Shaky Head

By Wayne Smelser

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Name: JEFF FREEMAN

AGE: 38

Family: wife and 3 kids

Home Town: MAX MEADOWS

State: Virginia

Bass Club: WYTHE COUNTY BASSMASTERS

Sponsors: TRITON LIMBSHAKER CUSTOM CALLS,POWELL RODS, ANGLERS CHOICE, ROBOWORM , HI-SEAS LINE, DLW LURES,ROCK HOUSE MARINA,FAMILY

Number of Years Fishing: 25

Favorite Lake: LAKE MURRAY

Favorite Fishing Tech & Tips: FINESS

Tournament Trails Fish: BASS,FLW,BFL,ANGLERS CHOICE,FEDERATION,FISHERS OF MEN,

Fishing Highlights: 2 BASSMASTER CLASSICS,FEDERATION NATIONALS 3 TIMES

Fishing Goals: TO WIN THE BASSMASTER CLASSIC

Fishing Tips: KEEP IT WET!!!!!

Saturday, March 06, 2010

Photo: FLW Outdoors/Brett Carlson Brent Ehrler said this victory is a personal triumph – he proved something to himself.

A total of 149 FLW Tour pros launched this week at Table Rock Lake in Missouri. Twelve of them never caught a keeper over 3 days. Half of them averaged 4 pounds a day. But California pro Brent Ehrler posted a mind-boggling 17 1/2-pound average and utterly smoked the entire field.Ehrler began the final day with a 14-pound lead and when the scales closed, he surrendered less than a pound of it. He caught 16-13 today en route to a 69-11, 4-day total and clinched his first tour-level win since the 2006 Forrest Wood Cup.

It marked his second win in as many tournaments – he won the Shasta Western FLW Series in January. Interestingly, a fellow western pro, Brett Hite, accomplished a similar feat 2 years ago, although in reverse order. Hite won the 2008 Toho FLW Tour, then the Delta Western Series.

Table Rock was not itself this week, and record cold temperatures created plummeting water temps and a food glut due to a shad die-off. But Ehrler was able to pin down an area where pre-spawn fish were staging and willing to bite. That pretty much made it no contest, although Ron Shuffield kept Ehrler honest today.

Shuffield bagged a day’s best 17-10 and held onto his 2nd-place position.

Mike Wurm headed the best of the rest. He caught 8-10 today and finished 3rd – two spots ahead of where he started the day.

Bryan Thrift limped in with a single 5-pounder and dropped a spot to finish 4th, while Greg Pugh (who led day 1) blanked and finished 5th.

Ehrler Not Nervous Anymore

Last night, Brent Ehrler told BassFans that even though he had a nearly infallible 14-pound lead, he was still rattled. He simply didn’t know if his bite would hold up for 1 more day.

“This feels so good because I was so nervous,” he said after tonight’s weigh-in. “It was one of those things – when you have a lead like that, I was so nervous that I was going to be so embarrassed if I lost. That was the way I felt – nervous about blowing a lead like that.

“But yeah, this is awesome. I’m ecstatic. I don’t even know what to think right now.”

When asked to compare this win to his Cup triumph in 2006, he said the two are different. When he won the Cup he was a Tour sophomore, it was his first solid tour-level finish. So being in contention was “a whole new experience. But this is different. The Cup solidified my career, but personally to me, this win proves that I should be out here – this is what I should be doing.”

And this win had some shades of Shasta. He said he happened to notice a spot during practice and caught a few keepers there. But he didn’t know the spot’s potential, and was torn over where to fish on day 1.

When he found the winning spot at Shasta during practice, he likewise had no idea what it would eventually kick out.

He found this week’s winning spot “way up the White River,” when he and his co-angler got two keeper bites on a grub right before dark in practice. But he planned to fish up the James, and it was a full commitment to get to either spot.

“I was so nervous about running 50 miles up the White – I’d get up there and there’d be a boat sitting on it. I almost didn’t go. But I got drawn for sixth boat out, which was perfect timing – I could run up and for sure get it. I got up there and I kid you not, on the first cast I caught a 2 1/2, and a few casts later I caught another. I had a limit in 35 or 40 minutes that first morning. I just had no clue at all what was there.”

He threw three baits this week, he said – a 5″ single-tail Yamamoto grub (smoke, natural shad), a Lucky Craft Pointer DD jerkbait (pearl wakasagi) and a Lucky Craft RC 2.5 DD crankbait (ghost minnow).

The grub most often caught limit fish. He roped his 6-pounder on the Pointer and caught a 5 1/2 on the crank.

Photo: FLW Outdoors/Brett Carlson Ron Shuffield’s quite happy about his finish, especially because his practice was so poor.

“It was crazy how it went down with the RC – the whole process of how I threw that,” he noted. “It was pretty cool.”The full details of his winning pattern, plus pattern information for the other top finishers, will be published soon.

2nd: Shuffield Happy

Shuffield had a strong tournament, he just ran into somebody with the last name of Ehrler.

“It’s definitely a tremendous way to start the year,” he said. “And this year, being a shortened season with just five tournaments, it’s even more important. It always feels good to get a good tournament under your belt to start, and I’m just glad I did.”

He’s especially excited given how his practice went – he caught just four fish, but it turned out those four gave him just enough information to go on. Also key was he fished an area he knows well, and that produced strong finishes for him in the past. Plus, he had a pattern that seemed to get stronger as the tournament went on, whereas everybody except Ehrler rapidly faded.

“The fish were coming to me,” Shuffield said. “There were fish that were coming up shallow and fish on the bank that were coming out. I feel most guys didn’t catch fish here because they fished too shallow.

“I was really blessed this week,” he added. “Things turned out real good. I’m very pleased with my finish. The goal when I started today was just to maintain 2nd place. I knew Brent would need to fall apart or have a major issue for me to have a chance, but he’s too good of a fisherman to have that happen. So I’m just tickled to death to be where I was.”

3rd: Wurm Pleased

Even though Wurm finished 10 pounds in back of Shuffield and 23 1/2 pounds in back of Ehrler, he’s happy with a Top 5.

“Actually, I’m very pleased,” Wurm said. “I accomplished more than I ever should have with what I found. This is really the first tournament of the year, and to get 3rd place – I’m tickled to death. I’m excited to be back with FLW – it’s a totally different feeling and atmosphere (than BASS). I’m glad to be back and I’m looking forward to the rest of the year.”

He added he was surprised that his one area held up as long as it did. He caught his limit and left the first 2 days, stayed longer yesterday, and camped there today.

Photo: FLW Outdoors/Brett Carlson Mike Wurm’s pleased – he thought he’d run out of fish much earlier.

“I didn’t really have a huge area. I knew I’d probably start running out of fish, and I did. I caught enough to hang on, and probably what helped me most was this tournament was so tough. It only took 15 pounds for 3 days to get a check. I was patient and stayed with the jig and worked it so slow in deep water – that’s what I’m proud of right there. I had a plan and executed and had good results.”5th: Pugh Disappointed

Pugh started with a bang when he led day 1, but his weights dwindled each day after that.

Today he pulled up onto his best spot and was surrounded by hordes of white-bass fishermen. He thinks that affected his bite and was the main reason he zeroed today.

“Where I was at, it felt like I was a cowboy in a rodeo and the Indians were circling me,” he said. “I wasn’t going to abandon the area – I thought sooner or later one fish would pull into there. They never did. But I stayed with the gameplan and if I had to go out tomorrow I’d do the same thing. It was a deal I had a lot of confidence in and it didn’t play out today.”

About his finish, he said: “Anytime you don’t win, there’s disappointment. So of course I’m disappointed. But the last 2 years here – for the Stren Championship and the Tour – I found fish in practice and for whatever reason couldn’t catch them. They moved on me or something and I couldn’t figure out how to put it together. So I’m happy in that sense – that I put it together for 3 days and made the Top 5.

