in it today.

“I’m surprised I was actually able to catch them out of stained water,” he said. “I was afraid some areas weren’t going to be good. I went back to some spots that had gotten muddy and still caught them.”

5th: 5-Pounder Saved Fukae’s Day

> Day 1: 5, 15-01

Fukae came into today thinking 10 pounds would be a good benchmark based on how his practice went. A 5-02 kicker went a long way in helping him exceed that mark.

He junk-fished his way through the day and had most of his weight by 9 a.m. on the outgoing tide. He was 18th in points coming into the event and virtually locked up a Forrest Wood Cup berth today.

“I had a not-so-good practice, so this was a good day for me,” he said. “I didn’t expect to catch that weight. It’s all about timing here. Today went well, but I’m not sure about tomorrow.”

The water clarity in the areas he fished wasn’t optimum, but it was starting to clear up after the storms earlier in the week.

“I started in a community hole around other boats and caught a few, then I went to another spot and there weren’t as many boats there,” he said. “Tomorrow, I’m going back to the community hole.”

8th: Voyles Hunkered Down

> Day 1: 5, 14-07

John Voyles didn’t play the tide game today. He decided to pick apart an area that he’d found in practice on Sunday.

“I’m around a lot of fish,” he said. “There are a lot of boats in there, but I have a sweet spot that I pretty much had to myself. Fingers crossed, I can get back there tomorrow. Most of the guys saw me catch them and didn’t move in on me so that was a bonus.”

He was hoping for a 10- to 12-pound bag today based on his practice, but he’ll gladly take nearly 14 1/2 as he looks to close the season on a high note being that he’s not in contention for a Cup berth.

“I’m not running the tides,” he added. “For me, it’s about getting into an area and grinding it out. It was all moving baits for me. I can’t catch anything when I slow down.”

15th: Martin Senses He’s Close

> Day 1: 5, 13-11

Martin realizes the gravity of the situation he’s in with regards to the AOY chase. He’s fished professionally for the better part of two decades now and he’s focused on catching another good stringer tomorrow and hopefully capturing his first AOY crown.

“I have a lot of hard work in front of me,” he said. “The culmination of the entire season boils down to tomorrow. If I work hard and it’s God will, I can’t be beat.

"I want to win AOY. That’s my focus and I want to win one. I’ve put in 15 years and I want to get it done. I’m going to catch as much as I can catch and see where it ends up. It’d be nice to make the cut, too.”

The river is fishing much different than when he won there in May 2012. He covered a lot of water today, but made sure to hit certain places based on the tide cycle.

“Everything had a rhythm to it,” he said. “There are some places that are still producing fish, but not near the numbers as in 2012. I’m not getting a lot of bites on any particular place, but they’re quality fish, so that’s a bonus.”

He totaled roughly 10 keepers and plans to hit some other areas tomorrow where he shook fish off in practice.

“I didn’t want to hammer on stuff too much that I felt like I could get bit on after a certain point,” he added. “I feel like this tournament will set up more for consistency rather than catching a giant bag and adding to it. I’m just trying to be consistent.”

Notable

> Day 1 stats – 142 anglers, 114 limits, 9 fours, 7 threes, 7 twos, 5 ones.

