By Roger Trageser
If a fitting working title for day one of the 2007 Maryland Bass Federation Nation SQT was "A Mighty Wind" than let’s tag tournament winner Danny Rodriguez of Captains Choice with the title "Like a Rock". As winds pushed heavy water along most of the Maryland side of the Potomac River Danny stood his ground, worked the pounded shore and put thirty-three pounds and twelve ounces in the boat to win the event with a better than three pound margin. Partner Kelly Comer described Danny’s performance as nothing short of amazing. "I don’t know how he was able to stay in the boat" noted Kelly. "He had no seat or support post up front yet his feet seemed to be glued to the floor and he just kept firing those rattletraps at his targets". "It was all I could do to stay in the boat" Kelly commented.

Working the main river north of Mattawoman Creek Danny targeted grass and rocks with ¾ and 1 ounce traps. His primary colors were gold and red/gold combinations. Trolling motor problems presented a minor inconvenience the first day but by noon Danny had his limit and throughout the day bettered his weight with three culled fish. While their location for day two remained unchanged and the wind became a bit more tempered Danny complimented his rattletrap pattern with a ¾ ounce spinnerbait that sported gold thumper blades and again Danny’s limit was in the boat by lunch time. Danny gives a big thank you to partner Kelly Comer who himself had a great tournament and missed the cut by only a few pounds.

Guy Brothers Kevin Waterman "junk fished" on day one staying out of the wind near Mattawoman and in Occaquan Creek working docks, grass and rocks with a ¼ ounce jig and black Zoom trailer. His efforts earned him a thirteen pound bag. Heading a mile or so south of Mattawoman on day two Kevin worked topwater near and over grass and had a limit by 7:45. He managed six keepers each day and his day two weight of over seventeen pounds brought his total to thirty pounds and eight ounces.

Twenty year old Brandon Pyles is perhaps the youngest angler to make the State Team but he focused and fished like an old (well older) timer and produced a two day weight of twenty-eight pounds and eleven ounces. Finding fish south of Mattawoman and keying on rocky bottom Brandon swam a ½ ounce Cheeseburger green pumpkin jig targeting wood and small drops. Having his limit and looking to fish a more weather friendly environment Brandon ran back into Marsh Island swam his jig through the pads and picked up two more keepers. Better second day weather conditions kept Brandon on the main river below Mattawoman and above Chicamuxen Creek and gave him a limit by 7:30. Throughout the day Brandon culled at least seven of his fish. That sounds like a pretty good day to me.

Fifth-place finisher Andy Zamostny shared water with Brandon but produced his day one numbers with a white chatterbait. Not getting looks or hooks with this bait on day two Andy changed out to a chartreuse and purple backed Rapala DT-4 and began putting fish back in the boat.

Two qualifiers out of one boat is a pretty unique occurrence but James Hitt and Bob Hassler pulled it off by moving to the other side of the river and hammering the rocks in front of Leesylvania. With about eight boats sharing the area Jim put the first couple of fish in his boat with a ½ ounce white spinnerbait. Change in tide conditions focused these fish on Bob’s DT-4 which he threw in a crawfish pattern. Jim picked up similar bait and managed to score his limit. The second day crowd grew to about twenty boats but the methods and means for putting fish in the boat remained the same, white spinnerbait for a while and crankbait to finish it out. Jim finished with twenty-three pounds and ten ounces while Bob weighed in twenty-two pounds and fourteen ounces. The following comment from Jim really sums it up, "for me to get a limit both days on a heavy pressured river like the Potomac is in a word WOW. For my co-angler to also limit out both days is truly awesome. I am still in a state of shock that we have both made the State Team".

Bass Magic Bassmasters W.T. Van Metre worked both sides of the main river targeting rocks with rattletraps. W.T. hit the scales with twenty-seven pounds.