“But as far as being satisfied, I’m not satisfied. I won’t be satisfied until I win everything I fish. That’s a big statement, but if you’re going to be satisfied with 50th or 20th or 30th, you have no business being out here fishing full-time.”

Notable

> Day 4 stats – 5 anglers, 2 limits, 1 three, 1 one, 1 zero.

> Since this is effectively the first tournament of the FLW Tour season, Ehrler leads the Angler of the Year race.

Day 4 (Final) Standings

1. Brent Ehrler — Redlands, Ca — 5, 16-06 — 5, 22-02 — 5, 14-06 — 5, 16-13 — 20, 69-11 — $100,000 + $27,500

2. Ron Shuffield — Bismarck, Ar — 3, 9-05 — 5, 15-06 — 5, 14-04 — 5, 17-10 — 18, 56-09 — $40,000

3. Mike Wurm — Hot Springs, Ar — 5, 16-14 — 5, 13-05 — 3, 7-09 — 3, 8-10 — 16, 46-06 — $30,000

4. Bryan Thrift — Shelby, Nc — 5, 14-13 — 5, 14-03 — 4, 9-14 — 1, 5-03 — 15, 44-01 — $20,000

5. Greg Pugh — Cullman, Al — 5, 18-11 — 4, 10-08 — 4, 9-05 — 0, 0-00 — 13, 38-08 — $18,000

12 Limits, 51 Zeroes
Ehrler Slams 22-02 And Leads, Pugh A Fish Short

Thursday, March 04, 2010

Photo: FLW Outdoors/Brett Carlson Brent Ehrler leads the tournament by 8 pounds – a weight that about half the field failed to catch over 2 days.

This week at Table Rock Lake near Branson, Mo., you’re either on them or you’re not. And if you’re on them, you’re one of only a few because 51 FLW Tour pros blanked today and another 32 weighed just one fish.Conversely, two 20-plus-pound limits came to the stage and eight other pros caught better than 13 pounds.

It was the second day after a cold front and conditions were slick-calm. That likely contributed to the tough bite, but more than that, the pros think, is the water temperature. It’s still in the high-30s in the mornings and the fish are locked down in their winter pattern.

One of the pros who caught better than 20 pounds today was Brent Ehrler, ranked 4th in the world. Ehrler stuck 22-02, anchored by a 6-pounder that boosted his bag by 5 pounds. With the heaviest sack of the day, he moved up from 3rd to take the lead by more than 8 pounds.

Mike Wurm began and ended the day in 2nd. He added 13-05 to his day-1 total to claim 30-03 so far.

Day-1 leader Greg Pugh caught plenty of fish today, but none were the right size. He never got a 6-pound bite like he did yesterday and his 10 1/2 pounds dipped him to 3rd.

Right behind Pugh is Bryan Thrift who weighed 14-03 today for a 2-day total of 29 pounds even.

The most notable move of the day was Dion Hibdon, who walloped 21-02 and improved up from 73rd to 5th.

The field cuts to the Top 5 after tomorrow. Here’s a look at the current Top 10. Total weight is followed by distance from leader in red.

1. Brent Ehrler — Redlands, CA — 5, 16-06 — 5, 22-02 — 10, 38-08
2. Mike Wurm — Hot Springs, AR — 5, 16-14 — 5, 13-05 — 10, 30-03 (8-05)
3. Greg Pugh — Cullman, AL — 5, 18-11 — 4, 10-08 — 9, 29-03 (9-05)
4. Bryan Thrift — Shelby, NC — 5, 14-13 — 5, 14-03 — 10, 29-00 (9-08)
5. Dion Hibdon — Stover, MO — 2, 4-08 — 5, 21-02 — 7, 25-10 (12-14)
6. Scott Martin — Clewiston, FL — 5, 14-07 — 2, 11-01 — 7, 25-08 (13-00)
7. Robert Harkness — Elizabeth, WV — 5, 12-02 — 5, 13-05 — 10, 25-07 (13-01)
8. Mark Rose — Marion, Ar — 5, 13-03 — 5, 12-13 — 10, 25-00 (13-08)
9. Joe Thomas — Milford, Oh — 5, 15-07 — 3, 9-08 — 8, 24-15 (13-09)
10. Ron Shuffield — Bismarck, Ar — 3, 9-05 — 5, 15-06 — 8, 24-11 (13-13)

The field is mum on what’s working, but it’s apparent the jerkbait is one pattern for big fish, and the swimbait is another. Key is to use the classic Ozark deadstick presentation for the jerkbait, or to fish the swimbait through the trees. Either way, the fishing’s painfully slow and methodical, but it’s about the only way to trigger bites from cold-water fish already stuffed full of dead or dying shad.

And there’s no clear advantage right now between shallow and deep – the current Top 10 are working different depths.

In addition to Hibdon, others who made a massive improvement today included:

> Ron Shuffield — 26th to 10th
> Rusty Salewske — 81st to 19th
> Nicholas Albus — 100th to 30th
> Jonathan Newton — Last to 30th
> John Voyles — Last to 48th

Brian Travis, who started the day in 4th, blanked and fell to 23rd. Wesley Strader also posted a blank and plummeted from 8th to 29th. Tour rookie Dick Shaffer caught one fish and fell from 14th to 31st.

Ehrler’s lead of 8 pounds is comparatively huge. For perspective, about half the field failed to catch 8 pounds over the first 2 days. But it was also a late 6-pounder that put him over the top, and that could happen to anyone at anytime.

Photo: FLW Outdoors/Rob Newell Brent Ehrler isn’t sure how much he’ll work his primary area tomorrow – he wants to save it.

Ehrler Amped“It feels awesome – really good,” Ehrler said of his catch. “It was completely unexpected, but man, I’m just so happy to have a little bit of a lead here. If I can just do okay tomorrow, then do okay the day after that, I have a chance at winning this thing.

“I was running a pattern and had a couple big bites,” he added. “I caught that 6-pounder and that was a big deal – I went from like 17 pounds all the way up to 22. Getting that big one was crucial. I was real fortunate and lucky to get it in the boat.”

His bag included two spotted bass and three largemouths. He said he has one primary area where he’s catching his fish, then he’s running. He’s not quite sure how to play it though, in terms of the cut and cumulative weight. He doesn’t want to beat the area too bad, and he can’t hang around in there to play defense or his co-angler will have free reign. So far, he’s been working them for several hours, then leaving.

“I caught a big one today on something I didn’t practice on, so that’s big – to be able to run around and do that,” he said. “But it wasn’t like I was able to get a lot of bites. I’m hoping my primary area will hold up, but I don’t know if I’m going to stay there and grind or move around again tomorrow. If I make the cut, then the last day I’ll definitely grind there.”

2nd: Wurm’s Area Still Working

Wurm turned in another solid sack today, but didn’t catch a 6-pounder like the day before. He’s still cycling through an area with several points and stretches of bank until he gets his limit, and he had it by 11:00 today. After that, he leaves.

Photo: FLW Outdoors/Brett Carlson Mike Wurm had another good day, and thinks there are more fish in his best area.

“I had another good day except that I didn’t catch a big one, which is what I’m hoping for tomorrow,” he said. “Brent caught that big bag. Tomorrow, maybe he won’t and I will. I like my chances. I like my area – there’s still some fish in there.”He caught seven keepers on the day, all largemouths,

“I’m not pounding (the area) at all,” he noted. “I guess you could say I’m saving it – I’m trying to go easy on it. I’m trying to play it the BASS way and conserve some of it. And there has to be some more fish there because I don’t catch them all in one little hole. There’s one here, one there. They’re spread out pretty good.”

He also noted that he’s got a 5-pound lead on 5th place, so he’ll feel confident about making the cut if he can catch at least 10 pounds tomorrow.