Weather Forecast

> Fri., June 26 – Cloudy - 83°/67°
- Wind: From the N at 5 to 10 mph

> Sat., June 27 – Thunderstorms - 74°/63°
- Wind: From the ENE at 10 to 20 mph

> Sun., June 28 – Partly Cloudy - 75°/61°
- Wind: From the NNE at 5 to 10 mph

Day 1 Standings

1. Adrian Avena -- Vineland, NJ -- 16-12 (5)

2. Troy Morrow -- Eastanollee, Ga -- 15-6 (5)

3. Bryan Schmitt -- Deale, Md -- 15-5 (5)

4. Travis Fox -- Rogers, Ar -- 15-2 (5)

5. Shinichi Fukae -- Palestine, Tx -- 15-1 (5)

6. Clark Wendlandt -- Leander, Tx -- 14-13 (5)

7. Andrew Upshaw -- Sapulpa, Ok -- 14-8 (5)

8. John Voyles -- Petersburg, In -- 14-7 (5)

9. Randy Haynes -- Counce, Tn -- 14-6 (5)

10. Jay Yelas -- Corvallis, Or -- 14-3 (5)

11. Scott Canterbury -- Springville, Al -- 14-1 (5)

11. Michael Wooley -- Collierville, Tn -- 14-1 (5)

13. Scott Wiley -- Bay Minette, Al -- 13-14 (5)

14. Larry Nixon -- Bee Branch, Ar -- 13-12 (5)

15. Scott Martin -- Clewiston, Fl -- 13-11 (5)

16. Blake Nick -- Adger, Al -- 13-8 (5)

17. Tracy Adams -- Wilkesboro, NC -- 13-6 (5)

17. Clent Davis -- Montevallo, Al -- 13-6 (5)

19. William (Billy) Shelton III -- La Crosse, Va -- 13-3 (5)

20. Spencer Shuffield -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 13-1 (5)

20. Jim Tutt -- Longview, Tx -- 13-1 (5)

22. Drew Benton -- Panama City, Fl -- 13-0 (5)

22. Jimmy Brewer -- Marshall, Tx -- 13-0 (5)

24. Dave Lefebre -- Erie, Pa -- 12-15 (5)

24. Barry Wilson -- Birmingham, Al -- 12-15 (5)

26. Luke Clausen -- Spokane, Wa -- 12-11 (5)

26. Robbie Dodson -- Harrison, Ar -- 12-11 (5)

28. Matt Arey -- Shelby, NC -- 12-8 (5)

28. Jeff Gustafson -- Keewatin, On -- 12-8 (5)

28. Ishama Monroe -- Hughson, Ca -- 12-8 (5)

31. Powell Kemp -- Scotland Neck, NC -- 12-7 (5)

31. Darrel Robertson -- Jay, Ok -- 12-7 (5)

33. Mark Daniels Jr -- Tuskegee, Al -- 12-4 (5)

33. Michael Neal -- Dayton, Tn -- 12-4 (5)

33. Jimmy Reese -- Witter Springs, Ca -- 12-4 (5)

36. Stephen Patek -- Dallas, Tx -- 12-3 (5)

36. Jason Reyes -- Huffman, Tx -- 12-3 (5)

36. Jacob Wheeler -- Indianapolis, In -- 12-3 (5)

39. Austin Terry -- San Angelo, Tx -- 12-2 (5)

40. Michael Murphy -- Lexington, SC -- 12-1 (5)

41. Dion Hibdon -- Sunrise Beach, Mo -- 12-0 (5)

42. Alvin Shaw -- Roaring Gap, NC -- 11-15 (5)

43. John Devere -- Berea, Ky -- 11-14 (5)

43. Dan Morehead -- Paducah, Ky -- 11-14 (5)

43. Jim Moynagh -- Carver, Mn -- 11-14 (5)

46. Dustin Grice -- Robinson, Tx -- 11-13 (5)

47. Mark Goines -- Shady Point, Ok -- 11-12 (5)

48. Zack Birge -- Blanchard, Ok -- 11-11 (5)

48. Randy Blaukat -- Joplin, Mo -- 11-11 (5)

48. John Cox -- Debary, Fl -- 11-11 (5)

48. Rob Kilby -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 11-11 (5)

48. Bob Morin -- Seymour, Tn -- 11-11 (5)

48. Rusty Trancygier -- Hahira, Ga -- 11-11 (5)

54. Alex Davis -- Albertville, Al -- 11-10 (5)

54. Shane Lehew -- Mooresville, NC -- 11-10 (5)

56. Wesley Strader -- Spring City, Tn -- 11-9 (5)

57. Troy Broussard -- Beaumont, Tx -- 11-8 (5)

57. Clark Reehm -- Huntington, Tx -- 11-8 (5)

59. James Biggs -- Euless, Tx -- 11-7 (5)

60. Brad Knight -- Lancing, Tn -- 11-6 (5)

61. Andy Morgan -- Dayton, Tn -- 11-5 (5)

62. David Dudley -- Lynchburg, Va -- 11-4 (5)

62. Mike Surman -- Boca Raton, Fl -- 11-4 (5)

64. Michael Hall -- Annandale, Va -- 11-3 (5)

64. Cody Meyer -- Auburn, Ca -- 11-3 (5)

66. Chris Baumgardner -- Gastonia, NC -- 11-2 (5)

67. Clayton Batts -- Macon, Ga -- 11-1 (5)

67. Matthew Stefan -- Junction City, Wi -- 11-1 (5)

