Sondra Rankin's Blogspot
Potomac River Blog
Sondra Rankin
I'm home!! Finally!!
I'm sure you are all wondering what happened to me on the first day of the Potomac River tournament. How could you blank on the first day, you ask? Let me explain. My luck was just nonexistent. I put my first fish in the boat not even five minutes into the tournament. It measured about 14.5 inches. (15 inch limit) It was a sign of things to come for my day. I guess you can say a bad sign of things to come!
I drew out with Harmon Davis, formerly second at the championship a few years past only to lose to David Dudley. Going into the first day of the event with Harmon, who is a great friend of mine, was exciting for me. Harmon is a great angler and I knew we would be around fish; especially when he informed me we would be flippin' grass beds and running tides all day!
Let me recap.
I was unable to practice for this event, (low on cash, imagine that... bad fishing season), but went into day one with great confidence. I'd fished the Potomac a couple years ago and I knew that not much would have changed in presentation since then. The Potomac is a tidal river and the key to fishing this body of water is running with the drop in the tide. When the grass tops the surface of the water first is where you would want to start and keep moving to your next stops when the grass there begins to top the surface at those locations also. The key bites tend to come either flippin' the mats or the pockets or throwing a top water, whether it be a toad or a popper bait. Saying this, I felt very confident that if I drew a partner fishing in this pattern, I would catch fish.
Back to Harmon. We caught a lot on the first day. Oh, yes! We did! Unfortunately, the fish were laughing at me. Harmon would catch a keeper, I'd catch a short. Harmon would catch a keeper, I'd catch a short. We were fishing the same water. The same presentations on and off. He would catch a keeper, I'd catch a short. This season has really humbled me, I assure you!
But it gets worse! The first part of the morning I noticed a little sneezing attack. I didn't think much of it at first, but it gets worse. I didn't stop sneezing until I fell asleep that night!! Now, I'm not one for having allergic reactions to anything, HOWEVER, something that we stumbled into really got me. My right eye began to swell to the point I eventually couldn't see out of it. I began sneezing so uncontrollably that tears and sinus were just literally draining down my face. I kid you not, it was like somebody turned a faucet on blast and walked away from it! I was miserable! Absolutely miserable! Oh, and of course catching shorts all day added to my misery. I kept plugging along. I'm a sport, right?
After a good nights rest I felt much better going into day two of this event. I knew with the weights that were being weighed in, it would be nothing short of a miracle for me to make a top ten. However, with this type of fishery, I knew I could still cut a check with one big bite and a limit.
I fished with Jim Moynagh of Team BP the second day. We had a blast! My allergy had passed. The fish were biting GOOD for us and I was back on track! Jim's strategy for us was to fish near the release area (a very popular technique I might add), and try and catch a limit. We both caught a limit but found it VERY hard to leave. The fish just kept coming and coming and coming... We seldom had a lull where there weren't any bites! Jim was throwing a pop R and swimming a "swim jig" through the grass. I sat behind the boat and tossed a Berkley Gulp! Sinking Minnow in the pockets and a chatterbait. The key to the chatterbait was to make long cast and roll slowly and then rip it through the grass when you felt it ball up. I was using the new Spiderwire Ultracast braid with my chatterbait and let me tell ya', I could literally rip this thing through the grass with absolutely NO effort whatsoever! I caught the majority of my fish on a white Berkley Jerk Shad with a 5.0 hook. I was using 15lb G-String and fishing this fluke very slow, allowing the bait to fall into the pockets, then "twitching" it through the grass. I had such a great day! I was set up well and had so much fun with Jim. I believe he had around 18 lbs. by the end of the day and I had 11.11 lbs. in weight. We each had five fish.
All in all, the event was great! I placed 104th (not bad considering I blanked the first day), and was overall happy with my execution. I converted all my bites. I made good decisions. I had good company both days of the event and earned another 96 points! Unfortunately, I won't be making the championship this year. :( I haven't really done the math, but I've only cut one check. That's not the kind of consistency that gets you in the cut!
I was able to fish in the heart of my nation's capital. Washington, D. C., where it all happens. Spending a few hours on Sunday before the fun zone started, I was able to once again do a bit of sight seeing. The monuments, the White House, the Capitol Building, the memorials......all of the things that make our country as grand as it is, such a special place in my memory I hold for my nation's foundation!
What a phenomenal job I have!! I fish, I travel, I appreciate; these are my passions.
God bless,
Sondra Rankin
sondrarankin.com