3rd: Pugh Weighed Four

Pugh, the day-1 leader, had 11 bites today, but only four of them measured. One more keeper would have moved him much closer to Ehrler.

“It was disappointing,” Pugh said. “I think I had one good bite – it about took the rod out of my hand – but I didn’t stick it. And my co-angler caught one. But I still wouldn’t have had a number up there like Brent’s.

“This is a tough tournament, and to not weigh in five – that hurts. That’s something you want to do – put five in the boat – and I wasn’t able to do that. Hopefully I’ll be able to do it tomorrow.”

He didn’t vary his pattern from day 1 at all – the fish were just smaller today. His biggest was about 3 3/4.

Photo: FLW Outdoors/Brett Carlson Greg Pugh caught plenty of fish, but only four keepers.

“I’ll do the same thing tomorrow,” he added. “I’m going back to them and I’m going to sit on them all day. I’ve got two spots within 700 or 800 yards, and I’m going to jump back and forth between them and see if I can’t put five big ones in the boat.”5th: Hibdon Jerked

Hibdon got 20-plus-pounds of bass to go on the deadstick jerkbait today. He did the same thing yesterday and caught only two small ones for 4-08 (although his co-angler caught two big fish), but when he pulled in there this morning he caught four, and one was a 6-pounder.

The problem with the bite, according to Hibdon, is the combination of the full moon and shad die-off. The fish are feeding at night so by morning, “they’re just not hungry.”

“I’ll chase after them again,” he said. “I’ve been around the right kind of fish each day. It’s just really tricky to get a bite.”

6th: Martin Swimbaiting

Scott Martin backed up his 14-07 day-1 bag with 11-01 today, but his 11-01 came with just two fish.

He said his bite “changed up a little bit” because it was slick-calm today in his area.

“I was throwing some swimbaits out deep – a lot of the Lake Fork Magic Shad – and it was just too calm. I think if we get a little wind tomorrow, I have the potential of catching a 20-plus-pound bag doing what I’m doing. In practice I caught some really good fish, so I think I have a shot.”

He also had some mechanical problems today that he said slowed him down. But he’s got that fixed and he’s “feeling good.”

“It’s a slow bite for me – I’m not getting a lot of opportunities – so I need to maximize them. I lost a few fish today when I pulled it away from them by accident. Sometimes you’re confused if it’s a fish or a tree, then it pulls back and it’s too late.”

Additional Notes

7th: Robert Harkness
“The bites are coming, but I don’t have a lot of bites – maybe six or seven a day. I culled one small fish today and I had a couple of good bites, which is what makes the difference between an 8- and 12-pound bag. I was blessed there. I hope I can make the cut. I haven’t beat my water to death. I made one pass on it today and more seem to be moving up.”

10th: Ron Shuffield
“I caught a few yesterday on a deep spot, then I thought I could go to a secondary area and catch a few more. I never got another keeper bite the rest of the day. Today I started on the deep spot again and caught one pretty decent smallmouth. Then I left and went to the secondary spot and caught five keepers up there. So it was a little better. But I lost another good one. That’s the way it goes. The water’s so cold, and the fish are so lethargic, it’s really hard to make these fish bite.”

13th: David Walker
“I don’t know what the deal is. I caught two fish today. That’s it. Fortunately the two I caught were a 2 and a 3, or it could have been a lot worse. I just can’t get any bites. I did the same thing as yesterday, when I caught seven keepers and probably 10 shorts. Today was just dead.”

29th: Wesley Strader
“I caught about 20 fish today – just no keepers. It’s super, super tough – kind of crazy. It’s nuts. I’m fishing a jerkbait in 15 to 20 feet and it’s like watching paint dry. You have to fish so slow, you can’t even jerk it.”

Notable

> Day 2 stats – 149 anglers, 12 limits (2 fewer than yesterday), 7 fours, 18 threes, 29 twos, 32 ones, 51 zeroes (15 more than yesterday).

> Regarding two-tour pros, Ish Monroe’s 28th, Steve Kennedy’s 56th and Edwin Evers has yet to weigh a fish.

> Guido Hibdon is another who posted double-zeroes.

Weather Forecast

Here’s the weather forecast for the remaining tournament days.

