How to Locate Fish in a Lake

Finding fish in a lake is all about observation and using what you see to put the right lure at the right depth and in the right spot. Fish generally hang out in schools. They will gravitate towards areas that meet their immediate needs: shelter, comfort and food.
Lakes will have a small amount of productive water and a large amount of unproductive water. Staying in the former will increase success. Fish will go deep when they are holding to get safety and comfort. When they are deep they will be hugging the bottom usually over rocks or gravel. They will avoid sandy bottom. This is usually along the banks or in the top 6-10' of water anywhere on the lake. The center of the lake productive is only productive when there is insect activity.
A depth finder will show bottom structure and many units will show individual fish and mark their depth. A good rule of thumb to use, if you do not have a depth finder is to troll parallel with the bank so you can see the bottom on one side of you boat and not on the other. Often times this is the perfect spot. It is the littoral zone and is usually in 6-10' of water often between the high and low water marks. If I had to choose one area to fish this would be it. Feeding fish will be found on the shallower side so focus your presentation there.
Fish are always wary of predators: birds, bigger fish and you. They will seek shelter to survive. It is rare to find fish hanging out in clear shallow water unless they are actively feeding. Their silhouette is visible to birds and anglers. Being out in the open they have no place to seek shelter if attacked by larger fish. Choppy water will make them more comfortable than calm water. They are no longer as visible from above the water. Reading the water conditions is a good start to finding fish. In calm water the fish will be either deep or under cover. Downed trees, rock piles and stumps all offer protection to the fish. They can hang out in a safe spot and ambush prey as they see it. Weed beds offer a protection and food to trout. This is an area they may abandon their natural protective instinct and search for food more freely. Some of these features are easily visible with the naked eye, others you will need a depth finder to see.
Polarized glasses are a huge benefit in searching for fish. Good glasses will eliminate surface glare letting you see into the water.

http://www.thefishinggeek.com/paddle-for-trout Paddling for Trout is a great reference for kayak and SUP anglers. For more info and reviews, products and more check out http://www.thefishinggeek.com The Fishing Geek
Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_M_Becker


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6866883

Morehead continues to roll

Morehead continues to roll:

Dan Morehead of Paducah, Ky., used a two-day catch of 36 pounds, 15 ounces to maintain the overall lead in the Pro Division for the second day in a row at the FLW Tour Lake Hartwell event. (Photo by Gary Mortenson)

Kentucky veteran maintains lead at FLW Tour Lake Hartwell event, Lauer surges into co-angler lead, top-20 cut announced

09.Mar.2012 by Gary Mortenson
ANDERSON, S.C. – Dan Morehead of Paducah, Ky., is clearly feeling a lot better these days. After battling a terrible 24-hour virus that greatly curtailed his pre-fishing schedule and left him scrambling to come up with any sort of game plan for this week’s FLW Tour event on Lake Hartwell, Morehead now finds himself atop the leaderboard for the second day in a row.
Morehead’s unlikely ascent to the top is a testament to his continued perseverance as well as his veteran fishing savvy accumulated after years of hard work. But obviously, at least so far, this has been one of the harder challenges of his career.
“When I launched my boat on the first day of the tournament, I was just hoping to get a check,” said Morehead. “So this is truly a blessing from God. But man, it was a grind just to generate a bite today. It was pretty tough out there.”
Morehead said that he’s using a combination of Alabama Rigs and soft plastics to target staging bass relating to blueback herring.
“My boat is sitting in about 30 feet of water and I’m concentrating on narrow cuts where the bass are suspended,” he said. “They’re staging right now but they’re hanging around those narrow cuts trying to ambush those herring. But today was definitely a grind for me. I probably only had nine keeper bites all day.
“I’m basically running and gunning and hitting a lot of different spots that look right,” Morehead continued. “But there were definitely times when I felt like I was grasping for straws out there.”
As far as tomorrow is concerned, Morehead said he has no idea what to expect.
“This lake is really unpredictable right now,” he said. “But you know what? Sometimes that’s when I fish the best. I’ve made the cut right now and I’ve qualified for the (2012 Forrest Wood) Cup so I don’t have any pressure on me at all. I’m just going to go out there and go fishing tomorrow.”
Ehrler continues his climb
After finishing the day in third place overall at the end of yesterday’s competition, Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., now finds himself a mere 9 ounces off the overall lead in second place.
“I feel great,” said Ehrler of today’s finish. “I actually don’t like leading the tournament until the final day. So I’m fine with second place right now.”
Ehrler said he’s continuing to pick apart Lake Hartwell, targeting fish in anywhere from 2 to 50 feet of water with a combination of drop-shots and reaction baits.
“I’m really bouncing around a lot but I do have a couple of key spots I really like,” he said. “The key is really just to be around the fish because once you find them, you can catch them a lot of different ways. Today I used about six to eight different rods. I used a drop-shot and several different reaction baits and wound up with about 15 keepers. It’s definitely a fun lake to fish.”
Ehrler said that timing is equally important.
“Being at the right spot at the right time is important,” he said. “It’s really a timing issue. You could be at the right spot but if they’re not feeding, you’re not going to catch them. The fish are definitely staging right now and they want to move up. So they will feed, stop feeding and then start up again. And you have hit them at the right time.”
As for tomorrow, Ehrler says that the reduced field – as a result of the top-20 cut – will make the lake even more wide open.
“I’m really looking forward to tomorrow,” said Ehler, who now boasts a two-day catch of 36 pounds, 6 ounces. “They’re will be a lot less people on the water and I won’t have to worry about fishing behind somebody. It’s really going to spread things out nicely.”
Frazier makes his move
Micah Frazier of Newnan, Ga., leapfrogged from fifth place to third on the strength of a two-day catch totaling 36 pounds, 5 ounces.
“This is the first time I’ve done well two days in a row so I’m pretty excited about it,” said Frazier. “I had an awful time at (the first FLW Tour event) at Lake Okeechobee and was feeling pretty down about that. So it’s nice to be where I’m at. I’m finally making the right decisions.”
Frazier said that he has been targeting one particular creek this entire tournament and that’s exactly where he plans to spend the rest of the event as well.
“I’m fishing quarter-mile stretches of this one creek. I’ve caught everything so far on one crankbait,” he said. “But I’m having to move around a ton. I’ll start out my day in deeper water closer to the lake and then, later in the day, I’ll move shallower. It’s a pretty obvious pattern. But it’s not easy. It’s a grind. And a limit, at least for me, is really hard to come by.”
Today, Frazier said his fortunes were greatly bolstered after he landed a 5-pounder at 2:30 p.m. with time literally winding down in the day.
“That really helped,” he said. “I’m only 23 years old. And one of my main goals I set this year was just to make a cut. And I’ve already done that. So I’m pretty happy right now.”
And what about Saturday’s competition?
“I’ll be back in that same area,” he said. “That’s all I’ve got at this point.”
Best of the rest
Todd Auten of Lake Wylie, S.C., finished the day in fourth place overall with a total catch of 35 pounds, 5 ounces. Meanwhile, Marty Stone of Fayetteville, N.C., landed in fifth place with a catch of 33 pounds, 15 ounces.
Rounding out the top-10 pros:

6th: Anthony Gagliardi of Prosperity, S.C., 33-6

7th: Jim Moynagh of Carver, Minn., 33-6

8th: Tom Monsoor of Lacrosse, Wisc., 32-15

9th: Brett Hite of Phoenix, Ariz., 32-7

10th: Clifford Pirch of Payson, Ariz., 32-0
Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., took home the Snickers Big Bass award in the Pro Division after landing a 7-pound largemouth. Christie won $500 for his catch.
For a complete list of the day’s results, click here.
Lauer takes advantage of incredible day
Heading into today’s competition, David Lauer of Loxahatchee, Fla., was in 61st place and in desperate need of a major haul into order to qualify for today’s top-20 cut. And that’s exactly what he got. After boating an eye-popping limit of 20 pounds in Friday’s competition, Lauer soared up the leaderboard and grabbed the top spot heading into Saturday’s co-angler finals.
And he could not have been happier.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Lauer, who boasts a total catch of 26 pounds, 15 ounces. “I’ve had a lot of top-10 finishes before but I’ve never won one. Hopefully this time I will finally get that first win. But no matter what, it’s a great way to start the year.”
So how exactly did Lauer engineer the greatest comeback of the tournament to date?
“At about 1 p.m. I had two little fish in the boat,” he said. “And then I landed that 6-pounder. At that point, I was thinking, ‘At least now I’ll get a check.’ But then my partner pulled into a pocket and for the next 30 minutes it was game-on. It was clearly a timing deal.”
Lauer said that he rounded out his limit fishing a combination of All-Terrain jigs and Shaky Heads equipped with Zoom Trick worms.
Amazingly enough, Lauer said that everything he learned in practice hasn’t helped him in the slightest so far in the tournament.
“It’s funny, in practice, all I did was fish in shallow water,” he said. “And in the tournament, with the way my partners were fishing, everything I caught was out deep. As far as tomorrow goes, I’ll just have to see what (Dan) Morehead is doing. Hopefully I’ll be able to get that elusive win.”
Best of the rest
Kevin Gordon of Aiken, S.C., used a total catch of 25 pounds, 2 ounces to grab the runner-up position heading into Saturday’s all-important co-angler finals.
Meanwhile, Richard Peek of Centre, Ala., qualified in third place with a catch of 24 pounds, 14 ounces.
“Anytime you make a top-20 or top-10 cut it’s awesome,” said Peek. “I really mixed it up out there today. I probably used about 10 to 12 different lures. Fishing as a co-angler, especially on this lake, you really have to be versatile.”
Rich Dalbey of Greenville, Texas, used a total catch of 24 pounds, 8 ounces to grab fourth place overall.
“I’m ecstatic,” said Dalbey. “I really didn’t expect this. I’m just looking forward to tomorrow. Then we’ll see what happens.”
Dalbey said that he’s thankful that he has been able to land some big bites on each day of the competition.
“It’s actually pretty tough out there,” he said. “You really have to stay focused. For me the key has been getting those big bites in the boat. Yesterday, I caught a 6-pounder and today, I caught a 5-pounder on my last cast.”
Dalbey said that he used a combination of crankbaits and Shaky Heads to land the majority of his catch.
Alex Posey of Roswell, Ga., finished the day in fifth place with a total catch of 23 pounds, 6 ounces.
Rounding out the top-10 co-angler qualifiers:

6th: David Kuykendall of Fletcher, N.C., 23-4

7th: Doug Caldwell of Kane, Pa., 23-0

8th: Jim Jeff Townsend of Philadelphia, Pa., 22-12

9th: Jason Johnson of Gainesville, Ga., 22-9

10th: Allen Murray of Reidsville, Ga., 22-3
For a complete list of the day’s results, click here.
Bass-fishing fans take note
FLW Tour action continues during Saturday’s takeoff, scheduled to take place at 7 a.m. at Portman Shoals Marina, located at 1629 Marina Road in Anderson, S.C.
Daily on-the-water coverage will also be available online at FLWOutdoors.com beginning at takeoff. To see up-to-the-minute tournament updates, click here.
In addition to takeoff and weigh-in action, fans in the Greenville, S.C., area will be treated to the FLW Outdoors Expo at the TD Convention Center on Saturday and Sunday from noon - 4 p.m. prior to the final weigh-ins. The Expo includes Ranger boat simulators, the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by sponsors, and fans can learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. All activities are free and open to the public. On Sunday the first 300 children 14 and under who are accompanied by an adult will receive a free rod and reel combo courtesy of The Greenville News. Also on Sunday one lucky fishing fan will win a Can-Am ATV courtesy of WESC 92.5. The ATV giveaway is free to enter but the winner must be present at the conclusion of Sunday’s final weigh-in to win.
Want to watch the weigh in live but can’t make it in person? Then tune into FLW Live on FLWOutdoors.com shortly before 4 p.m. Eastern Time to watch live streaming video and audio of Saturday’s weigh in.
Coverage of the Lake Hartwell tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network when “FLW” airs April 15 from 1 - 2 p.m. ET. "FLW" is hosted by Jason Harper and is broadcast to more than 559 million households worldwide.

