Little Brother Won On The Potomac

[everythingthatswims]

I don't get to do nearly as much bass fishing as I used to now that I'm at school, so I am living vicariously through my youngest brother Ewing. He is a freshman in high school this year, and I convinced him to join the same high school bass fishing team that I fished with during my junior and senior years. His first tournament was a state qualifier (through B.A.S.S. Nation) on the Potomac, and historically it is an incredibly tough tournament, since it is limited to Aquia and Potomac Creek, neither of which are good during late summer. The year before, I placed 3rd there out of 50+ anglers with 2 fish for 5.35lbs, so I told him it would be tough and he needed to just put his head down and fish. 

I called him as soon as they finished weighing in, and he told me he didn't catch any. He said most boats blanked, a couple boats brought in 2 or 3 fish, and one limit was weighed. He said he lost count of the channel cats he caught on a spinnerbait, and lost one fish on a senko that he said was about 4 pounds . "I saw something at the base of a bridge piling on the fishinder, so I drug a jig across it, and it was either a stump or a rock but I didn't get any bites. Later I fished it with a senko and lost the 4lber right at the boat."

2 weeks later, the high school club had a tournament at the same place. This time I sent him a nice package from Tackle Warehouse so hopefully he would have everything he needed. I sent chatterbaits and trailers to cover various water colors, brush hogs also in different colors to flip and pitch, a whopper plopper because those baits seem to be magical, and some senkos too! 

I called him again after weigh in and asked how much the fish he sent me a picture of weighed! He said it was 3.75lbs, on a senko, on the same piling with the structure on it. Then I asked what place that fish put him in. Turns out, the Potomac was REALLY tough that day, and he won! A handful of other kids landed a fish, but the nearest was a 2-something. Even boat captains were allowed to fish that day, some of them have been fishing the potomac longer than I have been alive, and only one bass was brought in by a captain. On a body of water the size of the Potomac, especially since it is tidal, it seems like the odds of finding the same fish twice 2 weeks apart is unlikely, but that sure is what it sounds like!

"When we got that fish in the net, I was shaking way more than I have from any of the bucks I've shot"

[EvanT123]

Good for your bro man. Keep focused on that school work and get a good job. You will be able to buy all the bass toys you want and enjoy your moments on the water knowing you made a sacrifice to get there. 

[buzzed bait]

that's awesome man!  good on you for sending him a TW care package too!

[RichF]

Very cool!  I've only fished on the Potomac once since moving down to Northern VA and can already tell that it can be a fickle and stingy river.  Your bro's gotta be pumped with the win.  Nice work with the "care" package too!