> Fri., March 5 – Mostly Sunny – 58°/34°
- Wind: From the SE at 9 mph

> Sat., March 6 – Partly Cloudy – 58°/40°
- Wind: From the S/SE at 10 mph

Day 2 Standings

1. Brent Ehrler — Redlands, Ca — 5, 16-06 — 5, 22-02 — 10, 38-08

2. Mike Wurm — Hot Springs, Ar — 5, 16-14 — 5, 13-05 — 10, 30-03

3. Greg Pugh — Cullman, Al — 5, 18-11 — 4, 10-08 — 9, 29-03

4. Bryan Thrift — Shelby, Nc — 5, 14-13 — 5, 14-03 — 10, 29-00

5. Dion Hibdon — Stover, Mo — 2, 4-08 — 5, 21-02 — 7, 25-10

6. Scott Martin — Clewiston, Fl — 5, 14-07 — 2, 11-01 — 7, 25-08

7. Robert Harkness — Elizabeth, Wv — 5, 12-02 — 5, 13-05 — 10, 25-07

8. Mark Rose — Marion, Ar — 5, 12-03 — 5, 12-13 — 10, 25-00

9. Joe Thomas — Milford, Oh — 5, 15-07 — 3, 9-08 — 8, 24-15

10. Ron Shuffield — Bismarck, Ar — 3, 9-05 — 5, 15-06 — 8, 24-11

11. Andy Morgan — Dayton, Tn — 4, 9-15 — 5, 13-08 — 9, 23-07

12. Dave Lefebre — Union City, Pa — 4, 8-02 — 5, 14-11 — 9, 22-13

13. David Walker — Sevierville, Tn — 5, 14-12 — 2, 5-11 — 7, 20-07

14. Adam Wagner — Cookeville, Tn — 5, 12-10 — 3, 7-13 — 8, 20-07

15. Clark Wendlandt — Leander, Tx — 4, 12-08 — 2, 7-14 — 6, 20-06

16. Scott Suggs — Bryant, Ar — 4, 11-07 — 3, 8-09 — 7, 20-00

17. Tim Klinger — Boulder City, Nv — 4, 11-04 — 4, 8-10 — 8, 19-14

18. Roy Hawk — Salt Lake City, Ut — 3, 8-07 — 4, 10-00 — 7, 18-07

19. Rusty Salewske — Alpine, Ca — 1, 3-12 — 4, 13-12 — 5, 17-08

20. Shinichi Fukae — Palestine, Tx — 3, 6-05 — 5, 11-03 — 8, 17-08

21. George Cochran — Hot Springs, Ar — 5, 10-14 — 2, 6-08 — 7, 17-06

22. Jamie Feick — Centerburg, Oh — 2, 6-07 — 3, 10-13 — 5, 17-04

23. Brian Travis — Conover, Nc — 4, 16-04 — 0, 0-00 — 4, 16-04

24. Stacey King — Reeds Spring, Mo — 3, 9-09 — 1, 6-08 — 4, 16-01

25. Justin Lucas — Montevallo, Al — 3, 9-03 — 2, 6-04 — 5, 15-07

26. John Devere — Berea, Ky — 3, 7-06 — 2, 8-00 — 5, 15-06

27. Jason Christie — Park Hill, Ok — 2, 5-05 — 5, 10-00 — 7, 15-05

28. Ishama Monroe — Hughson, Ca — 3, 9-09 — 2, 5-12 — 5, 15-05

29. Wesley Strader — Spring City, Tn — 4, 14-10 — 0, 0-00 — 4, 14-10

30. Nicholas Albus — Trinity, Tx — 1, 2-05 — 4, 11-15 — 5, 14-04

31. Dick Shaffer — Rockford, Oh — 5, 11-15 — 1, 2-03 — 6, 14-02

32. Scott Canterbury — Springville, Al — 3, 6-02 — 4, 7-15 — 7, 14-01

33. Jonathan Newton — Rogersville, Al — 0, 0-00 — 5, 13-13 — 5, 13-13

34. Jim Moynagh — Carver, Mn — 3, 6-08 — 3, 7-05 — 6, 13-13

35. Vic Vatalaro — Kent, Oh — 2, 4-05 — 3, 9-07 — 5, 13-12

36. Stetson Blaylock — Benton, Ar — 5, 10-10 — 1, 2-14 — 6, 13-08

37. Jay Yelas — Corvallis, Or — 2, 5-13 — 3, 7-10 — 5, 13-07

38. Ott Defoe — Knoxville, Tn — 2, 7-05 — 2, 6-01 — 4, 13-06

39. Jim Tutt — Longview, Tx — 3, 10-03 — 1, 2-15 — 4, 13-02

40. David Dudley — Lynchburg, Va — 2, 5-05 — 3, 7-06 — 5, 12-11

41. David Kromm — Kennewick, Wa — 4, 7-13 — 1, 4-10 — 5, 12-07

42. Gerald Brown — Chickasha, Ok — 3, 8-09 — 1, 3-13 — 4, 12-06

43. Larry Nixon — Bee Branch, Ar — 2, 8-02 — 1, 4-00 — 3, 12-02

44. Matt Arey — Shelby, Nc — 2, 5-04 — 2, 6-08 — 4, 11-12

45. Brandon Coulter — Knoxville, Tn — 1, 3-03 — 2, 8-07 — 3, 11-10

46. Mark Rouse — League City, Tx — 5, 11-07 — 0, 0-00 — 5, 11-07

47. Todd Auten — Lake Wylie, Sc — 1, 2-06 — 3, 9-00 — 4, 11-06

48. John Voyles — Petersburg, In — 0, 0-00 — 3, 11-01 — 3, 11-01

49. Anthony Gagliardi — Prosperity, Sc — 2, 5-13 — 2, 5-04 — 4, 11-01

50. Glenn Chappelear — Acworth, Ga — 2, 8-10 — 1, 2-03 — 3, 10-13

51. Glenn Browne — Ocala, Fl — 1, 2-00 — 3, 8-12 — 4, 10-12

52. Brent Long — Cornelius, Nc — 2, 4-04 — 3, 6-06 — 5, 10-10

53. Travis Fox — Springdale, Ar — 3, 6-10 — 1, 3-15 — 4, 10-09

54. Mark Stewart — Springville, Al — 4, 10-06 — 0, 0-00 — 4, 10-06

55. Jim Dillard — West Monroe, La — 1, 5-10 — 2, 4-12 — 3, 10-06

56. Steve Kennedy — Auburn, Al — 3, 7-06 — 1, 2-12 — 4, 10-02

57. Art Ferguson Iii — St. Clair Shores, Mi — 2, 9-15 — 0, 0-00 — 2, 9-15

58. Tom Mann Jr — Buford, Ga — 3, 7-08 — 1, 2-06 — 4, 9-14

59. Randall Tharp — Gardendale, Al — 2, 5-04 — 2, 4-07 — 4, 9-11

60. Terry Bolton — Jonesboro, Ar — 1, 6-05 — 1, 3-05 — 2, 9-10

61. Chip Harrison — Bremen, In — 1, 2-00 — 3, 7-09 — 4, 9-09

62. Chad Morgenthaler — Coulterville, Il — 1, 4-14 — 2, 4-11 — 3, 9-09

63. David Fritts — Lexington, Nc — 2, 5-00 — 2, 4-08 — 4, 9-08

64. Robbie Dodson — Harrison, Ar — 4, 9-02 — 0, 0-00 — 4, 9-02

65. Brett Hite — Phoenix, Az — 4, 9-01 — 0, 0-00 — 4, 9-01

66. Ray Scheide — Dover, Ar — 2, 3-14 — 2, 5-03 — 4, 9-01

67. Jimmy Millsaps — Canton, Ga — 1, 1-14 — 3, 6-14 — 4, 8-12

68. Michael Bennett — Panama City, Fl — 0, 0-00 — 4, 8-09 — 4, 8-09

69. Mark Hardin — Jasper, Ga — 4, 8-08 — 0, 0-00 — 4, 8-08

70. Dan Morehead — Paducah, Ky — 0, 0-00 — 3, 8-08 — 3, 8-08

71. Chris Baumgardner — Gastonia, Nc — 2, 6-00 — 1, 2-08 — 3, 8-08

72. Jacob Powroznik — Prince George, Va — 1, 3-14 — 2, 4-10 — 3, 8-08

73. Justin Kerr — Simi Valley, Ca — 2, 4-06 — 2, 4-02 — 4, 8-08

74. Shad Schenck — Waynetown, In — 3, 6-01 — 1, 2-04 — 4, 8-05

75. Jason Meninger — Gainesville, Ga — 1, 2-13 — 2, 5-07 — 3, 8-04

76. Mike Surman — Boca Raton, Fl — 3, 8-03 — 0, 0-00 — 3, 8-03

77. Craig Dowling — Grant, Al — 3, 6-04 — 1, 1-15 — 4, 8-03

78. Jimmy Houston — Cookson, Ok — 4, 8-01 — 0, 0-00 — 4, 8-01

79. Kyle Mabrey — Mccalla, Al — 2, 5-12 — 1, 2-03 — 3, 7-15

80. Chad Grigsby — Maple Grove, Mn — 3, 7-14 — 0, 0-00 — 3, 7-14

81. Pete Gluszek — Mt Laurel, Nj — 2, 4-00 — 2, 3-14 — 4, 7-14

82. Jason Cordiale — Orinda, Ca — 1, 2-05 — 2, 5-08 — 3, 7-13

83. Chris Martinkovic — Liberty Township, Oh — 1, 2-11 — 2, 4-13 — 3, 7-08

84. Thanh Le — Lake Havasu City, Az — 0, 0-00 — 3, 7-04 — 3, 7-04

85. Nate Wellman — Jenison, Mi — 0, 0-00 — 3, 7-02 — 3, 7-02

86. James Stricklin Jr — Texarkana, Ar — 0, 0-00 — 3, 7-01 — 3, 7-01

87. Mike Hawkes — Sabinal, Tx — 2, 4-10 — 1, 2-07 — 3, 7-01

88. Eric Ambort — Mabelvale, Ar — 1, 3-04 — 2, 3-13 — 3, 7-01

89. Bobby Mcmullin — Pevely, Mo — 1, 2-15 — 2, 4-01 — 3, 7-00

90. Luke Clausen — Gainesville, Ga — 1, 3-03 — 1, 3-10 — 2, 6-13

91. Andy Montgomery — Blacksburg, Sc — 3, 6-09 — 0, 0-00 — 3, 6-09

92. Keith Monson — Burgin, Ky — 1, 2-07 — 2, 4-02 — 3, 6-09

93. Robert Pearson — Herndon, Va — 1, 3-12 — 1, 2-13 — 2, 6-09

94. Mark Fisher — Glenview, Il — 2, 6-07 — 0, 0-00 — 2, 6-07

95. Cody Bird — Granbury, Tx — 1, 2-15 — 1, 3-08 — 2, 6-07

96. Tim Mcdonald — Lexington, Ky — 2, 5-13 — 0, 0-00 — 2, 5-13

97. Clifford Pirch — Payson, Az — 1, 5-10 — 0, 0-00 — 1, 5-10

98. Rhett Fornof — Park City, Ut — 1, 3-09 — 1, 2-00 — 2, 5-09

99. Richard Lowitzki — St Charles, Il — 1, 5-08 — 0, 0-00 — 1, 5-08

100. Russell Parrish — Riesel, Tx — 2, 5-05 — 0, 0-00 — 2, 5-05

101. Darrel Robertson — Jay, Ok — 1, 3-01 — 1, 2-04 — 2, 5-05

102. Terry Segraves — Kissimmee, Fl — 1, 3-00 — 1, 2-01 — 2, 5-01

102. Robert Sherry — Saint Charles, Il — 1, 2-01 — 1, 3-00 — 2, 5-01

104. Brad Knight — Wartburg, Tn — 2, 5-00 — 0, 0-00 — 2, 5-00

105. Ken Wick — Star, Id — 1, 4-15 — 0, 0-00 — 1, 4-15

106. Tim Johnson — Dallas, Ga — 2, 4-13 — 0, 0-00 — 2, 4-13

107. Zack Thompson — Orinda, Ca — 0, 0-00 — 1, 4-11 — 1, 4-11

108. Cody Meyer — Grass Valley, Ca — 0, 0-00 — 2, 4-10 — 2, 4-10

109. David Smith — Del City, Ok — 0, 0-00 — 2, 4-09 — 2, 4-09

110. Chad Brauer — Osage Beach, Mo — 2, 4-08 — 0, 0-00 — 2, 4-08

111. Chris Neau — Castro Valley, Ca — 1, 2-08 — 1, 2-00 — 2, 4-08

112. Rob Kilby — Hot Springs, Ar — 0, 0-00 — 2, 4-05 — 2, 4-05

