Pundits’ Picks: Lake Norman

Mortenson, Lebowitz stay hot; Berry, Simmons also rolling

Tournament site

Round three of the 2007 picks brings us to Lake Norman, just outside of Charlotte, N.C. It’s the first-ever stop for the FLW Tour here, but it’s well-trod territory for many longtime tournament pros. A relatively shallow impoundment on the upper end of the Catawba River, Norman is the largest man-made lake in North Carolina and boasts over 520 miles of shoreline. Read: lots of docks. Hanging out beneath those docks are some of the biggest spotted bass in the state, not to mention a lion’s share of nice largemouths. Power-fishing works here, as some of the tour’s wiliest veterans cut their teeth on lakes like Norman, as well as nearby Wylie and High Rock, throwing cranks and spinners. Don’t forget, though, that it’s April and the fish are in the mood for love. It’s sight-fishing season, so the light-line, finesse guys – or “sissy fishermen,” as David Dudley likes to call them – will have a major impact on this tournament’s outcome. It doesn’t matter how they catch them, though, as long they get them in the boat. Same goes for your picks: It doesn’t matter how you choose them as long as you manage to nail down a few in the top 10.

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Wal-Mart FLW Tour stop No. 3

Lake Norman, Charlotte, N.C.

April 26-29

Gary Mortenson Editor FLWOutdoors.com Record: 2-0 Points: 1,571	VS.	Randy Blaukat FLW pro Lamar, Mo. Record: 0-2 Points: 1,065
1) CLARK WENDLANDT.OK, I’m on record right now saying there is no way, no way, Wendlandt will come close to duplicating his dismal 111th-place performance at Fort Loudoun-Tellico lakes last month. Not only is a bounce back in order, I’m banking on the Texas native to take home the title. Is it the equivalent of putting your last $100 on No. 33 on the roulette wheel? Sure. But I don’t care. Lake Norman is a shallow-angler paradise and sight-fishing will be the order of the day. And who other than Wendlandt is a better angler within these fishing parameters? I rest my case. 2) TRACY ADAMS.For whatever reason, Adams never quite gets the credit he deserves in the consistency department. However, Adams is quietly in the running for his third top-10 Angler of the Year finish on the FLW Tour since 2000. He’s fishing great right now and also just happens to be from Wilkesboro, N.C. 3) SHINICHI FUKAE.What more is there to say about Shin? The guy, simply put, is a fishing machine. And if past history is any indicator, he’s probably spent the last four months there practice-fishing. While that might be a slight exaggeration, what’s certain is that nobody performs more due diligence on a new lake better than Mr. Fukae. Oh, and by the way, he’s in the running once again for a top-10 finish in the AOY race. Go figure. 4) DAVE LEFEBRE.We’ve had two FLW Tour events this year and I’ve picked Lefebre both times in my Pundits’ Picks column. Guess what? He finished in the top 10 in both of those events. But the funny thing is, as a fellow pundit, he has yet to pick himself once. Hmm. I’m not sure what’s going on there. However, I am sure that he’s going to be in my top-10 list every time until he fails me, which he won’t. Right, Dave? 5) DAVID FRITTS.Yes, Fritts is one of the best deep-water crankbait anglers out there. And yes, this is a shallow-water lake. Blah, blah, blah. Sure, there will be a lot of bandwagon jumpers who select Bryan Thrift in this spot. But you know what? Fritts is a wily veteran who is fishing in his own backyard – and fishing very well, I might add. So I’m going to go ahead and follow my gut instinct – despite the naysayers – and put the Lexington, N.C., pro on my list. And you know what? If he fails me at Lake Norman, I can always fall back on the fact that Randy Blaukat, my Pundits’ Picks adversary this week, hasn’t won a head-to-head matchup since Khrushchev was acting Premier of the Soviet Union. (For you History Channel buffs, I believe that was Oct. 14, 1964.)		1) JOEL RICHARDSON.Fellow Fujifilm pro Joel is way overdue to break out of the minislump he has been in. He’s not a local at Norman but has a lifetime of experience fishing the area lakes. He is a great deep cranker, which should be a good technique for the postspawn Norman bass. 2) DAVID DUDLEY.I’m not picking Dudley for all the obvious reasons. My reason is that he is quickly becoming the undisputed master at catching retreads. This is not as easy as it may seem, or everyone would be doing it. It is as much an art as any technique, especially mentally. It takes a lot of patience and confidence to spend all day near the release area, but this is the reality of fishing the FLW Tour: You must be able to catch fish on overcrowded, overfished lakes. Power-fishing on the FLW Tour is a thing of the past. 3) RANDY BLAUKAT.Thanks to nailing a rock with my Yamaha the last day at Ft. Loudoun, I need to do well at Norman to get back on track. I’ve fished a lot of events here in the past, but never one like this that will be wall-to-wall boats. Like all FLWs, I’ll have to find a way to catch them in a crowd in order to make it to fishing on Saturday and Sunday. 4) LUKE CLAUSEN.In my opinion, Luke is currently the most consistent angler on the FLW Tour. There are few who can match his ability to do well day in and day out. When he doesn’t catch them actually creates more talk than when he does, which is a true measure of greatness. Coming from the West, he knows finesse, and that is why he is so dominant on the FLW Tour. 5) TOMMY MARTIN.Tommy has been getting a lot of $10,000 checks lately, and every time I hear him onstage he is catching them on a little worm – like most of the FLW Tour check-getters each event. I fished with him early in my career in the late `80s, and he was one of the most impressive anglers I’ve ever been in the boat with.