Late 5-Pounder Keeps Morehead Out In Front

Late 5-Pounder Keeps Morehead Out In Front:

Friday, March 09, 2012

Photo: FLW/Gary Mortenson Dan Morehead caught his best fish of the day on his final cast.

By BassFan Staff


Dan Morehead saved his best for last on day 2 of the Hartwell FLW Tour major.

Buoyed by a 5-pounder that he caught on his final cast, the Kentuckian retained the lead at the first Tour points event of 2012. But as was the case after day 1, it's a scant margin, as the Top 10 are separated by less than 5 pounds at the midway point.

Morehead's 16-01 sack gave him a 2-day total of 36-16. He's 9 ounces in front of Brent Ehrler, who caught a nearly identical stringer (16-02) and moved up one slot into the No. 2 position with 36-06

Georgia's Micah Frazier gained 2 places to 3rd with a 16-14 bag that gave him a 36-05 aggregate, putting him just 10 ounces off the pace. The 4th and 5th positions were manned by the anglers who caught the biggest bags of the day – Todd Auten, who sacked 18-01 for a 35-05 total; and Marty Stone, who caught 20-01 to give him 33-15.

Here are the totals for the rest of the Top 10:

6. (tie) Anthony Gagliardi: 33-06
6. (tie) Jim Moynagh: 33-06
8. Tom Monsoor: 32-15
9. Brett Hite: 32-07
10. Clifford Pirch: 32-00

Change is the overriding theme of this event, and the competitors who've been most efficient at adapting are the ones who survived today's cut to the Top 20. The air was a bit cooler today, but a warm night had water temperatures up as much as 4 degrees over day 1 in some places. Also, the wind changed directions to come primarily out of the north following a spate of morning showers.

In addition to Auten and Stone, other newcomers to the Top 10 today were Gagliardi (up 14 places with a 17-12 stringer), Moynagh (up 8, 16-05), Monsoor (up 3, 15-00) and Hite (up 4, 15-00). The biggest backslider was Matthew Stefan, who started the day in 2nd but dropped all the way to 46th with a three-fish, 4-04 bag.

Photo: FLW/Gary Mortenson Brent Ehrler thinks he has plenty of water left to get him through the weekend.

Blake Nick (28th, 8-08 today), Michael Neel (55th, 4-12), Shane Long (27th, 10-03) and Jay Yelas (11th, 13-09) also dropped out of the Top 10.


Another weather change is in store for tomorrow as the forecast for the Anderson, S.C. area predicts sunny skies and an east/northeast wind that tops out at 12 mph. The field will be reduced to the Top 10 after the weigh-in, with the winner determined Sunday by highest 4-day weight.

Late Cull Lifts Morehead

> Day 2: 5, 16-01 (10, 36-15)

The cull that Morehead made with his last cast of the day was worth about 3 pounds (the fish replaced a 2-pounder). He might not have remained in the Top 5 without it.

"I came in 10 minutes early after that because I knew how important that fish was," he said. "It was a hard grind, but it ended up being a pretty darn good day.

"I know I didn't catch all the fish out (of his primary areas), but we had rain to get through and the wind switched directions, and to me it was just a lot tougher (than day 1). Quite honestly, I feel as good as if I'd just won the tournament."

He caught nine keepers for the day and didn't have a limit until almost 12:30. The 5-pounder topped his bag and he also had a 4.

He threw an Alabama Rig quite a bit this morning and it produced two of his weigh-in fish.

"I'm fishing the weather conditions. It's kind of embarrassing, but I'm living day by day. I'd like to have the sun tomorrow to see what I can do with that. To me, all the pressure's off. I made the cut and I get to fish tomorrow."

He doesn't have to fish for points this year – he's already in the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup by virtue of his EverStart Championship victory last fall.

"I don't have to be so defensive, like if it's late in the day and I've only got four keepers, I don't have to go into panic mode."

The majority of his action is occurring late in the day, and that concerns him a bit for day 3 since quitting time will come earlier due to the 45-minute drive to the TD Convention Center in Greenville for the weigh-in.

"My deal just isn't generating bites early, so I'm going to try to change that up a little."

2nd: Ehrler in Good Shape

> Day 2: 5, 16-02 (10, 36-06)

Ehrler spent much of his day not catching fish, but that time wasn't entirely wasted because he was able to whittle down his gameplan for the weekend.

"I spent a bunch of time looking for stuff that didn't pan out, but it worked out all right," he said. "Now I've got what I'm going to do pretty well narrowed down.

"I've got some good areas that I didn't beat up at all, and I'm excited to catch some of those fish and see what size they are."

He boated about 15 keepers today and the ones he weighed in were all of similar size – none were over 3 1/2 pounds.

Photo: FLW/Gary Mortenson Second-year pro Micah Frazier has already assured himself of his best-ever Tour finish.

"By about 9:00 I had almost all of my weight, and then later in the day I made about a half-pound upgrade. I lost one that I didn't get a look at, but I think it was big. I just had it hung for a few seconds."


His goal for tomorrow is at least 15 pounds.

"If I can get into that 15 to 17 range I should still be within a pound of the lead, and then anything can happen on the last day. If the wind doesn't hurt me, I think I can catch 12 pounds off one spot.

"The sun shouldn't affect anything – the fish should bite regardless."

3rd: Frazier Gains Ground

> Day 2: 5, 16-14 (10, 36-05)

Frazier is already assured of his best-ever Tour finish – a 24th at the Red River was his top placement during his 2011 rookie campaign. Today's bag was about 2 1/2 pounds lighter than the one he caught on day 1, but he advanced 2 places on the leaderboard and gained a few ounces on Morehead.

"I'm thrilled with it," he said. "I did the same thing in pretty much the same area. I've got a pattern I'm running and I'm hopping around to different places in the same general area. I'm staying in one creek."

He's had quite a bit of company in that area to this point, but he thinks the majority of those anglers missed the cut. Therefore, he expects far less traffic on day 3.

He caught only six keepers, but one was a 5-pounder. He lost a 3-pounder that likely would've put him in the lead.

"My confidence isn't great because I'm not getting that many bites. I'm not going to worry about it, though, because I don't have anything else to go with.

"I'm confident that the fish are there, but whether I can get enough bites is the question."

4th: Auten's Instincts on Target

> Day 2: 5, 18-01 (10, 35-05)

A change of location proved fruitful for Auten, whose bag was second-best of the day to Stone's.

"I seem to be making the right moves when I need to," he said. "I couldn't catch them today where I caught them yesterday, so I ended up on another little stretch and I got a couple of good ones, and then I beat around in there for awhile and caught a couple more.

"It isn't easy. I can catch a limit pretty easy, but the bigger bites are hard to come by."

A 4 1/4-pounder was the biggest of the 12 keepers he caught today. He lost his biggest bite, which he estimated at 4 1/2.

"It hit me real short at the boat and I tried to swing it in, and it just came off. Maybe I can go back tomorrow and get that sucker."

He's caught some on an Alabama Rig, but hasn't weighed any of them in.

"I can't see it being a big player for me. It'll catch fish, but the bigger ones are tighter to cover."

5th: Big Bag for Stone

> Day 2: 5, 20-01 (10, 33-15)

Stone, who's back competing at the tour level after taking 2011 off, was the lone angler to surpass the 20-pound mark today after three such sacks were caught on day 1. His bag included a 6 1/2-pounder and he had another that pushed 5.

Photo: FLW/Gary Mortenson Todd Auten weighed an 18-pound sack despite losing his best bite of the day.

"I was very fortunate today, but that's what it takes sometimes," he said. "It took all day, but I learned some more about the areas I need to be looking at and the fish seem to be replenishing.


"This was a huge relief for me because I showed myself I could still do this. It's the first time in 6 or 7 years that I've gotten to fish a Southern impoundment with cold, dirty water that was constantly changing. I had a lot of fun today and if I can catch a few tomorrow, maybe I'll get to try a day 4. I think I can handle 4 days of this."

He's working shallow water and his arsenal includes a crankbait, a spinnerbait and a jig.

"I've fished clean both days. When you're fishing the way you like to, your execution's usually better, and mine has been good so far."

His intuition been good, as well.

"The place where I caught the big one today was dead on day 1, but I went in there today and it's personality had changed. It's a matter of understanding what you're seeing when you get in there."

46th: Stefan's Fish were Gone

> Day 2: 3, 4-04 (8, 25-00)

Stefan was just 2 ounces out of the lead after day 1, but managed just three small keepers today and was in danger of falling out of the Top 50 (the cutline for a $10,000 check).

"I wish I knew specifically," he responded when asked why things got so much tougher for him today. "The water was 4 degrees warmer and I think those fish finally moved up. I was keying on deep, submerged brushpiles and they just weren't there today.

"My co-angler caught one spot that was about 4 pounds. Other than that, we were pretty much in scramble mode all day. I was just trying to catch a few to make a check."

He fished a cove that had at least 10 different piles, some as deep as 40 feet. He threw a jerkbait, an Alabama Rig and a spider grub.

"We had a couple of warm days and nights, and I just didn't adjust well enough. I had no backup plan – I didn't find anything else that was working in practice."