113. Greg Bohannan — Rogers, Ar — 1, 1-14 — 1, 2-01 — 2, 3-15

114. Ramie Colson Jr — Cadiz, Ky — 0, 0-00 — 2, 3-12 — 2, 3-12

115. Christopher Ford — Kennedale, Tx — 1, 3-12 — 0, 0-00 — 1, 3-12

116. Jason Reyes — Huffman, Tx — 1, 1-14 — 1, 1-14 — 2, 3-12

117. Daryl Biron — South Windsor, Ct — 2, 3-11 — 0, 0-00 — 2, 3-11

118. Jt Palmore — Gasburg, Va — 0, 0-00 — 1, 3-07 — 1, 3-07

119. Jt Kenney — Palm Bay, Fl — 0, 0-00 — 1, 3-01 — 1, 3-01

120. James Watson — Waynesville, Mo — 0, 0-00 — 1, 2-15 — 1, 2-15

121. Kenneth (Boo) Woods — Hazard, Ky — 1, 2-11 — 0, 0-00 — 1, 2-11

122. Mike Todd — Norman, Ok — 1, 2-10 — 0, 0-00 — 1, 2-10

123. Terry Baksay — Easton, Ct — 0, 0-00 — 1, 2-09 — 1, 2-09

124. Christian Romans — Carrollton, Ky — 1, 2-05 — 0, 0-00 — 1, 2-05

125. James Christian — Dickson, Tn — 1, 2-02 — 0, 0-00 — 1, 2-02

125. Keith Combs — Del Rio, Tx — 1, 2-02 — 0, 0-00 — 1, 2-02

127. Sean Hoernke — The Woodlands, Tx — 1, 2-01 — 0, 0-00 — 1, 2-01

127. Michael Murphy — Gilbert, Sc — 1, 2-01 — 0, 0-00 — 1, 2-01

129. Jeremy York — Loganville, Ga — 1, 1-15 — 0, 0-00 — 1, 1-15

Bob Bjorklund — Centennial, Co — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00

Clint Brownlee — Tifton, Ga — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00

Tony Chesshir — Nashville, Ar — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00

Bobby Curtis — Siloam Springs, Ar — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00

Lewis Denney — Indian Mound, Tn — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00

Kathryn Ealey — Moody, Al — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00

Edwin Evers — Talala, Ok — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00

James (Wil) Hardy — Harlem, Ga — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00

Guido Hibdon — Sunrise Beach, Mo — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00

Will Jefferies — Bountiful, Ut — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00

Johnny Johnson — Destin, Fl — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00

Fred Martin — North Little Rock, Ar — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00

Ed Melton — Houston, Tx — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00

Eric Olliverson — Nixa, Mo — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00

Bud Pruitt — Houston, Tx — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00

Tom Redington — Royse City, Tx — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00

John Tanner — Quitman, Tx — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00

Rusty Trancygier — Hahira, Ga — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00

Jack Wade — Knoxville, Tn — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00

Gary Yamamoto — Palestine, Tx — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00 — 0, 0-00

www.bassfan.com

Frugal Angler

Think local to save crankbait dollars

By Brent Chapman as told to Ed Harp
Bassmaster.com

“There’s no shame in going with the flow or throwing what everyone else is throwing, especially if the other guy’s catching bass and you aren’t,” says Elite Series pro Brent Chapman.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Let’s talk about crankbaits. I won’t be recommending any particular make, model, size or color of lure. Rather we’ll talk about how to find a lure that’ll catch bass where you fish, and how to avoid wasting money on those that don’t.

For most recreational or casual tournament anglers, the issue is catching bass. It isn’t about catching the biggest one in the lake or setting a new club record. It’s about spending a day on the water, catching a few, having a good time and then reliving the experience with friends and family later.

To do that you need a bait that’ll catch bass. That bait is often the local favorite, not one that caught a bunch of big ones a thousand miles away. This is not brain surgery. Lures become local favorites for a reason. They get the job done.

The easiest way to find the local favorite is to ask around. Do your homework. Visit several local tackle shops. Ask them for recommendations. Go back and visit them again a week or two later. Check their pegs. What’s selling? The answer to that question will help you make the right choice.

Elite Series pros are another good source of information. We come from all over the country. We learned to fish on local water, most likely one of us learned on your local water. We know what works on a particular lake.

Find one of us from your neck of the woods, go to his Web site and e-mail him. Be blunt. Ask him point-blank what he used before he turned pro on his (your) home lake. You’ll be surprised at how candid most of us will be in our answers.

Let me give you an example of all this: On Lake of the Ozarks, one of the most effective crankbaits you can throw is a Storm Wiggle Wart. I don’t know if it’s the size, shape, color or action. (Most likely it’s the action.) Regardless of the reason, however, that’s the lure most guys should be throwing. It catches fish in that lake. Why would you want to spend your hard-earned money on something else?

It’s easy to get carried away in this business. You read or hear that so-and-so caught them on a particular lure in a certain size and color. So you run down to the local Bass Pro Shops and buy a dozen of them thinking they’ll help you next Saturday. Maybe they will, but just as likely something else will work better on your lake.

There’s no shame in going with the flow or throwing what everyone else is throwing, especially if the other guy’s catching bass and you aren’t.

Don’t get sucked into the world of the touring Elite Series pro. Sure, we have hundreds, if not thousands, of crankbaits. Keep in mind, however, that we fish all over the country and earn our living doing it. Sometimes we have to do something different. That’s not most guys. What we do isn’t necessarily what you should do.

Another subject I want to touch on briefly is color. My work with Tightlines Lure Company and their new UV colors has taught me that bass probably don’t see half of the small color differences we think they do. Subtle differences in hue aren’t worth the money for most anglers.

Again, go with the local favorite. Who cares if we humans know why a purple crankbait with yellow polka dots works on the reservoir behind your house. All we need to know is that it does — and that buying 14 other colors is a waste of money.

Unless you’re earning your living as a touring professional, or are an advanced amateur, keep it simple. Buy two or three local favorites, in the local color, and then go out and have a good time.

Half Catch One Or None
Pugh Pounds 18-plus, Cut Pace At 15 1/2

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Photo: FLW Outdoors/Brett Carlson Greg Pugh has found a way to trigger the big fish that are sitting in the trees.

Turns out the practice reports, for once, were right on. The fishing at Table Rock Lake near Branson, Mo. is brutal – half the field caught one fish or blanked. But on the other hand, some guys figured it out, and they’re led by Greg Pugh who slammed 18-11, much of which came during his final 15 minutes of fishing.That was an anomaly, however, because overall the bite seems to he happening in the morning when there’s some low light. After that, the bite appears to dwindle until the afternoon turns gin-clear Table Rock into a dead sea.

