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No ordinary fish story as Ehrler dominates FLW Tour tournament

By Brent Frazee, McClatchy Newspapers, Source: MCT News Service

BRANSON, Mo. _ Ask most of the fishermen entered in an FLW Tour national bass tournament for a fishing report on Table Rock Lake, and they'd answer with a resounding "poor."

Ask Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., and you would get an "excellent."

That was the story of the four-day tournament that ended Saturday.

While most of the fishermen struggled to figure out what Table Rock's big bass were doing, Ehrler put together a pattern that gave him a memorable catch.

He landed 20 bass weighing 69 pounds, 11 ounces and turned the national event into a runaway.

His closest competition was Ron Shuffield of Bismarck, Ark., who had 56 pounds, 9 ounces.

In the process, Ehrler added to his reputation as one of the sport's brightest stars.

"In my book, Brent is the best bass fisherman in America," Shuffield said. "To finish second to him is no disgrace.

"It's unbelievable the way he can catch fish, even when the conditions are tough."

The conditions were tough last week. After a cold spell, water temperatures at Table Rock were in the high 30s and low 40s and the fish weren't active.

Or at least, they weren't in most places.

Ehrler found a place where the big bass were concentrated and hitting. On the way to the back of a creek in the White River arm during practice, he noticed something on his fish finder that caught his eye.

He and his practice partner caught two bass there, then Ehrler left it alone so that he could fish it in the tournament.

That spot _ some underwater timber near where a flat dropped off into the creek channel _ proved to be an amazing producer.

Using everything from a 5 -inch Yamamoto grub to a Lucky Craft jerkbait and crankbait, he worked his lures through the treetops of the deep timber and put together a tournament to remember.

On Thursday, he caught 22 pounds, 2 ounces of bass and had at least 14 pounds, 6 ounces every other day. He ended his performance by bringing 16 pounds, 13 ounces to the scale Saturday.

That was enough to give him a first-place check for $100,000 plus $27,500 in bonuses from sponsors.

"I found a perfect pre-spawn area," Ehrler said. "The fish were just suspended in the treetops and they were concentrated.

"The key was the spot. I was just very fortunate to find it.

"I started off thinking I was going to fish shallow. But when I ran across this spot, I changed my mind in a hurry."

For Ehrler, being in the national spotlight is nothing new. He won $500,000 for taking the title in the FLW Tour Championship in 2006. He has won four other national FLW tournaments, including the Western Division opener this year.

But few have come this easily. He led by almost 13 pounds going into the final day.

"I've never had a tournament like this," he said. "I should have been more relaxed, but I was still nervous."

It didn't come as easily for other fishermen in the 148-man field. Stacey King, a longtime pro who has fished Table Rock for years, was among those frustrated.

"It's just tough right now," said King, who finished 21st. "The water temperature is colder than it should be at this time of the year, and the bass aren't where they'd normally be.

"I wish this tournament could have been a week or two later. Then you would have seen a lot of big bass caught.

"Table Rock really is a great bass lake. It just didn't show it this week."

More than 20 of the pro fishermen brought only one keeper bass to the scale in three days of fishing before being eliminated. (Only the top five fished Saturday.)

Dion Hibdon of Stover, Mo., knows all about how frustrating the fishing was.

He had one of the tournament's largest catches _ 21 pounds, 2 ounces _ Thursday and moved from 73rd to fifth place. But he faltered Friday and failed to make the cut, finishing in 16th place.

"I went back to the same place I caught them, but I couldn't get them to bite," he said. "I thought I had them figured out, but I guess the fish had other ideas."

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