Notable

> Day 2 stats – 163 anglers, 127 limits (4 more than day 1), 9 fours, 11 threes, 8 twos, 2 ones, 6 zeroes (2 more than day 1).

> Jason Christie, last year's champion at Hartwell, missed the cut by half a pound and finished 25th. He caught a 7-pounder today that took big-bass honors.

> BassFan Big Stick Luke Clausen picked up a $10,500 check today for a 36th-place finish. To read his competition report, click here.

Weather Forecast

> Sat., March 10 - Sunny - 63°/33°
- Wind: From the E/NE at 12 mph

> Sun., March 11 - Sunny - 67°/45°
- Wind: From the E at 8 mph

Day 2 Standings

1. Dan Morehead -- Paducah, Ky -- 20-14 (5) -- 16-01 (5) -- 36-15 (10)

2. Brent Ehrler -- Redlands, Ca -- 20-04 (5) -- 16-02 (5) -- 36-06 (10)

3. Micah Frazier -- Newnan, Ga -- 19-07 (5) -- 16-14 (5) -- 36-05 (10)

4. Todd Auten -- Lake Wylie, SC -- 17-04 (5) -- 18-01 (5) -- 35-05 (10)

5. Marty Stone -- Fayetteville, NC -- 13-14 (5) -- 20-01 (5) -- 33-15 (10)

6. Anthony Gagliardi -- Prosperity, SC -- 15-10 (5) -- 17-12 (5) -- 33-06 (10)

7. Jim Moynagh -- Carver, Mn -- 17-01 (5) -- 16-05 (5) -- 33-06 (10)

8. Tom Monsoor -- La Crosse, Wi -- 17-15 (5) -- 15-00 (5) -- 32-15 (10)

9. Brett Hite -- Phoenix, Az -- 17-07 (5) -- 15-00 (5) -- 32-07 (10)

10. Clifford Pirch -- Payson, Az -- 19-06 (5) -- 12-10 (5) -- 32-00 (10)

11. Jay Yelas -- Corvallis, Or -- 18-05 (5) -- 13-09 (5) -- 31-14 (10)

12. Travis Fox -- Rogers, Ar -- 14-05 (5) -- 17-00 (5) -- 31-05 (10)

13. Dave Lefebre -- Erie, Pa -- 14-08 (5) -- 16-07 (5) -- 30-15 (10)

14. Vic Vatalaro -- Kent, Oh -- 13-10 (5) -- 17-01 (5) -- 30-11 (10)

15. Allen Boyd -- Salem, In -- 14-01 (5) -- 16-08 (5) -- 30-09 (10)

16. Cody Meyer -- Auburn, Ca -- 15-11 (5) -- 14-11 (5) -- 30-06 (10)

17. Lancen Halbert -- Enoree, SC -- 18-01 (5) -- 12-04 (5) -- 30-05 (10)

18. Andy Morgan -- Dayton, Tn -- 13-05 (5) -- 17-00 (5) -- 30-05 (10)

19. Ron Shuffield -- Bismarck, Ar -- 13-01 (5) -- 16-07 (5) -- 29-08 (10)

20. Adrian Avena -- Vineland, Nj -- 14-04 (5) -- 15-03 (5) -- 29-07 (10)

The following anglers did not make the cut and will not fish on day 3.