Keith Lebowitz Co-host “FLW Outdoors” on FSN Record: 2-0 Points: 1,510	VS.	Art Berry FLW pro Hemet, Calif. Record: 2-0 Points: 1,402
1) DAVE LEFEBRE.He has one thing on his mind: Land O’ Lakes Angler of the Year. He’ll be tough again on this body of water. 2) BRENT EHRLER.Since winning the championship, he has cashed in at every event he’s entered. He’s due for another top-10 on the Wal-Mart FLW Tour. 3) ANTHONY GAGLIARDI.Haven’t heard much from the reigning AOY, but it’s time he breaks out in 2007. 4) JAY YELAS.Mr. Consistency right now. I like Jay on any body of water. 5) MARK DAVIS.After finally winning one on the FLW Tour, I’m going with another hot stick. Davis loves to figure out new lakes, and this will be fun for him. Expect another top finish from Mark.		1) DAVID FRITTS.A phenom in the Carolinas. This should be a fairly easy tournament for Fritts, and with home-like conditions, it makes him even tougher. A true contender for $200,000. 2) DAVID DUDLEY.With thousands of docks, this is the derby where everybody finds out who the dockmaster really is. It’s 3-D: David-Dudley-Docks. 3) MARK DAVIS.Continuing the trend with big-money winners in a big-money tournament is Davis. He’s very hot right now, coming fresh from victory, and could go back-to-back. He’s a true legend of the sport. 4) CLARK WENDLANDT.Another true magician of dock fishing and, again, a legendary fisherman. This could be the best lineup ever of $200K winners. 5) CHRIS BAUMGARDNER.A very strong fisherman, he’s my dark-horse pick because of his largemouth expertise and local water knowledge. Largemouth could be the key to big sacks for Chris.

Jennifer Simmons Editor FLWOutdoors.com Record: 2-0 Points: 1,303	VS.	David Dudley FLW pro Lynchburg, Va. Record: 0-2 Points: 1,441
1) DAVID FRITTS.I have a feeling everyone is going to pick him, but I would be an idiot not to go with the Crankbait King, particularly since he is a Tar Heel. 2) DAVID DUDLEY.Picking my opponent worked out well for me last time, besides the fact that Dudley, too, is a North Carolina killer. 3) SHINICHI FUKAE.I picked him the first time and got burned. I wanted to pick him last time, but didn’t and got burned. I’m hoping this time he won’t singe what’s left of me. 4) DAVE LEFEBRE.He’s got that Keebler elfin magic on his side. He’s also making a serious run for Angler of the Year, which I think he certainly deserves. I’m hoping he keeps his streak alive on Lake Norman. 5) MICHAEL BENNETT.Someone from the West is always going to finish high, and 2007 is so far shaping up to be a solid year for Bennett. He’s fifth in points, and it’s been a couple of years since his last top-10, so the guy is due.		1) BRYAN THRIFT.This is my dark-horse pick. His stats on this lake are very good, and he will somehow use the best-running, and only true-running, ChatterBait to the top of the leaderboard. 2) SHINICHI FUKAE.By the end of the practice, this Japanese fishing machine will know every bass by name. During the tournament, he will call them out one by one and make another good finish. 3) CHRIS BAUMGARDNER.Like Brian, he will have one bait on the deck and in his boat, period: the ChatterBait. In his quiet manner, he’ll humbly make the top five and smile all the way to the bank. 4) TODD AUTEN.He is also a native to these waters. Like Brian and Chris, Todd will take the original ChatterBait into the top-five battle. 5) MARK DAVIS.This man always does well after the spawn. I think he will use all his rods, from spinning to cranking, and will be on the prowl. I think he’s getting back to true Davis form.

