MARBURY, Md. – Charles County, Maryland, and the Potomac River are a long way from the shallow, off‑the‑grid hidey‑holes that Keith Poche grew up fishing in Natchitoches, Louisiana. But Poche once again proved that shallow backwaters are shallow backwaters, regardless of what state they’re located in – and there are very few anglers in the world who are better than Poche at the shallow‑water game when money is on the line.
Poche sacked up the biggest bag of the event – 18 pounds, 10 ounces – on the final day of the Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Northern Division kickoff on the Potomac River, securing the victory with a three‑day total of 50‑8. That put him more than 3 pounds clear of runner‑up Brody Campbell, who finished with 47‑3. Harmon Marien (46‑9), Nathan Reynolds (46‑3) and Jonathan Kelley (45‑12) rounded out the top five.
Poche led the event from wire to wire, weighing the second‑biggest bag of the tournament (17‑14) on Day 1, stumbling slightly with 14‑0 on Day 2 while still holding the lead, and cementing his fifth MLF win with an exclamation point on the final day – catching the bulk of his 18‑pound bag by 9:30 a.m. The win marks Poche’s second trophy in two years on East Coast tidal rivers, following his Pro Circuit victory on the James River in 2025, and the ninth time in his career he’s finished in the money on Eastern tidal fisheries.
Poche was unavailable for comment before publication. Check back later this week at MajorLeagueFishing.com for a complete rundown of his winning performance, including details on his pattern, key baits and tournament strategy.
Final Results – Top 10 Pros
1st: Keith Poche, Cecil, Ala., 15 bass, 50‑8, $37,166
2nd: Brody Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, 15 bass, 47‑3, $15,902 (includes $1,000 Phoenix Bonus)
3rd: Harmon Marien, Eagle River, Wis., 15 bass, 46‑5, $11,400
4th: Nathan Reynolds, Nashville, Tenn., 15 bass, 46‑3, $9,291
5th: Jonathan Kelley, Old Forge, Pa., 15 bass, 45‑12, $8,362
6th: Bryan Labelle, Hinesburg, Vt., 15 bass, 45‑9, $7,433
7th: Eddie Levin, Westerville, Ohio, 15 bass, 44‑8, $6,504
8th: J.D. Chandler, Liberty, Texas, 15 bass, 44‑2, $5,575
9th: Hayden O’Barr, Scottsboro, Ala., 15 bass, 43‑0, $4,646
10th: Jonathan Lang, Joppa, Md., 15 bass, 41‑11, $3,717
Big Bass and Co‑Angler Winner
Brody Campbell earned Thursday’s $500 Berkley Big Bass with a 4‑15, while Safu Rana won Friday’s $500 award with a 5‑2. In the co‑angler division, Kade Wesner of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, took the title with 15 bass weighing 42‑11, earning a Phoenix 518 Pro boat with a 115‑horsepower Mercury outboard. Wesner also leads the Northern Division Co‑Angler of the Year race with 260 points.
The next Toyota Series Northern Division event is at the St. Lawrence River, July 30‑Aug. 1 in Massena, New York. The 2026 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 5‑7 on Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tennessee.
Proud sponsors of the 2026 MLF Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats include: 7 Brew, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Black Buffalo, BUBBA, Cigars International, Epic Baits, Grizzly, Mercury, MillerTech, OFF! Deep Woods, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, PirahnO2, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, VOSKER, YETI and Yuengling.
For complete details and updated information, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
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