21. Shinichi Fukae -- Palestine, Tx -- 16-05 (5) -- 13-01 (5) -- 29-06 (10) -- $11,500

22. Justin Lucas -- Guntersville, Al -- 13-04 (5) -- 15-15 (5) -- 29-03 (10) -- $11,500

23. Matt Arey -- Shelby, NC -- 17-10 (5) -- 11-08 (5) -- 29-02 (10) -- $11,500

24. David Dudley -- Lynchburg, Va -- 15-02 (5) -- 14-00 (5) -- 29-02 (10) -- $11,500

25. Jason Christie -- Park Hill, Ok -- 12-14 (5) -- 16-01 (5) -- 28-15 (10) -- $11,500

26. Randall Tharp -- Gardendale, Al -- 15-07 (5) -- 13-07 (5) -- 28-14 (10) -- $11,000

27. Shane Long -- Springfield, Mo -- 18-06 (5) -- 10-00 (3) -- 28-06 (8) -- $11,000

28. Blake Nick -- Adger, Al -- 19-11 (5) -- 8-08 (5) -- 28-03 (10) -- $11,000

29. Jacob Powroznik -- Prince George, Va -- 14-09 (5) -- 13-06 (5) -- 27-15 (10) -- $11,000

30. Ishama Monroe -- Hughson, Ca -- 13-06 (5) -- 13-13 (5) -- 27-03 (10) -- $11,000

31. Bill Day -- Frankfort, Ky -- 10-01 (5) -- 17-00 (5) -- 27-01 (10) -- $10,500

32. Todd Hollowell -- Fishers, In -- 14-13 (5) -- 12-04 (5) -- 27-01 (10) -- $10,500

33. Brandon Coulter -- Knoxville, Tn -- 13-13 (5) -- 13-04 (5) -- 27-01 (10) -- $10,500

34. Cody Bird -- Granbury, Tx -- 9-15 (5) -- 16-01 (5) -- 26-00 (10) -- $10,500

35. JT Kenney -- Palm Bay, Fl -- 16-06 (5) -- 9-09 (5) -- 25-15 (10) -- $10,500

36. Luke Clausen -- Spokane, Wa -- 12-12 (5) -- 13-02 (5) -- 25-14 (10) -- $10,500

37. Randy Blaukat -- Joplin, Mo -- 13-09 (5) -- 12-04 (5) -- 25-13 (10) -- $10,500

38. Jacob Wheeler -- Indianapolis, In -- 12-05 (5) -- 13-08 (5) -- 25-13 (10) -- $10,500

39. Derrick Snavely -- Rogersville, Tn -- 12-08 (5) -- 13-05 (5) -- 25-13 (10) -- $10,500

40. Troy Morrow -- Eastanollee, Ga -- 8-11 (5) -- 17-01 (5) -- 25-12 (10) -- $10,500

41. Tim McDonald -- Prestonsburg, Ky -- 13-07 (5) -- 12-03 (5) -- 25-10 (10) -- $10,000

42. Gary Yamamoto -- Palestine, Tx -- 9-11 (4) -- 15-13 (5) -- 25-08 (9) -- $10,000

43. Scott Martin -- Clewiston, Fl -- 13-10 (5) -- 11-09 (5) -- 25-03 (10) -- $10,000

44. Jim Tutt -- Longview, Tx -- 11-10 (5) -- 13-09 (5) -- 25-03 (10) -- $10,000

45. Tim Johnson -- Dallas, Ga -- 11-02 (5) -- 14-00 (5) -- 25-02 (10) -- $10,000

46. Matthew Stefan -- Park Ridge, Il -- 20-12 (5) -- 4-04 (3) -- 25-00 (8) -- $10,000

47. Pete Thliveros -- Saint Augustine, Fl -- 12-14 (5) -- 12-01 (5) -- 24-15 (10) -- $10,000

48. Craig Dowling -- Nashville, Tn -- 14-05 (5) -- 10-06 (5) -- 24-11 (10) -- $10,000

49. Koby Kreiger -- Okeechobee, Fl -- 9-14 (5) -- 14-11 (5) -- 24-09 (10) -- $10,000

50. Ramie Colson Jr -- Cadiz, Ky -- 11-05 (5) -- 13-02 (5) -- 24-07 (10) -- $10,000

51. Mike Surman -- Boca Raton, Fl -- 9-07 (5) -- 14-14 (5) -- 24-05 (10) -- $4,000

52. Brad Knight -- Wartburg, Tn -- 14-03 (5) -- 10-02 (5) -- 24-05 (10) -- $4,000

53. Guido Hibdon -- Sunrise Beach, Mo -- 9-00 (5) -- 15-03 (5) -- 24-03 (10) -- $4,000

54. Terry Bolton -- Paducah, Ky -- 10-13 (5) -- 13-04 (5) -- 24-01 (10) -- $4,000

55. Michael Neal -- Dayton, Tn -- 19-02 (5) -- 4-12 (2) -- 23-14 (7) -- $4,000

56. Stetson Blaylock -- Benton, Ar -- 14-00 (5) -- 9-13 (5) -- 23-13 (10) -- $4,000

57. John Cox -- Debary, Fl -- 12-08 (5) -- 11-04 (5) -- 23-12 (10) -- $4,000

58. David Wolak -- Wake Forest, NC -- 9-13 (5) -- 13-14 (5) -- 23-11 (10) -- $4,000

59. Charles Bebber -- Willis, Tx -- 14-04 (4) -- 9-02 (4) -- 23-06 (8) -- $4,000

60. Barry Wilson -- Birmingham, Al -- 10-05 (5) -- 12-07 (5) -- 22-12 (10) -- $4,000

61. Ken Golub -- Pittsford, NY -- 14-02 (5) -- 8-08 (5) -- 22-10 (10) -- $4,000

62. Glenn Browne -- Ocala, Fl -- 11-02 (5) -- 11-07 (5) -- 22-09 (10) -- $4,000

63. Robbie Dodson -- Harrison, Ar -- 13-10 (5) -- 8-13 (5) -- 22-07 (10) -- $4,000

64. Dakota Lucy -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 10-00 (5) -- 12-05 (5) -- 22-05 (10) -- $4,000

65. Bryan Thrift -- Shelby, NC -- 8-06 (5) -- 13-14 (5) -- 22-04 (10) -- $4,000

66. Jimmy Millsaps -- White, Ga -- 13-09 (5) -- 8-11 (5) -- 22-04 (10) -- $4,000

67. Robert Behrle -- Hoover, Al -- 12-02 (5) -- 10-01 (5) -- 22-03 (10) -- $4,000

68. Dearal Rodgers -- Camden, SC -- 10-07 (5) -- 11-12 (5) -- 22-03 (10) -- $4,000

69. Chris Neau -- New Orleans, La -- 16-02 (5) -- 5-15 (5) -- 22-01 (10) -- $4,000

70. Wesley Strader -- Spring City, Tn -- 9-15 (4) -- 12-00 (5) -- 21-15 (9) -- $4,000

71. Kendale Roach -- Knoxville, Tn -- 12-14 (5) -- 9-00 (5) -- 21-14 (10) -- $4,000

72. Stacey King -- Reeds Spring, Mo -- 7-13 (5) -- 13-15 (5) -- 21-12 (10) -- $4,000

73. John Voyles -- Petersburg, In -- 10-11 (5) -- 11-00 (5) -- 21-11 (10) -- $4,000

74. Clent Davis -- Montevallo, Al -- 14-00 (5) -- 7-10 (5) -- 21-10 (10)

75. JT Palmore -- Blackstone, Va -- 11-01 (5) -- 10-08 (5) -- 21-09 (10)

76. Glenn Chappelear -- Acworth, Ga -- 11-14 (5) -- 9-09 (5) -- 21-07 (10)

77. Spencer Shuffield -- Bismarck, Ar -- 15-04 (5) -- 6-02 (4) -- 21-06 (9)

78. Charlie Evans -- Gilbertsville, Ky -- 11-12 (5) -- 9-09 (5) -- 21-05 (10)

79. David Kromm -- Kennewick, Wa -- 12-01 (5) -- 8-15 (5) -- 21-00 (10)

80. Jonathan Newton -- Rogersville, Al -- 9-10 (5) -- 11-05 (5) -- 20-15 (10)

81. Kevin Hawk -- Guntersville, Al -- 9-14 (5) -- 11-01 (5) -- 20-15 (10)

82. Kyle Mabrey -- Mccalla, Al -- 9-06 (4) -- 11-08 (5) -- 20-14 (9)

83. Larry Nixon -- Bee Branch, Ar -- 11-07 (5) -- 9-06 (4) -- 20-13 (9)

84. Mike Reynolds -- Modesto, Ca -- 8-02 (5) -- 12-09 (5) -- 20-11 (10)

85. Dion Hibdon -- Sunrise Beach, Mo -- 8-15 (5) -- 11-12 (5) -- 20-11 (10)

86. Brent Long -- Cornelius, NC -- 10-13 (5) -- 9-13 (4) -- 20-10 (9)

87. Mark Rouse -- League City, Tx -- 9-14 (5) -- 10-12 (5) -- 20-10 (10)

88. Terry Segraves -- Kissimmee, Fl -- 11-08 (5) -- 8-15 (5) -- 20-07 (10)

89. Robert Pearson -- Herndon, Va -- 10-00 (5) -- 10-07 (5) -- 20-07 (10)

90. Thanh Le -- Lake Havasu City, Az -- 8-08 (5) -- 11-14 (5) -- 20-06 (10)

91. John Devere -- Berea, Ky -- 7-11 (5) -- 12-10 (5) -- 20-05 (10)

92. Colby Schrumpf -- Highland, Il -- 13-12 (5) -- 6-08 (1) -- 20-04 (6)

93. George Cochran -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 10-13 (5) -- 9-04 (5) -- 20-01 (10)

94. Clark Wendlandt -- Leander, Tx -- 7-12 (5) -- 12-00 (5) -- 19-12 (10)

95. Rob Kilby -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 11-15 (5) -- 7-11 (3) -- 19-10 (8)

96. Nick Larson -- Ball Ground, Ga -- 8-11 (4) -- 10-12 (4) -- 19-07 (8)

97. Chris Baumgardner -- Gastonia, NC -- 13-00 (5) -- 6-06 (5) -- 19-06 (10)

98. Mark Rose -- West Memphis, Ar -- 8-00 (5) -- 11-05 (5) -- 19-05 (10)

99. Scott Canterbury -- Springville, Al -- 6-04 (5) -- 13-00 (5) -- 19-04 (10)

100. Terry Baksay -- Easton, Ct -- 7-07 (3) -- 11-07 (5) -- 18-14 (8)

101. Kelley Jaye -- Dadeville, Al -- 8-01 (5) -- 10-11 (5) -- 18-12 (10)

102. Jason Reyes -- Huffman, Tx -- 9-07 (5) -- 9-03 (5) -- 18-10 (10)

103. Darrel Robertson -- Jay, Ok -- 11-15 (4) -- 6-09 (5) -- 18-08 (9)

104. Rusty Trancygier -- Hahira, Ga -- 6-14 (5) -- 11-10 (5) -- 18-08 (10)

105. Scott Suggs -- Bryant, Ar -- 6-01 (5) -- 12-05 (5) -- 18-06 (10)

106. Jimmy Houston -- Cookson, Ok -- 11-12 (5) -- 6-10 (4) -- 18-06 (9)

107. Keith Monson -- Harrodsburg, Ky -- 8-10 (5) -- 9-10 (5) -- 18-04 (10)

108. Christian Romans -- Carrollton, Ky -- 9-00 (5) -- 9-02 (5) -- 18-02 (10)

109. Clint Brownlee -- Tifton, Ga -- 4-15 (3) -- 13-01 (5) -- 18-00 (8)

110. Shawn Murphy -- Nicholasville, Ky -- 7-13 (5) -- 10-01 (5) -- 17-14 (10)

111. Kevin Snider -- Elizabethtown, Ky -- 4-00 (3) -- 13-13 (5) -- 17-13 (8)

112. Ray Scheide -- Dover, Ar -- 6-02 (5) -- 11-11 (5) -- 17-13 (10)

113. Shad Schenck -- Waynetown, In -- 6-02 (4) -- 11-11 (5) -- 17-13 (9)

114. Van Roy Foster Jr -- Dalton, Ga -- 9-03 (5) -- 8-09 (5) -- 17-12 (10)

115. Jim Milson -- Odessa, Tx -- 8-10 (4) -- 9-02 (5) -- 17-12 (9)

116. Greg Bohannan -- Rogers, Ar -- 8-01 (5) -- 9-09 (5) -- 17-10 (10)

117. Randy McAbee Jr -- Bakersfield, Ca -- 8-07 (5) -- 8-14 (5) -- 17-05 (10)

118. Chad Morgenthaler -- Coulterville, Il -- 6-13 (5) -- 10-00 (5) -- 16-13 (10)

119. Roland Martin -- Naples, Fl -- 6-09 (4) -- 10-03 (5) -- 16-12 (9)

120. Chad Grigsby -- Maple Grove, Mn -- 7-04 (5) -- 9-05 (5) -- 16-09 (10)

121. Christopher Brasher -- Spring, Tx -- 8-07 (5) -- 8-00 (3) -- 16-07 (8)

122. Mike Neilson -- Markham, On -- 7-03 (3) -- 9-03 (5) -- 16-06 (8)

123. Tim Wilson -- Gas City, In -- 9-01 (5) -- 7-00 (5) -- 16-01 (10)

124. Tom Mann Jr -- Buford, Ga -- 4-04 (2) -- 11-07 (5) -- 15-11 (7)

125. Tim Gaskill -- Edwardsville, Il -- 7-10 (5) -- 7-11 (5) -- 15-05 (10)

126. Payden Hibdon -- Sunrise Beach, Mo -- 3-11 (2) -- 11-05 (5) -- 15-00 (7)

127. Andrew Upshaw -- Hemphill, Tx -- 6-04 (5) -- 8-11 (4) -- 14-15 (9)

128. Wade Hendricks -- Thompsons Station, Tn -- 3-08 (4) -- 11-06 (5) -- 14-14 (9)

129. Kenneth (Boo) Woods -- Hazard, Ky -- 8-06 (5) -- 6-03 (5) -- 14-09 (10)

130. Jeff Cloud -- Lubbock, Tx -- 8-01 (3) -- 6-08 (3) -- 14-09 (6)

131. James Watson -- Waynesville, Mo -- 8-12 (4) -- 5-09 (3) -- 14-05 (7)

132. Jason Cordiale -- Orinda, Ca -- 4-05 (2) -- 9-15 (5) -- 14-04 (7)

133. Wes Thomas -- Hanover, In -- 9-10 (5) -- 4-10 (2) -- 14-04 (7)

134. Todd Schmitz -- Goshen, In -- 6-04 (4) -- 7-14 (5) -- 14-02 (9)

135. David Fritts -- Lexington, NC -- 10-13 (5) -- 3-01 (2) -- 13-14 (7)

136. Brandon Rummel -- Knoxville, Tn -- 3-12 (3) -- 9-14 (5) -- 13-10 (8)

137. Stuart Arthur -- Benton, Mo -- 4-01 (1) -- 9-07 (5) -- 13-08 (6)

138. Brien Vaughn -- Kinmundy, Il -- 6-07 (3) -- 6-15 (4) -- 13-06 (7)

139. Brad Rightnour -- Mingoville, Pa -- 7-02 (5) -- 5-15 (2) -- 13-01 (7)

140. Tom Redington -- Royse City, Tx -- 3-04 (2) -- 9-10 (5) -- 12-14 (7)

141. Jack Wade -- Knoxville, Tn -- 8-14 (3) -- 3-12 (3) -- 12-10 (6)

142. Jay Keith -- Camden, SC -- 8-05 (4) -- 4-05 (3) -- 12-10 (7)

143. Joseph Thompson -- Landenberg, Pa -- 7-15 (5) -- 4-11 (5) -- 12-10 (10)

144. Chris Wilkerson -- Conroe, Tx -- 8-02 (5) -- 4-00 (3) -- 12-02 (8)

145. Zach Caudle -- Shreveport, La -- 12-00 (5) -- 0-00 (0) -- 12-00 (5)

146. Ryan Chandler -- Hobart, In -- 3-11 (3) -- 8-00 (5) -- 11-11 (8)

147. Jason Meninger -- Gainesville, Ga -- 8-14 (5) -- 2-10 (2) -- 11-08 (7)

148. Jordan Card -- Cary, NC -- 0-00 (0) -- 10-14 (5) -- 10-14 (5)

149. Wil Hardy -- Harlem, Ga -- 5-11 (3) -- 4-14 (2) -- 10-09 (5)

150. Andy Gaia -- Tomball, Tx -- 5-03 (3) -- 4-03 (3) -- 9-06 (6)

151. Tim Griggs -- Paducah, Ky -- 9-00 (5) -- 0-00 (0) -- 9-00 (5)

152. Charlie Ingram -- Santa Fe, Tn -- 7-08 (5) -- 1-04 (1) -- 8-12 (6)

153. Kyle Welcher -- Opelika, Al -- 3-13 (3) -- 4-08 (3) -- 8-05 (6)

154. Rick Cotten -- Guntersville, Al -- 0-00 (0) -- 8-03 (5) -- 8-03 (5)

155. Jim Dillard -- West Monroe, La -- 1-03 (1) -- 6-14 (4) -- 8-01 (5)

156. Tony Chachere -- Opelousas, La -- 8-00 (4) -- 0-00 (0) -- 8-00 (4)

157. Richard Lowitzki -- St Charles, Il -- 4-02 (3) -- 3-12 (2) -- 7-14 (5)

158. John McGinnis -- Clarkson, Ky -- 6-13 (5) -- 0-00 (0) -- 6-13 (5)

159. Joe Nech -- Alba, Tx -- 2-04 (1) -- 3-11 (2) -- 5-15 (3)

160. Travis Loyd -- Kinmundy, Il -- 3-01 (2) -- 2-14 (2) -- 5-15 (4)

161. Michael Williamson -- Fort Smith, Ar -- 1-02 (1) -- 4-07 (3) -- 5-09 (4)

Sean Brehm -- Eddyville, Ky -- 0-00 (0) -- 0-00 (0) -- 0-00 (0)

Jerry Willis -- Atlanta, Ga -- 0-00 (0) -- 0-00 (0) -- 0-00 (0)

Big Bass

Day 2: Jason Christie -- 7-00 -- 500
Day 1: Brandon Coulter -- 5-13 -- $500

Morehead Leads Tightly Packed Field After Day 1

Morehead Leads Tightly Packed Field After Day 1:
Morehead Leads Tightly Packed Field After Day 1 Thursday, March 08, 2012

Photo: FLW/Gary Mortenson Dan Morehead's 20-pound sack was headed up by a pair of 5-pound largemouths.

