By MLF Communications Staff

CHARLES COUNTY, Md. – The MLF Bass Pro Tour continues its 2025 season this week with an event the Potomac River. Competition days are Thursday through Sunday.

Hosted by the Charles County Government, Dept. of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism, the four-day event will feature 66 of the top professional anglers in the world competing for a $150,000 top prize, a share of the $6.49 million season purse, and valuable AOY points in hopes of qualifying for the General Tire Heavy Hitters all-star event and REDCREST 2026, the Bass Pro Tour championship.

The tournament will feature the MLF catch, weigh, immediate-release format, in which anglers catch as much weight as they can each day while also feeling the pressure and intensity of the ScoreTracker leaderboard.

Although the Potomac River has long played host to numerous MLF events across different circuits, this event will mark the first time that the BPT has visited the historic fishery. Few anglers in the 66-angler field know the tidal fishery better than Justin Lucas. The Alabama pro owns a previous tour-level victory on the Potomac in 2016 and he fully expects the river to showcase its classic early summer form.

“I think this one is going to be standard postspawn Potomac River grass fishing,” Lucas said. “Everything’s going to be related to grass, whether it’s low tide or high tide. Docks and wood might play a little bit, but to catch numbers like our format calls for, you’re going to have to find the biggest populations on the grass flats.”

With fewer boats in the BPT format than previous major events on the Potomac, Lucas hopes the fishery may feel a bit more open.

“I’m hoping with 66 people it’ll fish a little bigger than it normally does with 100-plus boat fields. But the reality is, it’s still a place where it’s hard to hide,” he said. “If you see someone catch one in practice, you instantly know there’s fish there, and that draws guys to the same areas. Some anglers might find something in the back of a creek where they’re a little more hidden, but the question is whether that can hold up over four days.”

When it comes to baits, Lucas is leaning into tried-and-true grass weapons.

“I’ll definitely have a wacky-rigged (Berkley PowerBait) MaxScent 5-inch General tied on – no doubt that’s going to play,” he said. “I’ll also have a Berkley Swamp Lord frog, and then you’ll see some topwater, soft plastics, and probably a few vibrating jigs or swimjigs mixed in.”

As for weights, Lucas predicts plenty of fish catches – and some strong totals. He added that the timing of the event may benefit the field.

“I think a solid day will be somewhere around 20 to 40 fish,” he said. “I’d guess something like 40 pounds a day will be pretty solid, and maybe 70 or 80 pounds leading. There haven’t been any really big tournaments here yet this year. It hasn’t been hammered yet, so that should help the fishing.”

Ultimately, Lucas believes success next week will come down to managing tides and timing.

“Maximizing your time on the tides will be key,” he said. “When your window’s gone, you’re going to have to move more than you might in a five-fish format. You’re not going to be able to afford to just wait them out in this one.”

Anglers will launch at 7:15 a.m. ET each day from Smallwood State Park, located at 2750 Sweden Point Road in Marbury, Md. Takeouts will be held at the same location beginning at 3:45 p.m. daily. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and takeout events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW! livestream and ScoreTracker coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.

On Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., MLF welcomes fans of all ages to visit the Village Green Park, located at 100 Walter Thomas Road in Indian Head, Md., for the Hooked! on the Potomac Festival and MLF Fan Experience and Watch Party. Fans can watch the pros live on the MLFNOW! big screen, enjoy free dessert, enter to win giveaways, listen to live music from country music artist Megan Barker, and cheer on their favorite pros. The first 50 kids 14 and under will receive a free rod and reel each day. The event also includes a youth casting contest. The Bass Pro Tour anglers, along with the PAW Patrol’s Skye and Marshall, will be on hand both days to meet and greet fans, sign autographs and take selfies.

The tournament will feature anglers competing with a 1-pound, 8-ounce minimum weight requirement for a bass to be deemed scorable. The MLF Fisheries Management Division determines minimum weights for each body of water that the BPT visits, based on the productivity, bass population and anticipated average size of fish in each fishery.

The full field of anglers will compete in the two-day Qualifying Round on Thursday and Friday. When that's complete, the pro with the heaviest two-day total will advance directly to Sunday’s Championship Round. Anglers who finish 2nd through 20th will advance to Saturday’s Knockout Round, when weights are zeroed and the remaining anglers compete to finish in the Top 9 to advance to Sunday’s Championship Round. In the Championship Round, weights are again zeroed and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $150,000.

The MLFNOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee and J.T. Kenney will break down the extended action live on all four days of competition from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. MLFNOW! will be livestreamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.