Coming off his second Elite win two weeks ago at the Guaranteed Rate Bassmaster Elite at Mississippi River, and fishing a water body he’s spent his entire adult life learning, you’d think that Bryan Schmitt’s momentum and local knowledge would’ve yielded more than a 45th-place limit of 8 pounds, 5 ounces.
“Man, it’s tough right now,” Schmitt said.
In fairness, Schmitt was hardly alone in the struggle. Limits were scarce, as the Day 1 standings showed 44 on the pro side and 23 for co-anglers.
So what’s the deal? Well, oddly enough, Schmitt hails from Deale, Md., but phonetic novelties aside, his read on the bay he knows so well sheds helpful insight.
“We’ve had an east or a northeast wind for (several days) and any east wind pushes the tide really high because of the way it wraps around the coast and keeps the water from going out (fully),” Schmitt said. “Combine that with the high salinity — we had some rain during practice, but leading up to this, we hadn’t had much rain for a month, so the salinity is really high.
“When the salinity is high, the bass just don’t feed. Combine that with the (summer/fall transition) and it’s the recipe for a struggle.”
Saltwater is heavier than freshwater and when you consider daily tidal momentum, it’s easy to see how the briny stuff bullies its way far into the Chesapeake and its tributaries.
“When this happens, the fish cluster in really small areas, but they just don’t bite,” Schmitt said. “The salinity irritates them. They don’t leave their areas; they just don’t bite.”
As with most events, a few found the right quality, with Jody Gardner leading the 155-boat field with 18 pounds, 3 ounces. Double-digit bags extended down to 36th place and after that, weights precipitously dwindled.
With no significant weather changes likely during the tournament, anglers will contend with a tough fishery through Championship Saturday. It’s likely that a few more anglers will find that right combination of clarity and tide stage creating the feeding windows that offer prime opportunities.
The opportunities are typically brief, but capitalizing on such fleeting moments can deliver day-changing results.
