WVU Anglers Win Potomac River Tournament

Two student anglers at West Virginia University have claimed the school’s first victory in a nationally sanctioned bass tournament.   Corey Straight from Fairmont and Corey Hill of Moundsville teamed up last weekend to win the Northern Division Tournament of the FLW College Fishing Series on the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland.

"We had a pretty good day fishing," said Straight a sophomore majoring in biology. "They were biting good and biting hard.  Basically if you threw something in the little holes in the weeds, you’d know when they hit. They took off with it."

For Straight, it was his first time on the Potomac River.  Partner Corey Hill had fished there a year ago in the same tournament.   Their pre-fishing plan didn’t pan out, since the tides were completely opposite on tournament day.    With only a six hour fishing day, the pair had to make a decision.

"The figured we better not make a half-hour run and waste the time so we looked for the closest grass mat with current and we found one in Mattawoman Creek," Hill said. "We found that one and just stayed in there all day."

"Corey’s really confident in fishing Senkos and the way the tide was the grass was all standing up so you couldn’t run anything else through it," Hill said. "He caught one in the first five minutes we were there, so I thought must be the ticket.  I put one on and we never stopped."

By days end the duo fishing in Gold and Blue had boated nearly 30-keepers and had a stringer that tipped the weigh-in scales at 14lbs, 5oz giving them better than a 2-pound average per fish.

"That’s REALLY good fishing for us," Hill laughed.  "We had a pro who was taking us around in his boat and he talked about all these great fisheries he’d fished catching three and four pounders.  We told him we’re from West Virginia and when it’s hot we’re happy just to get six bites of keeper smallmouth."

Hill and Straight picked small holes in the grass mat, rarely larger than six inches and dropped the slow falling Senko rigged Texas style and weed less into them.  The hits came quickly after the bait would start to fall.

It’s the first time WVU’s team wins a nationally sanctioned tournament since the FLW College Fishing Series began.   A year ago, the team from Fairmont State won the same tournament.   This year, FSU took 7th place.

"It was an awesome feeling to be the first team to do that," said Straight.

"Yeah, it was really cool," said Hill. "It’s something I’ll never forget."

The victory qualifies Straight and Hill to fish the Regional Championship at Lake Jordan, North Carolina later this year for the chance to fish the College Fishing National Championship. 

 Photo: FLW Tournament Trail