BRANSON, Mo. (March 4, 2010) - Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., caught a 5-bass limit weighing 22 pounds, 2 ounces Thursday to capture the lead on day two of the FLW Tour bass fishing tournament on Table Rock Lake. His two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 38-pounds, 8-ounces gives him a commanding lead in the tournament which features 148 pros and 148 co-anglers from across the United States.
"I can't wait to go fishing tomorrow, I am just so excited," said Ehrler, who is coming off an FLW Series National Guard Western Division win at Lake Shasta in January. "I had a great day today, I found two great areas and wanted to quit at noon. I also had a couple of random lucky bites that really helped me tip the scales this afternoon."
Ehrler is fishing an underwater point and says he has fished hundreds of spots like it, but none with the amount of fish he is seeing here. The area is a ledge where the water goes from deep to shallow with plenty of brush and trees. He is using reaction baits to haul in his stringers.
"I haven't had a chance to pick the area apart yet so I haven't figured out what makes it so special; but the area is full of fish. I am getting a lot of bites with some big ones mixed in. Although I did not get my big one in that area today, I know they are there. I am looking forward to fishing it tomorrow and hopefully wearing it out on Saturday," added Ehrler.
"I have never had more fun netting fish than today," said Ehler's co-angler Ken Keirsey of Owasso, Okla. who currently sits tied for 67th place. "And truth be told, he wanted to quit at eight! He is just an awesome angler and so much fun to fish with, I had a great time."
Mike Wurm of Hot Springs, Ark., is in second on the pro side with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 30-3.
"I'm just doing what I love to do," said Wurm. "I'm using a finesse jig with a spinner rod and 10-pound braid line.
"I am being very slow and deliberate with my presentation; if you're barely moving you're moving too much. I am running about 45 miles to an area with a stretch of three to four banks that have worked well for me so far this week. I am just hoping it holds up. As we all know anything can happen at Table Rock Lake. Someone could bring in a 22-25 pound sack and blow us all out of the water."
Rounding out the top-10 pros after day two on Table Rock Lake are:
3rd: Greg Pugh, Cullman, Ala., four bass, 10-8 for a two day total of nine bass, 29-3
4th: Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., five bass, 14-3 for a two day total of 10 bass, 29-0
5th: Dion Hibdon, Stover, Mo., five bass, 21-2 for a two day total of seven bass, 25-10
6th: Scott Martin, Clewiston, Fla., 2 bass 11-1 for a 2 day total of 7 bass, 25-8
7th: Robert Harkness, Elizabeth, W.Va., five bass, 13-5 for a two day total of 10 bass, 25-7
8th: Mark Rose, Marion, Ark., five bass, 12-13 for a two day total of 10 bass, 25-0
9th: Joe Thomas, Milford, Ohio, three bass, 9-8 for a two day total of eight bass, 24-15
10th: Ron Shuffield, Bismarck, Ark., five bass, 15-6 for a two day total of eight bass, 24-11
Overall there were 232 bass weighing 648 pounds, caught on the pro side Thursday. The catch included 12 five-bass limits.
FLW Outdoors sports a full field consisting of 150 of the nation's top pro anglers who will compete in the entire 2010 FLW Tour season. Due to family emergencies two pros had to drop out of the Table Rock event where anglers are competing for a top award of up to $125,000, which will still be based on the full 150 boat field and will feature a full payback through 50th place. Anglers are also vying for valuable points in the hope of qualifying for the Forrest Wood Cup. This year's Cup will be held Aug. 5- 8 at Lake Lanier in Atlanta, Ga., where pros could win as much as $600,000 - the sport's biggest award.
Shane Melton of Greentown, Ind., has a narrow lead in the Co-angler Division with two-day total of eight bass weighing 20 pounds, 8 ounces, followed by Brad Roberts of Nancy, Ky., in second place with six bass weighing 19-9.
"I have been very fortunate to have drawn two anglers that are the best in the business," said Melton. "Yesterday was amazing and I am just excited to go back out there tomorrow."
Melton caught five bass weighing 13-9 while fishing with pro Bryan Thrift of Shelby, N.C., Wednesday and three bass weighing 6-15 while fishing with pro Mark Rose of Marion, Ark., Thursday.
Second place Roberts weighed in a monster bag at 16 pounds and 9 ounces.
"We started in dirty water about eight to 10-feet deep," said Roberts, who was fishing with pro Jason Cordiale of Orinda, Calif. "I caught a big fish early so my pro and I knew we were in an area that had fish and we just tried to key in on them. I was using a Cumberland Pro 3/8" casting jig in an oops color. I actually culled twice."
Rounding out the top-10 co-anglers are:
3rd: Todd Lee, Jasper, Ala., one bass, 4-2 for a two day total of four bass, 13-0
4th: Darrell Mitchell, Taneyville, Mo., zero bass for a two day total of four bass, 12-10
5th: Mike Foree, Osage Beach, Mo., three bass, 6-13 for a two day total of five bass, 11-10
6th: Chad Parks, Olive Branch, Miss., one bass, 2-7 for a two day total of five bass, 11-3
7th: Teddy Bradley, Mishawaka, Ind., one bass, 2-0 for a two day total of five bass, 10-13
8th: Jason Law, Waycross, Ga., one bass, 3-0 for a two day total of two bass, 9-10
9th: Steve Meador, Bella Vista, Ark., two bass, 3-11 for a two day total of five bass, 9-5
10th: Sean Stepp, Stafford, Va., zero bass for a two day total of two bass, 8-13
Overall there were 76 bass weighing 199 pounds, 2 ounces caught by the co-anglers Thursday. The catch included one five-bass limit.
Co-anglers are fishing for a top award of up to $25,000 this week plus valuable points that could help them qualify for the 2010 Forrest Wood Cup.
Anglers will take off from Table Rock State Park Marina located at 380 State Park Marina Road (Highway 165 South) in Branson at 7 each morning. Friday's weigh-in will be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday's final weigh-in will be held at the Branson Convention center located at 200 West Main Street in Branson beginning at 4 p.m.
Fans will be treated to a Family Fun Zone & Outdoor Expo at the Branson Convention Center on Friday from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. and Saturday prior to the final weigh-in from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be a drawing for a Can-Am ATV and rod and reel combos will be given to the first 300 kids under 14 in attendance on Saturday. The Family Fun Zone & Outdoor Expo includes Ranger boat simulators, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by sponsors, and the opportunity to learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public.