This past weekend, the Washington Bass Federation (TBF) and the Columbia Basin Bass Club joined forces for an exciting tournament at Potholes Reservoir. Anglers from both groups fished side-by-side, blending teamwork and competition in a challenging day on the water. The bite was tough, but the top teams rose to the occasion, adapting to tricky conditions and posting some impressive bags at this renowned Eastern Washington fishery.
A Test of Skill and Patience
Potholes Reservoir greeted anglers with near-full-pool water levels, a chilly 38-degree morning, and a bite that proved elusive for many. Locals who’d racked up 20-pound practice bags struggled on tournament day, with some failing to boat a limit. The weather threw a curveball, but the collaboration between TBF and the Columbia Basin Bass Club shone through as anglers battled it out.
Top Performers
Here’s how the leaderboard shaped up:
- First Place: Casey Cisneros and Nick Blasdel led the pack with five fish weighing 18.2 pounds, including a 5.25-pound kicker. Their haul earned them 225 points each.
- Second Place: TBF’s James Castillo and Tyler Wipf landed five fish at 16.66 pounds, boosted by a 5.9-pound big fish—the second-heaviest of the day—for 217 points apiece.
- Third Place: River Lawson and Tyler Lawson brought in five fish totaling 16.31 pounds, securing 210 points each.
- Fourth Place: TBF teammates Cody McKenna and Adrian Gimenez weighed five fish at 16.18 pounds, including a 4.06-pound big fish, earning 204 points each. Their day unfolded with grit and ingenuity—more on that below.
- Fifth Place: Solo angler Austin Sandmahn rounded out the top five with five fish at 15.55 pounds, featuring a 4.35-pound standout, for 199 points.
Further down, Scott Gregory and Jordan Gregory posted 15.08 pounds (194 points each), Rickey Hamilton and Gray Blackburn weighed 14.67 pounds (189 points each), and Santos Garza and Isaiah Garza brought in 14.06 pounds with a 3.78-pound big fish (184 points each). TBF’s Monte Bowden, fishing solo, landed five fish at 13.87 pounds, including the tournament’s biggest at 6.07 pounds, for 179 points.
Fourth Place: A Journey of Adaptation
Cody McKenna and Adrian Gimenez gave a play-by-play of their fourth-place finish. “The water was around full pool—our first time fishing it that high,” McKenna said. “It was 38 in the morning, so we started deeper on the grass line edge, covering water. I threw a chatterbait, Adrian a spinnerbait. In the first 10 minutes, I caught two fish, and we thought power fishing was it.”
Then the bite vanished. “After Adrian landed a spinnerbait fish in the first hour, it DIED. Couldn’t buy a bite,” McKenna said. Gimenez pinpointed the sweet spot: “Warmer stained water was key—47-50 degrees, slightly brown. Not green, not blue, no snot grass.”
They shifted tactics, moving shallow to flip wood. “After hours of nothing, Adrian flipped at a tree and boated a 4-pounder right under the boat. He flipped it so fast I barely reacted,” McKenna recalled. At the dunes, fishing points, McKenna missed a chatterbait strike but recovered: “I tossed a wacky worm in, and it got hit immediately—a 3.5-pounder for our first cull.” In a wood-heavy cove where others blanked, “Adrian cast at a tree base and jacked another 4-pounder, culling a 2.3 for 15.62,” McKenna said.
Gimenez stressed patience: “As it warms up, the bite usually picks up—fish move or get active.” He added, “Toughest day on Potholes Cody and I ever had. Sixteen pounds this time of year doesn’t usually cash, but the weather hurt the bite. Locals sacked 20 in practice and came in short.” McKenna noted, “At weigh-in, everyone said the bite was TOUGH. Most didn’t have five. We were ounces from second and third, 1.5 from first.” Gimenez reflected, “With practice, we’d have stayed deeper in the channel—most females were likely still there.”
Chasing the Big Prize
For TBF anglers, these points count toward the Angler of the Year award and the National Championship Finals, where Washington takes on Oregon for a nationals berth. McKenna shared their plan: “We’re hitting as many TBF events as we can, aiming for first as a team to auto-qualify for nationals—a new rule this year. With two 99s and a 96, we’re in good shape. Next is the Lake WA big bass in a couple weeks—we’re all-in to win it!”
A Collaborative Triumph
The Potholes Reservoir tournament was a tough but rewarding showcase of skill and teamwork between the Washington Bass Federation and Columbia Basin Bass Club. From Cisneros and Blasdel’s top bag to Bowden’s 6.07-pound beast, the anglers made the most of a stingy day. Congrats to all who fished, and best of luck to the TBF crew as they pursue championship dreams!
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