By BassFan Staff


A bout with the flu limited Dan Morehead to just a day and a half of practice for the Hartwell FLW Tour Major. The reduced time on the water certainly didn't hinder him on day 1.

The veteran from Kentucky, who won the EverStart Series Championship last fall but hasn't prevailed at the tour level since 2003, brought in a 20-14 sack to snatch the early lead. He said the Alabama Rig played a big role in his day, but he caught fish doing other things as well.

He holds a 2-ounce lead over 2nd-year pro Matthew Steffan of Illinois, who weighed 20-12. He's fishing a specific pattern for pre-spawn female largemouths, but is limited to just a few productive areas.

Californian Brent Ehrler caught fish from depths ranging from 2 to 50 feet and boxed the other 20-pound sack (20-04 to be precise), grabbing the No. 3 position. Alabamian Blake Nick, another 2nd-year pro, is 4th with 19-11.

Georgia's Micah Frazier made it a trio of sophomore-season competitors in the Top 5 with a 19-07 stringer.

Here's a look at the bottom half of the Top 10:

6. Clifford Pirch: 19-06
7. Michael Neel: 19-02
8. Shane Long: 18-06
9. Jay Yelas: 18-05
10. Lancen Halbert: 18-01

Following a practice period that featured violent wind and blue skies, the field was greeted by overcast conditions with just a mild breeze today. Overall weights might've been a bit higher than anticipated as 23 competitors sacked 15 pounds or more.

It appears as if the A-Rig (along with some of its various knock-offs) will be a substantial factor throughout the event, but won't dominate like it did in the FLW Tour Open at Guntersville last fall. A few anglers indicated that its effectiveness may increase if the wind picks up again.

Tomorrow's forecast for the Anderson, S.C. area calls for morning showers with a high temperature of 60 degrees and a north/northeast wind to 7 mph. The field will be cut to the Top 20 after the weigh-in.

Only the Top 10 will advance to Sunday, when the winner will be determined by highest cumulative weight.

Morehead Feels Good

> Day 1: 5, 20-14

Morehead, who caught the flu bug from his 7-year-old daughter, would've had an even better bag had he not lost a 5-pounder at the boat. His haul included a pair of 5-pound largemouths and a 4-pound spotted bass.

"I caught some fish in the little bit of time I got to practice, but they weren't that size," he said. "In that sense, I was caught off-guard a little bit. I just kind of put things together as I went.

"I feel good and I think I can go out and catch some fish (tormorrow), but I don't know if I'll be able to do it the same way. I am confident about the areas I'm in."

He went through at least 15 keepers, with most coming on the A-Rig (which he used to win the EverStart Championship at Kentucky Lake) or a Scrounger head. He described the big one that got away as "a miscommunication between me and my co-angler, I believe. It just didn't work."

It won't bother him if the wind picks up again.

"The one full day of practice I had it was windy and I was hoping to get some more of that – I really didn't expect to do great today. If we can get a cloudy, windy day, I assume it'll be a good day of fishing."

Photo: FLW/Gary Mortenson Matthew Stefan is focusing on pre-spawn females sitting in deep, cold water.

2nd: Stefan was Ready


> Day 1: 5, 20-12

Stefan followed up a good practice with an excellent day 1.

"I had 2 (practice) days where I either caught or shook off roughly 18 or 19 pounds," he said. "I'm running a specific pattern and I really need three things to come together. I've got four or five spots I'm rotating through, and it's a grind.

"I think I caught nine fish on 10 bites today. When I do get bit, most of them are pre-spawn females. They're coming from deep, clear, cold water – the temperature is 53 degrees. They're not really even thinking about moving up to spawn."

He used a variety of baits to compile his bag, including a jerkbait, an A-Rig, a jig and a swimbait. He weighed all largemouths.

"I pull up on a spot and throw one bait, and then come back through with another. I basically fish each area with four or five baits. I know the fish are there – I can see them on the graph – and sometimes one of similar size will follow the one I've got hooked. It's a matter of triggering them.

"Location is the key, and my problem is I don't know this lake well enough. I could do a lot better if I had 20 places, but I've only got a few and I'm going to live and die by them."

3rd: Ehrler was Surprised

> Day 1: 5, 20-04

Ehrler said he'd have been happy if he'd caught 15 pounds today.

"I didn't think that kind of size was there and it'll be hard to duplicate," he said. "I caught a big one here and a big one there. There's quite a few good fish on a few of those spots, but there's a lot of little ones, too."

He fished both shallow and deep and employed several different tactics, one of which was throwing a Picasso School-E-Rig (an A-Rig knock-off). He boated about 20 keepers and the biggest was a 5 1/2-pounder.

"I'm kind of junk-fishing, but then in a way I'm really not. They're definitely staging fish and they're getting in these areas before pulling up. I laid off a few areas because I didn't feel I needed to beat them up.

"I've got plenty of water to fish and hopefully I can continue to get some of the bigger bites."

Photo: FLW/Gary Mortenson Brent Ehrler fished both shallow and deep and employed a variety of tactics.

The decreased wind suited him just fine.


"I think it helped – it definitely made it easier to run around and fish. As far as it being overcast, I kind of think that maybe that doesn't matter. The timing isn't a sun/cloud issue."

5th: Frazier Needed Patience

> Day 1: 5, 19-07

Frazier's day went from good to great with a couple of big bites in the final hour.

"The first day of practice I had a good day, and I did the same things in the same areas today," he said. "I had to wait today, though – it took a little while for the big ones to pull up in the shallow, stained water.

"I caught two of the big ones later than I'm even going to be able to fish tomorrow (he was in the last flight today), so it might be tough to do it again."

He caught all largemouths and two of them topped 5 pounds. He lost a couple of 2-pounders, but neither would've gone to the scale.

"I'll do pretty much the same thing tomorrow, but I narrowed it down quite a bit today and I'll start in a different area in the morning. I'll go a little farther out and maybe catch some a little deeper first."

6th: Trio of 5s for Pirch

> Day 1: 5, 19-06

Pirch's sack contained three fish that each weighed more than 5 pounds.

"I was hoping for that (kind of weight), but I thought maybe they'd all be 4-pounders," he said. "It was one of those deals where I was fortunate to get those three big ones.

"They were kind of spread out – I caught one in the morning, one at mid-day and one late. I've got a little longer day tomorrow, so I'm excited about that. I'll have more time to slow down and get to work."

He caught approximately 10 keepers on the day – about half from deep water and the others near the bank.

Photo: FLW/Gary Mortenson Micah Frazier got his two best bites late in the day.

"I'm doing a number of things. I caught two of the big ones shallow and the other one deep, and I also lost a big one out deep.


"I did catch a couple on the A-Rig, but it's not a major part of my gameplan. I don't have much experience with it – we can only use two hooks in Arizona. But you can't ignore it, I guess. Just about every boat you drive by is throwing it."

8th: Long Focused on Quality

> Day 1: 5, 18-06

Long knew he wouldn't get nearly as many bites as some other competitors and wasn't entirely sure he could fill out a limit.

"I'm around quality fish, but I didn't know if I could get five bites or not," he said. "I ended up catching six keepers and two of them were right around 5 pounds each. All of them were largemouths.

"I fished shallow early, but I think that was a mistake. I thought I could catch a couple real quick and I only caught one. I did lose a keeper, but it wouldn't have helped. Then I moved out deep and ended up catching all my good ones out there."

The A-Rig wasn't part of his attack today, but he plans to experiment with it as the event progresses.

"If I'm going to throw it, I'd like to have a little more wind than we had today. I just gained confidence in something else and stuck with it."

He'd prefer to not see the sun at all on day 2.

"If it gets cloudy tomorrow, I think I can catch them."

110th: Thrift's Big Ones didn't Bite

> Day 1: 5, 8-06

Bryan Thrift was befuddled by his inability to catch any quality whatsoever today.

"I did what I thought I needed to do to catch a giant bag, but they did not bite," he said. "I'm going to do the same thing in the same places tomorrow and hope they do bite. I know the potential's there for a 25-pound bag.

"The worst thing was I actually culled three times."

He lost the best bite he had, but said that one likely wasn't over 3 pounds.

"I'll need a huge bag to catch up, and the way I'm fishing is the only chance I've got to catch it. I fished docks and ran pockets for the last 2 hours today and I got some bites, but the quality wasn't any better."

He lives just an hour and a half from the lake in Shelby, N.C., but this is only the second time he's fished it.

"Wylie and Norman are so much fun that I just never come here. Plus, I hate these blueback herring lakes."

Notable

> Day 1 stats – 163 anglers, 123 limits, 14 fours, 13 threes, 5 twos, 4 ones, 4 zeroes.