Sure, some pros caught fish throughout the day, but it’s apparent the morning bite is crucial right now.

Today offered post-frontal, sunny conditions with slick water in the morning then some ripple in the afternoon. Morning water temperatures were in the high-30s, but warmed a few degrees throughout the day. There’s no end in sight to the sub-freezing overnight temperatures, so today offers a good indication of what the fishing should be like over the final 3 days.

Less than 2 pounds behind Pugh is 2nd-place Mike Wurm, who’s back to the FLW Tour after leaving the Bassmaster Elite Series. Wurm whacked 16-14 and most of his weight came before 11:00.

It’s no surprise to see Brent Ehrler hunting around in the Top 5 – he’s the top-ranked FLW pro in the BassFan World Rankings (ranked 4th). Ehrler kicked off his year with a win at Shasta and pounded 16 1/2 pounds today to settle into 3rd.

Next in the standings comes Tour sophomore and 2008 TBF National Champion Brian Travis with 16-04, followed by veteran Joe Thomas with 15-07.

Interestingly, another recent grassroots champion sits with Travis in the Top 10 – 2009 BFL All-American champ Adam Wagner (10th with 12-10). And don’t forget that Thomas is a former All-American winner (1990).

The full field fishes for 3 days, after which the Top 5 advance to fish day 4. The tournament is decided by 4-day cumulative weight. Here’s a look at the current Top 10. Total weight is followed by distance from leader in red.

1. Greg Pugh — Cullman, AL — 5, 18-11
2. Mike Wurm — Hot Springs, AR — 5, 16-14 (1-13)
3. Brent Ehrler — Redlands, CA — 5, 16-06 (2-05)
4. Brian Travis — Conover, NC — 4, 16-04 (2-07)
5. Joe Thomas — Milford, OH — 5, 15-07 (3-04)
6. Bryan Thrift — Shelby, NC — 5, 14-13 (3-14)
7. David Walker — Sevierville, TN — 5, 14-12 (3-15)
8. Wesley Strader — Spring City, TN — 4, 14-10 (4-01)
9. Scott Martin — Clewiston, FL — 5, 14-07 (4-04)
10. Adam Wagner — Cookeville, TN — 5, 12-10 (6-01)

There are plenty of pros with weights from 7 to 12 pounds, and weights scale downward in small increments. Under the new FLW Tour format, there’s an extra day to move up into the cut.

It remains to be seen whether the fishing will improve, but it very well could as conditions stabilize. But a full moon is complicating the afternoon bite – fish seem to be feeding more at night and into the morning.

And there’s no clarity as to whether the better fishing is out deep or up shallow. For example, George Cochran (who finished first out of the cut here last year) is 18th with almost 11 pounds. He’s fishing shallow and thinks he’s got a solid shot at the Top 5 cut if he get five bites again tomorrow. Then again, Pugh said he caught his fish on electronics, which would signal that he’s deep.

Tomorrow should answer more questions as the weights settle out and BassFans see who can duplicate their day-1 totals.

Pugh’s Flurry

Pugh, one of the better sight-fishermen on the tour, joked that he’s doing a different type of sight-fishing. “I’m more looking at that big old Humminbird than anything else,” he said. “I’m looking at some trees, and fish on those trees. If I can find them sitting there, it seems I’ve found a deal where I can catch them.

Photo: FLW Outdoors/Brett Carlson Mike Wurm fished deep and had a limit by 11:00.

“But I’m not going to tell what I’m catching them on or how,” he added. “It’s such a tough deal right now and these guys are too good – all they need is just a little bit of info and they can get on them.”Pugh did note that he’s running an hour to his water, but his weight didn’t soar until the last 15 minutes in that area. He stopped on a spot and he and his co-angler caught a 7- and 6-pounder on their first casts. Pugh added a 4-pounder and lost several other big fish on that spot.

“I didn’t expect to catch them this big. By the bites I was getting in practice, I was expecting to do 10 or 12 pounds. We caught those fish in that spot but I also lost five big ones today – all 6- or 7-pounders.”

He also noted that he fished that last spot differently than he fished the rest of the day. He called it “a pattern that works at Smith Lake and other clear-water lakes in Alabama.”

2nd: Wurm Done by 11:00

Wurm, from Hot Springs, Ark., loves fishing the Ozarks. He was cold today – his fingers about froze off on the morning run, he said – but it was one of those special days, he added.

“It was an awesome day. Everything fell into place just like I’d hoped. I got to my first place and there was nobody there – nobody even close. I caught several fish at that first spot – two good keepers and some shorts. I missed some and just kept fishing and by 11:00 I had a really nice limit.”

His bag included one spotted bass and the rest were largemouths.

He thinks his fish will be there again tomorrow – he’s fishing “pretty deep” and he doesn’t see any reason they’d move.

“It’s a pattern I’m running in different places. I have three or four different places and this morning I only had to hit each place once, so that was a good thing. Hopefully I can go through the same route tomorrow. And I just flat-out missed some. They’re biting so easy that by the time you feel them, they release it. But I think there are more fish there. I think they’re staging fish in some fashion – just early stagers.

Photo: FLW Outdoors/Brett Carlson Joe Thomas thinks he if can get three bites a day the next 2 days, he’ll make the Top 5.

“My only concern is they quit biting this afternoon. Hopefully that’s just a high-pressure thing and they’ll bite tomorrow afternoon.”About getting back on the FLW Tour, he said: “I’m comfortable out here. I ran into a lot of people I hadn’t seen in years and everything’s clicking along smooth. I miss the Elite guys – I’ve lived with them for many years – and I’m going to miss going to some of the neat places, but it was just a decision I had to make. It was economics and I had no other choice.”

5th: Thomas Fishing Two Baits

Thomas has had his moments in the Ozarks, but when it comes to Table Rock, consistency has always eluded him and he’s never been quite able to string together 2 or 3 days.

He got out of the gate quickly today with 15 1/2 pounds, but he’s not getting a lot of bites, so he needs to make every one count.

He said he’s fishing a couple of different baits and running a pattern, rather than just fishing one or two spots.

“I’m covering a lot of water. My best day of practice, I had five keepers. Another day I only had four keepers. The quality in the area I’m in is pretty good – if I can get three bites a day the next 2 days, I can make the Top 5. If I can get three bites, I’ll be in good shape.

Photo: FLW Outdoors/Brett Carlson Bryan Thrift had a morning flurry, but it didn’t last long.

“The thing that’s got me a little nervous is I did try and expand this afternoon and run a lot of places I hadn’t fished before,” he added. “I don’t know if it was just that it was the afternoon, or if I didn’t get around fish, but I didn’t catch anything after 1:00. It’s a full moon, but there could be a lot of reasons for that. It does seem like you get more bites early though. It’s definitely a morning thing for me.”6th: Thrift Started Quickly

Bryan Thrift’s trademark style is to put the trolling motor on high and fire down the bank. He’s accomplished a lot doing that, and he tried it in practice, but it’s not the way he’s fishing this week.

“This morning was pretty fast,” he said. “I only caught five keepers all day, but I had a limit before 10:30. And I caught four of them off one place in the first 15 minutes. I don’t know if I caught them all, or they set down, but then they just quit.”

He ran a few of his other places after that until he finally connected with a 3-pounder around 10:30 to finish his creel.

“I guess these fish at Table Rock like it when it’s cloudy and nasty, and the first hour of morning is the only low light we’ve got,” he said. “That’s when they’re biting. It was literally a bite every cast.

“They were all largemouths,” he added. “I caught seven or eight spots today, but they were all short fish. I don’t know how bad I beat them – if anything’s left – but I sat there for an hour and caught them pretty hard.”

