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Washington, D.C. – The third day of the Wal-Mart FWL Tour event on the Potomac River is now in the record books. After two great days of fishing, the top ten competitors erased their weights and moved to the Nation’s Capitol for the final rounds. The relocation of the launch site resulted in less fishing time for the pros and less weight brought to the stage.
Even with the minimum length limit lowered to 12 inches on Saturday, the increase travel time and uncooperative tidal conditions hurt the overall performance. Launching their boats out off Anacostia Park meant the competitors had to navigate no wake areas and run at least 35 miles to find fishable water. In stead of eight hours of fishing time, the pros said they only had about 5 hours to actually get a bait wet.
Regardless of the conditions, the remaining anglers all had an equal shot at catching enough weight to walk away with the $125,000.00 top prize.
Chris Baumgardner best the other nine competitors on Saturday with a limit of Potomac bass that totaled 16-07. The North Carolina angler will take a one pound lead into the final day.
Top Ten
1. Chris Baumgardner 16-07
2. David Dudley 15-07
3. Bobby Lane 12-15
4. Ken Wick 12-13
5. Jerry Williams 11-15
6. Mark Davis 11-09
7. Jack Wade 10-14
8. Sandy Melvin 10-04
9. Shad Schenk 8-13
10. Ray Scheide 7-12
Baumgardner First in D.C.
Chris Baumgardner is enjoying a good week on the Potomac River. With a combine weight of 34 pounds over the first two days --his second day limit of 18-10 included the tournament’s heaviest bass at 7-06—Chris landed squarely in the top ten. On Saturday he culled through 10 keeper bites to put 16-07 on the scoreboard and he will take a one pound lead into Sunday’s final round.
“The weights were a little off today,” said the Yamaha pro. “We are not getting the best tides and that makes the fishing tougher.” On the first two days Chris focused on an area cover with lily pads. The high water conditions today made fishing those pads difficult for the North Carolina pro. “I couldn’t get bit in there and had to make a move to my secondary spot,” he said. “I was able to put together a decent limit off that one spot and I will probably go back there tomorrow.
His back up area is a large grass patch cover with the ever-present milfoil. Chris used a Chatterbait tipped with a Zoom Speed craw to catch the majority of his fish. When asked about what it will take to win this event, Chris responded, “I’ll take another 16 pounds. I know there are some better weights out there, but the tides are getting tougher and I think the bite will continue to drop off.”
Dudley Doing Right
The key all week for Virginia pro David Dudley has been being in the right spot at the right time. “First you have to be in the right area when the tide is right,” he said. “Then you have to understand where the current will position the fish.”
David has done the right things over the first three days of the FLW Tour event on the Potomac River. He brought in 12-12 on day one and followed that up with a 20-7 limit on day two. Saturday, he again was able to hit the sweet spots and put a limit in the bought that totaled 15-07. “I fished three different ways each day f the tournament,” Dudley revealed. “Tomorrow, I will probably stick with what worked on Saturday and hope for the best.”
He feels the weights on Sunday should remain consistent and another 15 pound limit will give him a chance for his fifth FLW victory. “I know Chris (Baumgardner) didn’t have a strong day as far as number of fish goes and I think his weight could fall off. I just hope I can catch a solid limit tomorrow and we will see what happens.”
Lane Hanging in There
Bobby Lane started the day in second and only fell one spot after the weigh-in concluded. His day three weight of 12-15 left him in third, but more than three pounds off the lead. “I caught more keepers today than any day of the tournament so far,” said the Florida pro. “The quality wasn’t there. Instead of catch four pound fish, I was culling through two pounders.”
Bobby started the day trying a few new areas, but ultimately ended up back in his honey-hole after struggling early. “It is a half mile long grass flat with a mixture of milfoil and hydrilla,” he said. “The tide really effects how I work the area.” Bobby stated the low-tide has been the most productive for him because it mats the grass and makes presenting the bait easier. “The fish don’t really move as the water gets lower, it is just easier to pick you spots and out the bait in front of them.”
Bobby is hoping for a win, but knows it will be tough to make up the three pound deficit. “Hopefully I haven’t caught all the better fish out of this area. One or two quality bites will go a long way towards winning this event.”
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