Weather Forecast

> Fri., March 9 - A.M. Showers - 60°/37°
- Wind: From the N/NE at 6 mph

> Sat., March 10 - Sunny - 63°/35°
- Wind: From the E/NE at 13 mph

> Sun., March 11 - Partly Cloudy - 66°/46°
- Wind: From the E at 5 mph

Day 1 Standings

1. Dan Morehead -- Paducah, Ky -- 20-14 (5)

2. Matthew Stefan -- Park Ridge, Il -- 20-12 (5)

3. Brent Ehrler -- Redlands, Ca -- 20-04 (5)

4. Blake Nick -- Adger, Al -- 19-11 (5)

5. Micah Frazier -- Newnan, Ga -- 19-07 (5)

6. Clifford Pirch -- Payson, Az -- 19-06 (5)

7. Michael Neal -- Dayton, Tn -- 19-02 (5)

8. Shane Long -- Springfield, Mo -- 18-06 (5)

9. Jay Yelas -- Corvallis, Or -- 18-05 (5)

10. Lancen Halbert -- Enoree, SC -- 18-01 (5)

11. Tom Monsoor -- La Crosse, Wi -- 17-15 (5)

12. Matt Arey -- Shelby, NC -- 17-10 (5)

13. Brett Hite -- Phoenix, Az -- 17-07 (5)

14. Todd Auten -- Lake Wylie, SC -- 17-04 (5)

15. Jim Moynagh -- Carver, Mn -- 17-01 (5)

16. JT Kenney -- Palm Bay, Fl -- 16-06 (5)

17. Shinichi Fukae -- Palestine, Tx -- 16-05 (5)

18. Chris Neau -- New Orleans, La -- 16-02 (5)

19. Cody Meyer -- Auburn, Ca -- 15-11 (5)

20. Anthony Gagliardi -- Prosperity, SC -- 15-10 (5)

21. Randall Tharp -- Gardendale, Al -- 15-07 (5)

22. Spencer Shuffield -- Bismarck, Ar -- 15-04 (5)

23. David Dudley -- Lynchburg, Va -- 15-02 (5)

24. Todd Hollowell -- Fishers, In -- 14-13 (5)

25. Jacob Powroznik -- Prince George, Va -- 14-09 (5)

26. Dave Lefebre -- Erie, Pa -- 14-08 (5)

27. Craig Dowling -- Nashville, Tn -- 14-05 (5)

27. Travis Fox -- Rogers, Ar -- 14-05 (5)

29. Adrian Avena -- Vineland, NJ -- 14-04 (5)

29. Charles Bebber -- Willis, Tx -- 14-04 (4)

31. Brad Knight -- Wartburg, Tn -- 14-03 (5)

32. Ken Golub -- Pittsford, NY -- 14-02 (5)

33. Allen Boyd -- Salem, In -- 14-01 (5)

34. Stetson Blaylock -- Benton, Ar -- 14-00 (5)

34. Clent Davis -- Montevallo, Al -- 14-00 (5)

36. Marty Stone -- Fayetteville, NC -- 13-14 (5)

37. Brandon Coulter -- Knoxville, Tn -- 13-13 (5)

38. Colby Schrumpf -- Highland, Il -- 13-12 (5)

39. Robbie Dodson -- Harrison, Ar -- 13-10 (5)

39. Scott Martin -- Clewiston, Fl -- 13-10 (5)

39. Vic Vatalaro -- Kent, Oh -- 13-10 (5)

42. Randy Blaukat -- Joplin, Mo -- 13-09 (5)

42. Jimmy Millsaps -- White, Ga -- 13-09 (5)

44. Tim Mcdonald -- Prestonsburg, Ky -- 13-07 (5)

45. Ishama Monroe -- Hughson, Ca -- 13-06 (5)

46. Andy Morgan -- Dayton, Tn -- 13-05 (5)

47. Justin Lucas -- Guntersville, Al -- 13-04 (5)

48. Ron Shuffield -- Bismarck, Ar -- 13-01 (5)

49. Chris Baumgardner -- Gastonia, NC -- 13-00 (5)

50. Jason Christie -- Park Hill, Ok -- 12-14 (5)

50. Kendale Roach -- Knoxville, Tn -- 12-14 (5)

50. Pete Thliveros -- Saint Augustine, Fl -- 12-14 (5)

53. Luke Clausen -- Spokane, Wa -- 12-12 (5)

54. John Cox -- Debary, Fl -- 12-08 (5)

54. Derrick Snavely -- Rogersville, Tn -- 12-08 (5)

56. Jacob Wheeler -- Indianapolis, In -- 12-05 (5)

57. Robert Behrle -- Hoover, Al -- 12-02 (5)

58. David Kromm -- Kennewick, Wa -- 12-01 (5)

59. Zach Caudle -- Shreveport, La -- 12-00 (5)

60. Rob Kilby -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 11-15 (5)

60. Darrel Robertson -- Jay, Ok -- 11-15 (4)

62. Glenn Chappelear -- Acworth, Ga -- 11-14 (5)

63. Charlie Evans -- Gilbertsville, Ky -- 11-12 (5)

63. Jimmy Houston -- Cookson, Ok -- 11-12 (5)

65. Jim Tutt -- Longview, Tx -- 11-10 (5)

66. Terry Segraves -- Kissimmee, Fl -- 11-08 (5)

67. Larry Nixon -- Bee Branch, Ar -- 11-07 (5)

68. Ramie Colson Jr -- Cadiz, Ky -- 11-05 (5)

69. Glenn Browne -- Ocala, Fl -- 11-02 (5)

69. Tim Johnson -- Dallas, Ga -- 11-02 (5)

71. JT Palmore -- Blackstone, Va -- 11-01 (5)

72. Terry Bolton -- Paducah, Ky -- 10-13 (5)

72. George Cochran -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 10-13 (5)

72. David Fritts -- Lexington, NC -- 10-13 (5)

72. Brent Long -- Cornelius, NC -- 10-13 (5)

76. John Voyles -- Petersburg, In -- 10-11 (5)

77. Dearal Rodgers -- Camden, SC -- 10-07 (5)

78. Barry Wilson -- Birmingham, Al -- 10-05 (5)

79. Bill Day -- Frankfort, Ky -- 10-01 (5)

80. Dakota Lucy -- Hot Springs, Ar -- 10-00 (5)

80. Robert Pearson -- Herndon, Va -- 10-00 (5)

82. Cody Bird -- Granbury, Tx -- 9-15 (5)

82. Wesley Strader -- Spring City, Tn -- 9-15 (4)

84. Kevin Hawk -- Guntersville, Al -- 9-14 (5)

84. Koby Kreiger -- Okeechobee, Fl -- 9-14 (5)

84. Mark Rouse -- League City, Tx -- 9-14 (5)

87. David Wolak -- Wake Forest, NC -- 9-13 (5)

88. Gary Yamamoto -- Palestine, Tx -- 9-11 (4)

89. Jonathan Newton -- Rogersville, Al -- 9-10 (5)

89. Wes Thomas -- Hanover, In -- 9-10 (5)

91. Jason Reyes -- Huffman, Tx -- 9-07 (5)

91. Mike Surman -- Boca Raton, Fl -- 9-07 (5)

93. Kyle Mabrey -- Mccalla, Al -- 9-06 (4)

94. Van Roy Foster Jr -- Dalton, Ga -- 9-03 (5)

95. Tim Wilson -- Gas City, In -- 9-01 (5)

96. Tim Griggs -- Paducah, Ky -- 9-00 (5)

96. Guido Hibdon -- Stover, Mo -- 9-00 (5)

96. Christian Romans -- Carrollton, Ky -- 9-00 (5)

99. Dion Hibdon -- Sunrise Beach, Mo -- 8-15 (5)

100. Jason Meninger -- Gainesville, Ga -- 8-14 (5)

100. Jack Wade -- Knoxville, Tn -- 8-14 (3)

102. James Watson -- Waynesville, Mo -- 8-12 (4)

103. Nick Larson -- Ball Ground, Ga -- 8-11 (4)

103. Troy Morrow -- Eastanollee, Ga -- 8-11 (5)

105. Jim Milson -- Odessa, Tx -- 8-10 (4)

105. Keith Monson -- Harrodsburg, Ky -- 8-10 (5)

107. Thanh Le -- Lake Havasu City, Az -- 8-08 (5)

108. Christopher Brasher -- Spring, Tx -- 8-07 (5)

108. Randy McAbee Jr -- Bakersfield, Ca -- 8-07 (5)

110. Bryan Thrift -- Shelby, NC -- 8-06 (5)

110. Kenneth (Boo) Woods -- Hazard, Ky -- 8-06 (5)

112. Jay Keith -- Camden, SC -- 8-05 (4)

113. Mike Reynolds -- Modesto, Ca -- 8-02 (5)

113. Chris Wilkerson -- Conroe, Tx -- 8-02 (5)

115. Greg Bohannan -- Rogers, Ar -- 8-01 (5)

115. Jeff Cloud -- Lubbock, Tx -- 8-01 (3)

115. Kelley Jaye -- Dadeville, Al -- 8-01 (5)

118. Tony Chachere -- Opelousas, La -- 8-00 (4)

118. Mark Rose -- West Memphis, Ar -- 8-00 (5)

120. Joseph Thompson -- Landenberg, Pa -- 7-15 (5)

121. Stacey King -- Reeds Spring, Mo -- 7-13 (5)

121. Shawn Murphy -- Nicholasville, Ky -- 7-13 (5)

123. Clark Wendlandt -- Leander, Tx -- 7-12 (5)

124. John Devere -- Berea, Ky -- 7-11 (5)

125. Tim Gaskill -- Edwardsville, Il -- 7-10 (5)

126. Charlie Ingram -- Santa Fe, Tn -- 7-08 (5)

127. Terry Baksay -- Easton, Ct -- 7-07 (3)

128. Chad Grigsby -- Maple Grove, Mn -- 7-04 (5)

129. Mike Neilson -- Markham, On -- 7-03 (3)

130. Brad Rightnour -- Mingoville, Pa -- 7-02 (5)

131. Rusty Trancygier -- Hahira, Ga -- 6-14 (5)

132. John McGinnis -- Clarkson, Ky -- 6-13 (5)

132. Chad Morgenthaler -- Coulterville, Il -- 6-13 (5)

134. Roland Martin -- Naples, Fl -- 6-09 (4)

135. Brien Vaughn -- Kinmundy, Il -- 6-07 (3)

136. Scott Canterbury -- Springville, Al -- 6-04 (5)

136. Todd Schmitz -- Goshen, In -- 6-04 (4)

136. Andrew Upshaw -- Hemphill, Tx -- 6-04 (5)

139. Ray Scheide -- Dover, Ar -- 6-02 (5)

139. Shad Schenck -- Waynetown, In -- 6-02 (4)

141. Scott Suggs -- Bryant, Ar -- 6-01 (5)

142. Wil Hardy -- Harlem, Ga -- 5-11 (3)

143. Andy Gaia -- Tomball, Tx -- 5-03 (3)

144. Clint Brownlee -- Tifton, Ga -- 4-15 (3)

145. Jason Cordiale -- Orinda, Ca -- 4-05 (2)

146. Tom Mann Jr -- Buford, Ga -- 4-04 (2)

147. Richard Lowitzki -- St Charles, Il -- 4-02 (3)

148. Stuart Arthur -- Benton, Mo -- 4-01 (1)

149. Kevin Snider -- Elizabethtown, Ky -- 4-00 (3)

150. Kyle Welcher -- Opelika, Al -- 3-13 (3)

151. Brandon Rummel -- Knoxville, Tn -- 3-12 (3)

152. Ryan Chandler -- Hobart, In -- 3-11 (3)

152. Payden Hibdon -- Sunrise Beach, Mo -- 3-11 (2)

154. Wade Hendricks -- Thompsons Station, Tn -- 3-08 (4)

155. Tom Redington -- Royse City, Tx -- 3-04 (2)

156. Travis Loyd -- Kinmundy, Il -- 3-01 (2)

157. Joe Nech -- Alba, Tx -- 2-04 (1)

158. Jim Dillard -- West Monroe, La -- 1-03 (1)

159. Michael Williamson -- Fort Smith, Ar -- 1-02 (1)

Sean Brehm -- Eddyville, Ky -- 0-00 (0)

Jordan Card -- Cary, NC -- 0-00 (0)

Rick Cotten -- Guntersville, Al -- 0-00 (0)

Jerry Willis -- Atlanta, Ga -- 0-00 (0)

Big Bass

Day 1: Brandon Coulter -- 5-13 -- $500

Low Water Level Makes Hartwell Different Than Last Year

Low Water Level Makes Hartwell Different Than Last Year:

Wednesday, March 07, 2012

Photo: FLW Jason Christie won at Hartwell last year by fishing in the bushes, but those bushes are on dry land right now.

