Fishing the Potomac River is not your average day on the water. After all, fish the wrong spot too long and your boat won’t even be in the water anymore, as the daily tides change the water levels three feet.
Yet, there are plenty of pros who have figured out the Potomac’s roller coaster. Let’s start crunching the data to discover who these guys are in time for the FLW Tour event this weekend.
There are some big-name locals that many will feel need to be watched in David Dudley and Jacob Powroznik. Their averages may say otherwise. In the last five years, Dudley has been, well, Dudley. He’s a certified beast with a 936.473 average in his last three tournaments on the river. His average dips to 844.314 if you expand over the last 11 years, which is still an average most pros would kill for on any body of water. Powroznik? Not so much at 517.456 over the last five years. He has a 19th and a 20th, but he also has a number of finishes in the hundreds. I think you know which pro to pick for your fantasy team.
As good a pick as Dudley should be, Dave Lefebre may be better. His last five tournaments there read like a highlight film — fourth, 32nd, third, 13th, 20th. Oh, and he won there back in 2007. My Spidey senses tell me there are a lot of reasons to watch him.
Chris Baumgardner is another guy to highlight. He had two mediocre finishes in 2011 on the Potomac, but before that he finished seventh, 30th, first, second and 15th. I’m calling 2011 a fluke.
Someone who may fly under the radar is Clark Wendlandt. In four tournaments there since 2000, he has a top 20 and two top 10s. Yet, his latest effort was a 70th, hence the overlooking.
Of course, everyone will have Luke Clausen on their radars after he won last year, but don’t be stunned if he was a one-year wonder. His other two tournaments on the Potomac since 2000: 31st and 123rd.
Shinichi Fukae is a solid bet lately, with a pair of top 20s his last two trips to the river. And Andy Morgan has a pair of near top 10s to go with some middle-of-the-pack finishes.
Some other names to keep on your radar because of their averages the last five years are, no surprise, Brent Ehrler (756.988), John Voyles (751.391) and Clifford Pirch (750.977).