69. Charlie Evans -- Berea, Ky -- 11-0 (4)

70. Stacey King -- Reeds Spring, Mo -- 10-15 (5)

71. Tony Davis -- Williston, Fl -- 10-13 (5)

72. Tom Monsoor -- La Crosse, Wi -- 10-12 (5)

72. Shad Schenck -- Waynetown, In -- 10-12 (5)

72. Rodney Thomason -- Maumelle, Ar -- 10-12 (5)

75. Lendell Martin Jr -- Nacogdoches, Tx -- 10-11 (5)

75. Jeff Sprague -- Point, Tx -- 10-11 (5)

77. Jim Dillard -- West Monroe, La -- 10-10 (5)

77. Todd Hollowell -- Fishers, In -- 10-10 (5)

79. Lionel Botha -- Fort Pierce, Fl -- 10-8 (4)

79. Tim Malone -- Gatlinburg, Tn -- 10-8 (5)

79. Jason Meninger -- Gainesville, Ga -- 10-8 (5)

79. Mark Rose -- West Memphis, Ar -- 10-8 (5)

83. Anthony Gagliardi -- Prosperity, SC -- 10-7 (5)

83. Jt Kenney -- Palm Bay, Fl -- 10-7 (5)

85. Gary Yamamoto -- Palestine, Tx -- 10-5 (5)

86. David Fritts -- Lexington, NC -- 10-4 (5)

86. Pete Ponds -- Madison, Ms -- 10-4 (5)

86. Tom Redington -- Royse City, Tx -- 10-4 (5)

89. Marc Evans -- Angola, In -- 10-3 (5)

90. James Watson -- Springfield, Mo -- 10-2 (5)

91. Troy Hollowell -- Paducah, Ky -- 10-0 (5)

92. Cody Kelley -- Conway, Ar -- 9-15 (5)

92. Drew Montgomery -- Maiden, NC -- 9-15 (5)

92. Kevin Stewart -- Elk Grove, Ca -- 9-15 (5)

95. Peter Thliveros -- Saint Augustine, Fl -- 9-13 (5)

96. Glenn Chappelear -- Acworth, Ga -- 9-10 (4)

96. Dalton Cooksey -- New Concord, Ky -- 9-10 (3)

98. Brandon Cobb -- Greenwood, SC -- 9-8 (5)

98. Kyle White -- Windsor, Mo -- 9-8 (5)

100. Bryan Thrift -- Shelby, NC -- 9-6 (5)

101. Ryan Davidson -- Huntington, Wv -- 9-5 (4)

101. Chad Grigsby -- Maple Grove, Mn -- 9-5 (5)

103. Stetson Blaylock -- Benton, Ar -- 9-4 (5)

103. Rich Dalbey -- Greenville, Tx -- 9-4 (5)

103. Jonathan Newton -- Rogersville, Al -- 9-4 (5)

103. Scott Suggs -- Alexander, Ar -- 9-4 (5)

107. Tommy Martin -- Hemphill, Tx -- 9-3 (3)

108. Jason Lambert -- Pickwick Dam, Tn -- 9-2 (5)

108. Shawn Murphy -- Nicholasville, Ky -- 9-2 (4)

110. Matt Greenblatt -- Port St Lucie, Fl -- 9-0 (5)

110. Jason Johnson -- Gainesville, Ga -- 9-0 (5)

110. Stephen Mckinnie -- Umatila, Fl -- 9-0 (5)

113. Vic Vatalaro -- Kent, Oh -- 8-15 (5)

114. Jayme Rampey -- Liberty, SC -- 8-12 (5)

115. Joe Gerard -- Concordia, Ks -- 8-11 (5)

115. Bill Mcdonald -- Greenwood, In -- 8-11 (5)

117. Nick Hensley -- Cumming, Ga -- 8-10 (5)

118. Richard Lowitzki -- Hampshire, Il -- 8-9 (5)

119. Rex Huff -- Corbin, Ky -- 8-8 (4)

120. Andrew Young -- Mound, Mn -- 8-2 (5)

121. Ramie Colson Jr -- Cadiz, Ky -- 8-1 (4)

122. Harry Moore -- Valley, Al -- 7-13 (5)

123. Greg Bohannan -- Bentonville, Ar -- 7-12 (3)

124. Michael Williamson -- Fort Smith, Ar -- 7-6 (5)

125. Chris Neau -- New Orleans, La -- 7-4 (4)

125. Bill Terrell -- Memphis, Tn -- 7-4 (4)

127. Mike Boyles -- Kimberling City, Mo -- 7-0 (3)

128. David Smith -- Del City, Ok -- 6-7 (2)

129. Casey Martin -- New Hope, Al -- 6-3 (3)

130. Clay Elliott -- Ozark, Al -- 5-10 (3)

131. Kerry Milner -- Bono, Ar -- 5-8 (3)

132. Shirley Crain -- Fort Smith, Ar -- 5-3 (2)

132. Capt Blake Smith -- Lakeland, Fl -- 5-3 (2)

134. Jimmy Houston -- Cookson, Ok -- 5-0 (2)

135. Darrell Davis -- Dover, Fl -- 3-14 (2)

136. Robert Pearson -- Herndon, Va -- 3-13 (2)

137. Brandon Hunter -- Benton, Ky -- 3-8 (2)

138. Charlie Ingram -- Centerville, Tn -- 3-0 (1)

139. Terry Bolton -- Paducah, Ky -- 2-0 (1)

139. Craig Livesay -- Johnson City, Tn -- 2-0 (1)

141. Richard Peek -- Centre, Al -- 1-8 (1)

142. Todd Auten -- Lake Wylie, SC -- 1-2 (1)