By John Johnson
Senior Editor


The FLW Tour is at Lake Hartwell for the second time in 50 weeks, but the gigantic, serpentine South Carolina impoundment is a much different fishery right now than it was a year ago.

Jason Christie flipped willow bushes en route to victory here in 2011. But due to a relatively dry winter, the water level is about 6 feet lower this time around and, as Andy Morgan put it, "the only thing guys are doing in those bushes is rabbit hunting."

The lake will therefore likely fish more similarly to how it did in February 2008, when Alton Jones won the Bassmaster Classic by plying ditches with a spoon and a jig. He pulled timber-oriented, pre-spawn fish from as deep as 35 feet.

Lest we forget, though, the Alabama Rig is in play this time around. The umbrella-style contraption can be set up to get real deep, real fast, and you can bet that just about every angler in the field experimented with one during practice.

Very few of Hartwell's bass have begun the spawning ritual, but reports from the field indicate that some are getting ready to. If the pre-spawn stage were broken down into sub-stages, there'd be fish in all of them, which puts them in every type of water (deep or shallow, clear or muddy, etc.) at the moment. Catching a limit won't be a problem for most – whether they're throwing the A-Rig or not – but they'll toss back a lot of puny fish for every 3-pounder they put in the livewell.

Before getting much further into the bite, here's the lowdown on the lake itself.

BassFan Lake Profile

> Lake Name: Lake Hartwell
> Type of Water: Lowland reservoir
> Surface Acres (full pool): 56,000
> Primary structure/cover: Standing timber, points, humps, creek channels, brushpiles, docks
> Primary forage: Shad, blueback herring, crawfish, bream
> Average depth: 45.6 feet at full pool
> Species: Largemouths, spotted bass
> Minimum length: 12 inches
> Reputation: An expansive, quality fishery with excellent average size, but unpredictable from spring through summer, since fish move a lot day-to-day in relation to blueback herring. Contains some bruiser spotted bass.
> Weather: A mixture of sun, clouds and maybe some thunderstorms. A big temperature dip is forecast for the weekend.
> Water temp: Mostly in the 50s
> Water visibility/color: The color varies from muddy in the very backs of creeks to almost gin-clear in some areas.
> Water level: Several feet below full pool (significant, as most of the willows and buckbrush are now on dry land)
> Fish in: All depths
> Fish phase: Pre-spawn
> Primary patterns: Alabama Rigs, plastics, jigs, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, crankbaits
> Winning weight: 62 pounds
> Cut weight (Top 10): 44 pounds
> Fishing quality (1=poor, 5=great): 3 for Hartwell
> Biggest factors: Adaptability – the conditions (and therefore the fish) are changing daily
> Biggest decision: When to leave a place that's producing plenty of fish, but not the right quality
> Wildcard: The Alabama Rig – a guy using it in the right place could produce some heavy sacks.

The A-Rig Factor

This will be the first tour-level event ever contested in which the A-Rig is both legal and a known entity from the start. FLW announced that it was fair game in January, shortly after B.A.S.S. banned it for the Classic and the Elite Series, and it's safe to assume that everyone in the field is at least somewhat familiar with using it.

Here's a look at how Hartwell lays out.

How big of a factor it'll be here is debatable at this point, but it's a certainty that a lot of competitors will be slinging one around.


"I don't think it'll play a huge role, but there will be some checks cashed on it," Morgan said. "I don't see it being totally dominant, but I could be wrong about that. I'm pretty sure it won't turn out to be another Guntersville."

Said Stetson Blaylock: "Somebody will catch them on it, but it won't be me. I've seen a lot of guys throwing it, but I haven't heard anybody say that it really worked.

"That's a bait that you've got to be committed to, and in this event it might be hard to stay committed to a bait like that. You might not get enough bites on it."

The Blueback Conundrum

Hartwell is one of several lakes dotting the Southeast region that harbor a substantial population of blueback herring. The nomadic baitfish are unpredictable in their movements, and they can thus cause the bass to take on that same air of irregularity.

Some anglers find them so confounding that they've stopped considering them altogether. If they happen across a situation in which the bass are gorging on them, great. Otherwise, they'll build their gameplan around other elements.

The consensus seems to be that the bluebacks are currently roaming the 50- to 60-foot depth range and have not yet moved up for their own spawn, when they become particularly vulnerable to the bass. Where they are right now, they're mainly providing nutrition for the deeper-dwelling stripers.

"These herring lakes are just weird," said Wesley Strader. "For one thing, you can't idle a boat over them – they'll swim off. You have to see them with your eyes because they usually won't let you get a look at them on the graph.

"The whole deal with them is the first hour of the morning. If you know where they are right then, you could do well."

Field Notes

Here are practice notes from some of the anglers who'll be competing this week.

Terry Baksay
"The fish aren't where I think they should be, but what's going to end up happening is they're going to change every day, and the person who changes with them is the one who's going to do well.

"I've seen a few fish cruising, but I haven't seen any on beds. Last year they came up really quick – this is one of those lakes where that seems to happen really fast. I think it's definitely something you have to look for.

"I've caught fish from 2 to 25 feet and there hasn't been any rhyme or reason to it. It's junk-fishing for me, but I love that. I like it when you can do a lot of different stuff and move around quite a bit."

Jason Christie
"The water's way, way lower than last year and there's (no vegetation) in it, and it's cold. It was not a fun practice for me – it was probably one of the worst practices I've ever had. I've caught one here and one there, but I can't put a pattern together.

"It worries me that I'm not catching any females. Last year I was catching them in practice, and that tells you that they're coming to you. I've kind of got my little area that I want to fish – this place is too big to go running around a whole lot – but I haven't been able to locate quality in it.

"Somebody will catch big sacks the first couple of days, but not everybody. Somebody's going to find them grouped up out there deep."

Stetson Blaylock
"I had 2 good practice days, then a slow day (on Tuesday). It's definitely not easy, but I'm pretty confident. It's all about getting the big bites – on this lake you have to wade through a lot of smaller ones to get one of the bigger ones.

Photo: FLW/Shaye Baker Bryan Thrift is always strong at the start of a new season and is fishing in his home region this week.

"It's totally different than last year – the water's 6 or 7 feet lower, it's a whole lot cooler and the fish aren't as far along (in their seasonal progression). It's a whole different ballgame.


"I think maybe by the end of the day Thursday, or maybe Friday, some will be caught off beds and weighed in, but it's definitely not going to be won that way. Those big ones aren't up there yet – they're still out roaming."

Andy Morgan
"I did way better when it was windy (on the first 2 days of practice). It calmed down (on Tuesday) and everything really slowed down for me. I was catching fish on anything I wanted, but then it became not so easy. I expect things to change as it warms back up, though.

"It wouldn't take much to get me to scratch my whole plan and start all over. I'm teetering on doing something totally different and I might catch something, or I might not. I don't see anybody catching a lot of spawning fish – we're just not going to have the weather for it."

Mark Rose
"My practice was what I'd call just fair. I caught lots of fish, but I didn't see the quality I would've liked to have seen yet. I did catch a couple of random nice fish, but I don't have anything I can bank on with big ones.

"As far as shallow or deep, I think I'll incorporate a little of both. I spent some time deep and there are some fish out there, but I'm not finding real big ones out there, either. A lot of them are spots, and spots aren't what you need to be targeting. There will be a lot of nice spots weighed in, but if you're fishing only for them, you're just fishing for a check.

"I'm just going to have to fish hard. I've got some schools found, but I'll need to find that 4- to 6-pound bite, and I think I'm going to have to be shallow for that."

Marty Stone
"I had a decent practice. This is a typical blueback lake and this time of year, you need to either be fishing 30 feet down or you have to fish in the dirt. I haven't found a lot in between.

"Catching a limit won't be that big of a deal because they're biting in both places, but coming across the right quality is the hard part. You have to go through a lot of little fellas to get the fish you want. And by quality, I'm talking anything over 3 pounds.

"The fish here are notorious for getting in ditches and suspending at about 25 feet. This is the perfect setup for that, but I haven't found in consistency in catching them."

Dave Wolak
"I feel like this is a pattern lake and whatever I find I can expand on, even during the event. That's kind of what I did (Tuesday) – I ran a lot of water and fished moving baits. It's setting up to be one of those kinds of tournaments.

"This should be a good fisherman's tournament, where you have to adapt on the fly. The weather and a lot of things are going to be different than they were in practice. I think the way Alton fished in '08 might be the way to go – just hunker down and grind it out."

Top 10 to Watch

With the above in mind and more, here's BassFan's recommendation on the Top 10 to watch at this event.

1. Bryan Thrift – He's from this part of the country, he's back on top of his game and he's always – always – strong at the start of a new season. He should still be around come Sunday.




2. Brent Ehrler – He was the runner-up here last year and conditions might be even better suited for him this time around. Versatility is the name of his game.


3. Andy Morgan – He's equally adept at fishing shallow or deep, and a combo attack using a lot of the water column might be just the ticket this week.

4. Anthony Gagliardi – The South Carolina native has some knowledge of this place, and that could be a big factor with the water level down. The former Angler of the Year (AOY) is coming off a very poor 2011 and needs to get this points campaign started off right.

5. David Dudley – The defending AOY has been on a lackluster run since logging a Top 10 at the Forrest Wood Cup last August, but that won't last. He's back in his home region and should be able to turn his momentum back around.

6. Stacey King – The veteran from Missouri is still a pre-spawn wizard, as he proved at the start of 2011. He can catch them from any depth at this time of the year.

7. Dave Lefebre – He notched a Top 10 at this event last year and he's not one to mess around with small spotted bass. He'll likely either turn in a very strong finish or be no factor whatsoever.

