Richard Lee Allen focused on the surface to win the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series, operated by American Bass Anglers, Maryland Division 21 tournament, held August 14, 2010, on the Potomac River out of Smallwood State Park in Marbury.
Recent rains caused the Potomac River to run high, inundating many weed beds. Under mostly cloudy conditions, the 49-year-old angler from Westminster, Md., worked a frog-colored Pop-R over the tops of weeds. Allen landed five bass weighing 16.21 pounds for the win. Catching about 17 keepers, he also tied for the Boater Division big bass title with a 5.12-pounder. He pocketed $3,190 for the win and a bonus for half the big bass pot.
"We ran up to Bryan's Cove," Allen explained. "The grass was so thick and matted that I couldn't get to where I wanted to fish. However, there were some holes in the grass, some as big as a garbage can lid and some as big as a half a house. Every hole had fish. I threw a frog-colored Pop-R to the back of the hole. I caught the big one on the second cast of the day. It spit up a bunch of shiners. I threw a senko intermittently, but didn't do so well on it."
Earning $100 per pound for his fish, Michael Callahan, 32, of Winchester, Va., placed second with a five-bass tournament limit going 15.95 pounds to collect $1,595. He also threw topwater baits. He caught about 15 keepers with the smallest breaking two pounds.
"I caught my three biggest fish on a Pop-R first thing in the morning over the grass," Callahan said. "After that, I used rattling baits on the outside edges of the grass beds."
Christiana Bradley of Bealeton, Va., also landed a five-bass bag and tied with Allen for division lunker honors. Her catch weighed 15.39 pounds with a 5.12-pound kicker. She fished watermelon red senkos in the grass. Besides taking home a share of the big bass pot, she also earned a bonus as the top Triton Gold finisher.
"In practice, I figured out the places not to fish," Bradley. "I fished close this morning. I caught three at the first spot and moved to another spot. I caught about eight keepers all day."
Stephan Mayr of Nanjemoy, Md., took fourth among the boaters with five bass for 15.03 pounds with a 4.17-pound kicker. Rounding out the top five, Bill Kramer of Gaithersburg, Md., landed five bass hitting an even 15 pounds.
In the Co-Angler Division, Fakruddin Rahimi of Falls Church, Va., landed three bass for 9.85 pounds. He anchored that stringer with a 5.37-pounder, earning $1,595.
"I caught everything on a senko," Rahimi said. "The water was high and not going anywhere. We found one clean spot."
West Donley of Woodbridge, Va., took second among the co-anglers with a three-bass division limit weighing 9.36 pounds, including a 3.93-pounder. Lenny Baird of Stafford, Va., followed with three bass and 9.27 pounds. Eric Bombick of Woodbridge, Va., anchored his three-bass, 9-pound bag with a 5.72-pounder to take tournament lunker honors. In fifth, James Caruso of Millersville, Md., caught three bass at 8.94 pounds with one 3.93-pounder.
About American Bass Anglers: The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series provides weekend anglers a professionally operated competitive tour with a path the world championship of bass fishing the Bassmaster Classic. American Bass Anglers commitment is to provide low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers and the American Fishing Tour, The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series, The American 150 Series or the American Couples Series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.
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