The only other time Bryan Thrift fished the Potomac River he did not fare very well, not even making a check. The 2010 FLW Tour Angler of the Year is hoping to do a lot better in the FLW Tour Open this week on the river that flows by the Nation’s Capitol.

It’s going to be a matter of finding those quality bites, Thrift said after several days of practice on the Potomac.

“I’ve caught a good many fish, but I have not caught the size I need to be catching,” he said. “It’s not a lot of trouble to get bites – it’s just hard to come by the 3- to 4-pound bites.”

The weather is hot, Thrift noted, and the water appears dirtier than the last time he fished the Potomac, probably from all the recent rains in the area. The main feature of the river as far as the bass are concerned, he said, is the grass.

“In the lakes around the house (Shelby, N.C.) we don’t have grass. There is not much grass in the North Carolina lakes. It’s nice to get out and fish where they don’t kill the grass.”

While the Potomac grass does not appear to be as green and healthy as it should be this time of year, Thrift said the bass are still using it.

“You can catch fish on just about anything – flipping, topwater – you can get bit on about anything you throw if you throw it long enough,” he said.

After winning the 2010 AOY title, Thrift started the season off this year with a bang, winning the first FLW Major on Beaver Lake in March and taking 5^th at Lake Hartwell later that same month. He finished 38^th in the first FLW Open on Lake Okeechobee in February, but earned a check.

However, his stocked dropped in his last two outings, both FLW Majors on Lake Chickamauga in April and the Red River in May, finishing out of the money in both tournaments.

“So far as making a living goes it has been a good year so far,” he said. “I’ve made enough to pay the bills ($156,000 so far this year), but the last couple of tournaments have not been that great for me. But it’s not really a letdown from Angler of the Year. In five tournaments I’ve made two top fives and cashed checks in three of the tournaments – and that is always good.”

Thrift said he is fishing both the Majors and the Opens on the FLW Tour this year – 11 tournaments in all – to increase his chances at earning win money.

“This is my job and you need to fish as much as you can to make a living doing this. I figure the more chances I take the better off I am,” he said. “It’s not really a grind. We usually have a week to two weeks between tournaments so there is time to get back home and have a week or two to get everything ready for the next tournament.”

Winning the AOY title helped boost his earning ability, he said.

“I got on the Chevy Team this year and I am proud to represent them and enjoy fishing for them. My other main sponsors are Damiki – I’ve been with them for three years – and The Great Outdoors (www.teamgreatoutdoors.com) in Cherryville, N.C., which is one of the best tackle stores in the country as far as bait selection. They specialize in carrying baits that not a lot of people carry, including a lot of hand-made baits and hard to find baits.”

Thrift said he plans to fish hard and cover a lot of water on Thursday, the first day of the Potomac River tournament.

“I hope I can hit a little wad of fish. It seems like you go a while without bites, but when you catch one you can catch a couple of them.”

Then he will be home for a week before leaving for Kentucky Lake for the fifth FLW Tour Major of the year.

FLW Tour

Potomac River

National Harbor Marina

Jun 2-5, 2011

www.flwoutdoors.com