8. Troy Morrow – Another home-region guy who's familiar with the ways of the blueback herring. He can also find – and catch – larger-than-average spots.

9. Larry Nixon – With all the ballyhoo over the A-Rig, it'd be ironic if this tournament were won on a regular old plastic worm. And if that can indeed happen, he's just the guy to do it.

10. Jay Yelas – Not many situations befuddle him at this stage of his career, and he's on a nice roll with four finishes of 13th or better in his last six outings. His versatility and patience should serve him well this week.

Launch/Weigh-In Info

Anglers will take off from Portman Shoals Marina (1629 Marina Road, Anderson, S.C.) at 7 a.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and at 7:30 a.m. Sunday (Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday). Thursday's and Friday’s weigh-ins will be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday's and Sunday’s weigh-ins will be held at the TD Convention Center (One Exposition Drive, Greenville, S.C.) beginning at 4 p.m.

Weather Forecast

> Thurs., March 8 - A.M. Clouds/P.M. Sun - 71°/53°
- Wind: From the S at 9 mph

> Fri., March 9 - Few Showers - 69°/44°
- Wind: From the W at 6 mph

> Sat., March 10 - Partly Cloudy - 61°/41°
- Wind: From the E/NE at 13 mph

> Sun., March 11 - Cloudy - 61°/52°
- Wind: From the E/NE at 7 mph

Notable

> BassFan Big Stick Luke Clausen has filed his practice report, and he's optimistic that he can catch a strong bag on day 1. To read it, along with Jay Yelas' earlier report, click here.

More Head of the Class

Dan Morehead of Paducah, Ky., grabbed the overall lead in the Pro Division on day one of the FLW Tour Lake Hartwell event with a total catch of 20 pounds, 14 ounces. (Photo by Gary Mortenson)

Kentucky veteran claims top spot in Pro Division on Lake Hartwell, Johnson nets co-angler lead

08.Mar.2012 by Gary Mortenson
ANDERSON, S.C. – Dan Morehead of Paducah, Ky., arguably had the worst practice of the entire field heading into the FLW Tour Major on Lake Hartwell. It wasn’t so much that he couldn’t figure out how to catch fish, it was more that he couldn’t figure out how to stay on the water.
“My son brought home a stomach bug and I got it. Honestly, I’ve never had anything like this before,” said Morehead. “It really wiped me out. And by Sunday, I had no energy at all. I could barely lift up the trolling motor. So, I decided to lay down on my boat for a little bit. The next thing I knew I had fallen asleep on the deck of my boat for four hours. I wound up doing everything I could just to get back to the marina. Once I got back, I didn’t get out of my bed again until Tuesday. And that put me in a total panic.”
With virtually no practice time to speak of and facing off against the best anglers in the nation, Morehead clearly had his work cut out for him. But shortly after Thursday’s opening takeoff, something very interesting – and unexpected – happened.
“I found myself in a total zone,” said Morehead. “I could do no wrong. Every decision I made was the right one. It was truly a day given by God. As it turned out, getting sick like that just might have given me an advantage. Because I didn’t have any preconceived notions about this lake heading into today.”
Ultimately Morehead landed a total catch of 20 pounds, 14 ounces, chasing around bass relating to blueback herring.
“That was the key for me,” said Morehead. “Blueback herring like to migrate and the fish just follow them around. I caught some of my good fish on the Alabama Rig but I had a couple of other deals that were working as well. I was fishing deep and fishing shallow. I was basically running a pattern where I’d be literally running down the lake until I saw a place I liked. Then I’d pull over and fish it. For me, catching that 20-pound bag today was just icing on the cake.”
While Morehead didn’t want to get into too many specifics, he said that he primarily targeted suspending bass.
“They weren’t in the middle of the lake, but the fish I was going after were staging in about 20 to 28 feet of water. They were really relating to those bluebird herring. I really hope that some of the places where I caught my better fish will reload. But we’ll just have to wait and see tomorrow.”
As far as day two is concerned, Morehead said he’s going to take the same general approach unless conditions changes dramatically.
“I’m fishing both deep and shallow but the fish want to go shallow real bad,” he said. “I feel like I’m in some good areas and if I get some wind and some clouds, watch out. So far though, the bluebird herring are the key. And I actually think a lot of the guys are making this more complicated than it needs to be. But that’s good for me.”
Stefan off the lead by 2 ounces
Matthew Stefan of Park Ridge, Ill., parlayed a total catch of 20 pounds, 12 ounces into a second-place finish at the conclusion of today’s weigh-in.
“It feels good but it was a real, slow grind out there for me today,” said Stefan. “I only had about nine or 10 bites all day and you really just had to sit on top of these fish and grind them deep. I’m rotating between about five or six spots but the fish aren’t very active. So it’s tough fishing. Today, I didn’t even have a limit until about noon.”
Stefan said that he’s basically fishing an entire arsenal of baits and has been moving around quite a bit.
“I don’t have one magic spot,” he said. “I go here, catch one. I go there, catch another one. I’m fishing anywhere from 20 to 50 feet. My fish aren’t even thinking about spawning and like I said, they’re not real active. So you have to have a lot of patience.”
Stefan said he’s throwing everything from swimbaits, to A-Rigs, to jigs and jerkbaits.
“I’ll throw something for awhile and if I don’t get bit, I switch to something else,” he said. “But the key for me is the sun. When the sun comes out, my bite really turns off. You could definitely say I’m basically fishing for a home run every time.”
Ehrler nets top-three finish
Bolstered by a total catch of 20 pounds, 4 ounces, Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., headlined a strong contingent of western pros making plenty of noise so far on Hartwell.
“I’m ecstatic,” said Ehrler, who picked up a third-place finish by the end of weigh-in. “I told myself that I’d be happy with 15 pounds today so it was a good day overall. This is a really fun lake to fish. I really like this lake – you can run to a lot of spots you know well and run to spots that you’ve never fished before and have some success.”
Ehrler said that he caught fish in anywhere from 2 to 50 feet of water.
“This lake is in a typical staging pattern right now,” he said. “The fish are moving shallow and when you find those transition areas, you’re going to have some success. As far as baits are concerned, I’m doing a lot of junk fishing. And I’m obviously fishing some deep and some shallow water as well. The fish are really finicky and they’re moving around a lot. Tomorrow, I’m just going to let the day dictate what I’m going to do.”
Nick keeps leaders in sight
At the end of the day, Blake Nick of Adger, Ala., parlayed a total catch of 19 pounds, 11 ounces into a fourth-place finish.
“I didn’t lose any fish today and made good decision all day long so I’m happy,” said Nick. “I figured if I could get a few big bites today I could get close to that (19-pound weight) and that’s pretty much what happened.”
Like many of the top pros, Nick said that he’s targeting fish with a variety of baits – Alabama Rigs, crankbaits, Shaky Heads, Tailspins and soft plastics.
“I’m fishing deep and shallow,” he said. “I’ve also fished one end of this lake to the other. I’ll catch one here and catch one there but I’ve basically been doing a little bit of everything. I did find this one area where if you can get the fish fired up, it’s fast and furious. But I wasn’t able to get any of my bigger bites from that area. So I wound up moving around quite a bit.”
So what’s the game plan heading into tomorrow?
“The fish here pretty much change everyday,” he said. “So I don’t have any preconceived notions as far as tomorrow goes. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Best of the rest
Micah Frazier of Newnan, Ga., finished the day in fifth place overall with a total catch of 19 pounds, 7 ounces.
Rounding out the top-10 pros:

6th: Clifford Pirch of Payson, Ariz., 19-6

7th: Michael Neal of Dayton, Tenn., 19-2

8th: Shane Long of Springfield, Mo., 18-6

9th: Jay Yelas of Corvallis, Ore., 18-5

10th: Lancen Halbert of Enoree, S.C., 18-1
Brandon Coulter of Knoxville, Tenn., took home the Snickers Big Bass award in the Pro Division after landing a 5-pound, 13-ounce bass. Coulter won $500 for his catch.
For a complete list of the day’s results, click here.
True rookie takes co-angler lead
Fishing in the very first FLW Tour event of his career, Jason Johnson of Gainesville, Ga., made the most of it – parlaying a 16-pound, 2-ounce catch into a first-place finish.
“It was just a great day,” said Johnson. “I’ve wanted to tournament fish for a long time and I finally decided to give it a try. And I couldn’t be happier right now.”
Johnson said that having Brent Ehrler as a partner didn’t hurt either.
“During my first ever day of tournament fishing I draw Brent Ehrler,” he said. “So you can’t do much better than that.”
As far as fishing was concerned, Johnson said he targeted bass in deeper water with a combination of drop-shots and jigs.
“I’m from Lanier, so (Ehrler’s) style of fishing fits my style pretty well,” said Johnson. “We’re really mixing it up today. We fished anywhere from 2 to 50 feet of water. So it was a lot of fun.”
Tennison nets runner-up spot
Like Johnson, Michael Tennison of Russell Springs, Ky., was fishing in his first-ever FLW Tour event. And like Johnson, Tennison will probably remember this day for the rest of his career. Using a total catch of 16 pounds, 1 ounce, Tennison finished the day in second place overall.
And he couldn’t have been happier.
“Boy it was a nice day out there. This is my first FLW Tour Major and I’m in second place by an ounce,” said Tennison. “I’m freaking excited right now.”
Tennison said that not only did he have a great day on the water and wind up in second place, but he also learned plenty of new fishing techniques as well.
“Brett Hite was my partner and he taught me a couple of new things that I really didn’t know about today,” he said. ‘If I didn’t learn from him, I wouldn’t have caught what I caught. So it was a really good day for me.”
Tennison said that he targeted both deep and shallow water using a combination of Shaky Heads and split-shot rigs to land the majority of his catch.
Best of the rest
Philip Jarabeck of Lynchburg, Va., finished the day in third place with a total catch of 14 pounds, 2 ounces.
Meanwhile, Bryant Grimm of Kingsport, Tenn., and David Kuykendall of Fletcher, N.C., tied for fourth place overall with identical catches weighing in at 13 pounds, 10 ounces.
Ralph Myhlhousen of Council Bluffs, Iowa landed the day’s Snickers Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division with a catch of 6 pounds, 11 ounces. Myhlhousen won $250 for his efforts.
For a complete list of the day’s results, click here.
Bass-fishing fans take note
FLW Tour action continues during Friday’s takeoff, scheduled to take place at 7 a.m. at Portman Shoals Marina, located at 1629 Marina Road in Anderson, S.C.
Fans who can’t make tomorrow’s weigh-in in person can also tune into FLW Live on FLWOutdoors.com shortly before 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time to watch live streaming video and audio of Friday’s weigh-in.