He thinks it’ll take at least 14 pounds a day to make the Top 5, so he’s right on pace for now.

14th: Shaffer’s ‘Miracle’

Ohio Tour rookie Dick Shaffer’s one of the famous Erie big sticks, right there with Joe Balog, Steve Clapper and the rest of the brown-fish crowd.

But this year he launched a national campaign and he’s fishing the FLW Tour and Eastern FLW Series. Some would say it’s an odd year for him to go national, given that the Tour for the first time in a while won’t end with a northern stop. But his finances lined up for a shot on the Tour, so he took it.

Those finances came from a highly successful 2009 season in which he won the Mississippi River Central Stren (now AFS) and the Kentucky Lake BFL Regional.

“Financially I was able to give it a try,” he said. “I kind of liked the schedule. I really thought I had the best chance to do real well at the Red River, but it ended up getting cancelled. It would be nice to be a national pro. We’ll see how it works out.”

His 11-15 bag today included four largemouths and one spot. He’s fishing mid-range depths.

“It was a miracle,” he said. “It far exceeded my expectations. I caught more fish today than all of practice combined. I changed baits a little bit – threw one I that didn’t in practice – and ended up catching three fish on it. But I think a lot of it was just slowing down. I slowed way down today.”

He added that he fished “extremely” slow in the few areas he fished and caught fish throughout the day. He caught his first keeper in the initial 15 minutes, and caught his last in the final 15 minutes.

About whether he thinks he can back it up tomorrow, he said: “I really have no idea. I’m pretty much in shock that I caught five today. Like I said, I struggled in practice and it was just a miracle day.”

18th: Cochran in Confidence Areas

At 60 years old, George Cochran has fished his share of Table Rock tournaments. More recently, he was first out of the cut last year, and he finished 8th at a Bassmaster Tour stop in 2004.

He was one of BassFan’s Top 10 to watch at this event, and he seems to have found his groove fishing shallow.

“I feel good,” he said. “I caught a small limit today. I was disappointed in the size though. I’m not getting a lot of bites, but I thought I could catch anywhere from four to six fish a day – anywhere from 13 to 16 pounds. But today I only weighed 10-14.

“I’m optimistic, naturally,” he added. “I’m fishing the way I like to fish – real slow – and I found a couple of bays that have fish. We’ll see if it turns out for me.”

He noted that from his prior visits, he’s got several places that he has a lot of confidence in. “And being 60 years old now, I’ve learned how to slow down. I’m more methodical than I used to be. Once I find them I really feel more comfortable, but let me say this: I know what I have to do to make the Top 5, and if everything goes right the next 2 days, I think I’ll make the Top 5.”

What gives him that optimism is he had a 16-pound day in practice, and he lost one good fish today. “I really feel like I can catch a good string tomorrow and pull into the Top 5.”

Notable

> Day 1 stats – 149 anglers, 14 limits, 14 fours, 19 threes, 28 twos, 39 ones, 36 zeroes.

> Two-tour pro Ish Monroe is currently 24th with 9-09. Other two-tour pros include Steve Kennedy (41st, 7-06) and Edwin Evers (last, 0-00).

> Last year’s Table Rock winner, Anthony Gagliardi, is currently 55th (two fish, 5-13).

> Some notable zeroes in addition to Evers include Michael Bennett, Guido Hibdon, Rob Kilby and Dan Morehead.

> FLW Outdoors reported that two pros were forced to withdraw from the tournament due to family emergencies. It’s unclear who those two were, as there are actually four pros not at Table Rock who appeared on the initial 2010 FLW Tour field list. Those four pros are Stuart Arthur, Ed Melton, Jim Milson and Johnny Johnson.

Weather Forecast

Here’s the weather forecast for the remaining tournament days. Note the overnight lows, as well as the warm front due Saturday.

> Thurs., March 4 – Sunny – 57°/33°
- Wind: From the SE at 8 mph

> Fri., March 5 – Sunny – 48°/24°
- Wind: From the N/NW at 10 mph

> Sat., March 6 – Partly Cloudy – 58°/39°
- Wind: From the S/SE at 10 mph

Day 1 Standings

1. Greg Pugh — Cullman, Al — 5, 18-11

2. Mike Wurm — Hot Springs, Ar — 5, 16-14

3. Brent Ehrler — Redlands, Ca — 5, 16-06

4. Brian Travis — Conover, Nc — 4, 16-04

5. Joe Thomas — Milford, Oh — 5, 15-07

6. Bryan Thrift — Shelby, Nc — 5, 14-13

7. David Walker — Sevierville, Tn — 5, 14-12

8. Wesley Strader — Spring City, Tn — 4, 14-10

9. Scott Martin — Clewiston, Fl — 5, 14-07

10. Adam Wagner — Cookeville, Tn — 5, 12-10

11. Clark Wendlandt — Leander, Tx — 4, 12-08

12. Mark Rose — Marion, Ar — 5, 12-03

13. Robert Harkness — Elizabeth, Wv — 5, 12-02

14. Dick Shaffer — Rockford, Oh — 5, 11-15

15. Mark Rouse — League City, Tx — 5, 11-07

15. Scott Suggs — Bryant, Ar — 4, 11-07

17. Tim Klinger — Boulder City, Nv — 4, 11-04

18. George Cochran — Hot Springs, Ar — 5, 10-14

19. Stetson Blaylock — Benton, Ar — 5, 10-10

20. Mark Stewart — Springville, Al — 4, 10-06

21. Jim Tutt — Longview, Tx — 3, 10-03

22. Art Ferguson Iii — St. Clair Shores, Mi — 2, 9-15

22. Andy Morgan — Dayton, Tn — 4, 9-15

24. Stacey King — Reeds Spring, Mo — 3, 9-09

24. Ishama Monroe — Hughson, Ca — 3, 9-09

26. Ron Shuffield — Bismarck, Ar — 3, 9-05

27. Justin Lucas — Montevallo, Al — 3, 9-03

28. Robbie Dodson — Harrison, Ar — 4, 9-02

29. Brett Hite — Phoenix, Az — 4, 9-01

30. Glenn Chappelear — Acworth, Ga — 2, 8-10

31. Gerald Brown — Chickasha, Ok — 3, 8-09

32. Mark Hardin — Jasper, Ga — 4, 8-08

33. Roy Hawk — Salt Lake City, Ut — 3, 8-07

34. Mike Surman — Boca Raton, Fl — 3, 8-03

35. Dave Lefebre — Union City, Pa — 4, 8-02

35. Larry Nixon — Bee Branch, Ar — 2, 8-02

37. Jimmy Houston — Cookson, Ok — 4, 8-01

38. Chad Grigsby — Maple Grove, Mn — 3, 7-14

39. David Kromm — Kennewick, Wa — 4, 7-13

40. Tom Mann Jr — Buford, Ga — 3, 7-08

41. John Devere — Berea, Ky — 3, 7-06

41. Steve Kennedy — Auburn, Al — 3, 7-06

43. Ott Defoe — Knoxville, Tn — 2, 7-05

44. Travis Fox — Springdale, Ar — 3, 6-10

45. Andy Montgomery — Blacksburg, Sc — 3, 6-09

46. Jim Moynagh — Carver, Mn — 3, 6-08

47. Jamie Feick — Centerburg, Oh — 2, 6-07

47. Mark Fisher — Glenview, Il — 2, 6-07

49. Terry Bolton — Jonesboro, Ar — 1, 6-05

49. Shinichi Fukae — Palestine, Tx — 3, 6-05

51. Craig Dowling — Grant, Al — 3, 6-04

52. Scott Canterbury — Springville, Al — 3, 6-02

53. Shad Schenck — Waynetown, In — 3, 6-01

54. Chris Baumgardner — Gastonia, Nc — 2, 6-00

55. Anthony Gagliardi — Prosperity, Sc — 2, 5-13

55. Tim Mcdonald — Lexington, Ky — 2, 5-13

55. Jay Yelas — Corvallis, Or — 2, 5-13

58. Kyle Mabrey — Mccalla, Al — 2, 5-12

59. Jim Dillard — West Monroe, La — 1, 5-10

59. Clifford Pirch — Payson, Az — 1, 5-10

61. Richard Lowitzki — St Charles, Il — 1, 5-08

62. Jason Christie — Park Hill, Ok — 2, 5-05

62. David Dudley — Lynchburg, Va — 2, 5-05

62. Russell Parrish — Riesel, Tx — 2, 5-05

65. Matt Arey — Shelby, Nc — 2, 5-04

65. Randall Tharp — Gardendale, Al — 2, 5-04

67. David Fritts — Lexington, Nc — 2, 5-00

67. Brad Knight — Wartburg, Tn — 2, 5-00

69. Ken Wick — Star, Id — 1, 4-15

70. Chad Morgenthaler — Coulterville, Il — 1, 4-14

71. Tim Johnson — Dallas, Ga — 2, 4-13

72. Mike Hawkes — Sabinal, Tx — 2, 4-10

73. Chad Brauer — Osage Beach, Mo — 2, 4-08

73. Dion Hibdon — Stover, Mo — 2, 4-08

75. Justin Kerr — Simi Valley, Ca — 2, 4-06

76. Vic Vatalaro — Kent, Oh — 2, 4-05

77. Brent Long — Cornelius, Nc — 2, 4-04

78. Pete Gluszek — Mt Laurel, Nj — 2, 4-00

79. Jacob Powroznik — Prince George, Va — 1, 3-14

79. Ray Scheide — Dover, Ar — 2, 3-14

81. Christopher Ford — Kennedale, Tx — 1, 3-12

81. Robert Pearson — Herndon, Va — 1, 3-12

81. Rusty Salewske — Alpine, Ca — 1, 3-12

84. Daryl Biron — South Windsor, Ct — 2, 3-11

85. Rhett Fornof — Park City, Ut — 1, 3-09

86. Eric Ambort — Mabelvale, Ar — 1, 3-04

87. Luke Clausen — Gainesville, Ga — 1, 3-03

87. Brandon Coulter — Knoxville, Tn — 1, 3-03

89. Darrel Robertson — Jay, Ok — 1, 3-01

90. Terry Segraves — Kissimmee, Fl — 1, 3-00

91. Cody Bird — Granbury, Tx — 1, 2-15

91. Bobby Mcmullin — Pevely, Mo — 1, 2-15

93. Jason Meninger — Gainesville, Ga — 1, 2-13

94. Chris Martinkovic — Liberty Township, Oh — 1, 2-11

94. Kenneth (Boo) Woods — Hazard, Ky — 1, 2-11

96. Mike Todd — Norman, Ok — 1, 2-10

97. Chris Neau — Castro Valley, Ca — 1, 2-08

98. Keith Monson — Burgin, Ky — 1, 2-07

99. Todd Auten — Lake Wylie, Sc — 1, 2-06

100. Nicholas Albus — Trinity, Tx — 1, 2-05

100. Jason Cordiale — Orinda, Ca — 1, 2-05

100. Christian Romans — Carrollton, Ky — 1, 2-05

103. James Christian — Dickson, Tn — 1, 2-02

103. Keith Combs — Del Rio, Tx — 1, 2-02

105. Sean Hoernke — The Woodlands, Tx — 1, 2-01

105. Michael Murphy — Gilbert, Sc — 1, 2-01

105. Robert Sherry — Saint Charles, Il — 1, 2-01

108. Glenn Browne — Ocala, Fl — 1, 2-00

108. Chip Harrison — Bremen, In — 1, 2-00

110. Jeremy York — Loganville, Ga — 1, 1-15

111. Greg Bohannan — Rogers, Ar — 1, 1-14

111. Jimmy Millsaps — Canton, Ga — 1, 1-14

111. Jason Reyes — Huffman, Tx — 1, 1-14

Terry Baksay — Easton, Ct — 0, 0-00

Michael Bennett — Panama City, Fl — 0, 0-00

Bob Bjorklund — Centennial, Co — 0, 0-00

Clint Brownlee — Tifton, Ga — 0, 0-00

Tony Chesshir — Nashville, Ar — 0, 0-00

Ramie Colson Jr — Cadiz, Ky — 0, 0-00

Bobby Curtis — Siloam Springs, Ar — 0, 0-00

Lewis Denney — Indian Mound, Tn — 0, 0-00

Kathryn Ealey — Moody, Al — 0, 0-00

Edwin Evers — Talala, Ok — 0, 0-00

James (Wil) Hardy — Harlem, Ga — 0, 0-00

Guido Hibdon — Sunrise Beach, Mo — 0, 0-00

Will Jefferies — Bountiful, Ut — 0, 0-00

Johnny Johnson — Destin, Fl — 0, 0-00

Jt Kenney — Palm Bay, Fl — 0, 0-00

Rob Kilby — Hot Springs, Ar — 0, 0-00

Thanh Le — Lake Havasu City, Az — 0, 0-00

Fred Martin — North Little Rock, Ar — 0, 0-00

Ed Melton — Houston, Tx — 0, 0-00

Cody Meyer — Grass Valley, Ca — 0, 0-00

Dan Morehead — Paducah, Ky — 0, 0-00

Jonathan Newton — Rogersville, Al — 0, 0-00

Eric Olliverson — Nixa, Mo — 0, 0-00

Jt Palmore — Gasburg, Va — 0, 0-00

Bud Pruitt — Houston, Tx — 0, 0-00

Tom Redington — Royse City, Tx — 0, 0-00

David Smith — Del City, Ok — 0, 0-00

James Stricklin Jr — Texarkana, Ar — 0, 0-00

John Tanner — Quitman, Tx — 0, 0-00

Zack Thompson — Orinda, Ca — 0, 0-00

Rusty Trancygier — Hahira, Ga — 0, 0-00

John Voyles — Petersburg, In — 0, 0-00

Jack Wade — Knoxville, Tn — 0, 0-00

James Watson — Waynesville, Mo — 0, 0-00

Nate Wellman — Jenison, Mi — 0, 0-00

Gary Yamamoto — Palestine, Tx — 0, 0-00

WWW.bassfan.com

Name: Mark Winn

AGE: 46

Family: Wife (Sherry) Daughter (Jennifer)

Home Town: Collinsville

State: Virginia

Bass Club: Max 10 , Outlaws

Sponsors: Widener Insurance

Number of Days Fishing per Years:

Number of Years Fishing: 30+

Favorite Lake: Kerr Lake and Smith Mountain Lake

Favorite Fishing Tech & Tips: Crankbaits and Swimbaits

Tournament Trails Fish: Angler’s Choice Teams, BASS Federation  Nation

Fishing Highlights: ABA National Championship Runner-Up 1987 Lake Gaston, BASS Federation Nation State Team 2009, Mid-Atlantic Divisional BASS Federation Nation Team Winners 2009 Ohio River, Angler’s Choice Team Tournament Winner Smith Mountain Lake, Buggs Island Team Tournament Winner, Kerr Lake Super Teams Winner, Shelor Outdoors Team Trail Winner Buggs Island, TBF State Tournament Big Fish 7.88 lbs. Buggs Island

Fishing Goals: Be competitive every time I fish a tournament. Learn something everytime I go fishing. Remember what I’ve learned on the water.

Fishing Tips: Make your bait do something diffrent than every other bait a fish will see. Don’t be afraid to try something outside your fishing comfort zone. Take someone out on the water who is new to bass fishing.

Please be patient and allow videos to load

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Special Thanks to Steve West for all of his hard work …

Jeff Freeman finished 9th at the 2010 Classic

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

Photos of Jeff  on stage….

Click Photo to Enlarge