Clark Wendlandt FLW pro Cedar Park, Texas Record: 1-1 Points: 1,468	VS.	Brett Carlson Editor FLWOutdoors.com Record: 1-1 Points: 1,258
1) MARK DAVIS.One of the best fisherman in the world, he has momentum. He is also the best fisherman I have ever seen in the late spawn to postspawn. 2) ANTHONY GAGLIARDI.Can catch them shallow or deep. He should be very good at Norman. 3) SHINICHI FUKAE.I love his work ethic, and he is very talented. He is a great pick in any tournament. 4) DAVE LEFEBRE.He has been too strong lately to overlook him now. 5) ANDY MORGAN.Has proven himself to be one of the best fisherman in the country. He catches them everywhere he goes. Lake Norman has plenty of docks for Morgan to skip under.		1) BRYAN THRIFT.I honestly believe that, out of every single angler in this highly competitive field, Thrift has the best chance to win. Young Thrifty, currently ninth in the points race, rarely has a bad tournament. Just two weeks ago he took fourth at the Santee Cooper Stren, his 11th top-10 finish since 2004. So how good can he be on his home water? I say the sky’s the limit. I just hope this doesn’t turn into a shallow-water spawnfest, thereby emptying his secret honeyholes. 2) LUKE CLAUSEN.I hear finesse tactics are king on Lake Norman, and nobody is better at throwing the “sissy stuff” than Cool Hand Luke. Clausen’s also been remarkably consistent this year, cashing a $10,000 check at the first FLW Series East tournament and at the two FLW Tour events. Maybe an AOY title is on his mind rather than trying to win each time out. Either way, I’ll gladly take 150 points – and I bet he’ll gladly take another $10,000 in cash. 3) ANTHONY GAGLIARDI.Gags is quietly heating up, and history shows that he’s usually at his best in the springtime. When Gags is at his best, look out. Plus, I hear he boated a 7-pound walleye in Knoxville, so he gets bonus points for catching my preferred toothy critter. 4) JACOB POWROZNIK.Here’s my gut-feeling pick. Lake Norman is a new tournament venue, so I think the East Coast guys will have a little advantage. Powroznik fits the bill perfectly as a solid East Coast stick. Plus, I think his skills are quietly underrated. 5) DAVID DUDLEY.Dudley was absolutely steaming after finishing 11th at the Fort Loudoun-Tellico event. He really thought he had a chance to win. As it was, he finished 11 ounces out of the cut and spent the next two days in the Fun Zone rather than on the water. Now in Charlotte, I expect another solid finish from Dudley, who always performs well with a little extra motivation. By the way, this is the first time I haven’t picked Wendlandt in my two-year stint as a pundit. What do you think of that, Rob?

Patrick Baker Editor FLWOutdoors.com Record: 1-1 Points: 1,467	VS.	Carl Svebek FLW pro Siloam Springs, Ark. Record: 1-1 Points: 1,337
1) SHINICHI FUKAE.I haven’t picked Shin for a win – or at all – this year. That’s just bad punditry. Fukae won two events last year and was anointed Angler of the Year only three short seasons ago, his first year on tour. If that’s not a gilded resume, there’s no such thing. He won the Wal-Mart Open on Beaver Lake last year around this time, so I think he’s ready for a rocket ride to the top of the National Guard Open this year. 2) DARREL ROBERTSON.With back-to-back top-10s to kick off the 2007 season, one of which I was able to cash in on, D.R. is my new fishing doctor. Let the healing begin. 3) DAVID FRITTS.What can I say? I remain loyal to the Crankbait King, who earned me valuable points in the first two events. Fishing virtually in his backyard, he won’t disappoint. 4) KOBY KREIGER.I think Kreiger has been waiting for a good sight-fishing tournament (and maybe a big-purse event) to really light up the FLW Tour. I’m betting that Lake Norman will hand him his first tour-level top-10 of the year. 5) JAY YELAS.Yelas has built up a strong head of steam after a sixth-place finish at Loudoun-Tellico, and he’s about as consistently good as a pro bass angler can be. Give him a sight-fishing tourney, which is likely at Lake Norman, and he’s a serious threat to win.		1) DAVID DUDLEY.A little throw-in for my fellow Castrol Pro. He barely missed the cut at Loudoun, and that could point toward a possible hot streak. He is feeling confident, and I feel that will go a long way in this tournament. 2) CLARK WENDLANDT.He had a little bit of a rough one at Loudoun, but you can bet that won’t happen twice in a row. I spoke with him last week, and, yes, he was fishing on Lake Travis – fine-tuning, I guess, for the Norman event. Look out, he will be ready. 3) LARRY NIXON.I always pull for Larry, or should I say Mr. Nixon? He is a great guy and super fisherman. I know that, as versatile as he is, he will have something figured out. Plus it doesn’t hurt that he runs an Evinrude. Good luck and go catch them, Larry. 4) MIKE SURMAN.Just call him Mr. I Never Catch Them In Practice But Smoke Them Come Tournament Time. Just joking. Mike’s a good friend and super fisherman. He has been catching a lot of fish in Florida, which means he is in tune and ready to go. Plus, he has already qualified for the Forrest Wood Championship, so you know he will be going for broke. 5) DAN MOREHEAD.He’s a fellow Evinrude pro and a very good fisherman. He’s been sort of quiet lately, but he’s ready to break into the top five. It seems he always figures these fish out on most lakes, and I don’t see it being any different come Lake Norman time. Good luck, Dan.

Jeff Schroeder Editor FLWOutdoors.com Record: 0-2 Points: 1,282	VS.	Dave Lefebre FLW pro Erie, Pa. Record: 0-2 Points: 1,271
1) TRACY ADAMS.Already an FLW Tour champion (Lake Champlain, 2006), the relatively quiet Adams has already shown that he can make some noise on tour, which he has done sporadically for over 10 years. This one’s right down the road from his hometown, and he’s fast out of the gate this season, finishing 10th and 22nd at the first two events. So the punditry computer says that he’s the odds-on favorite. 2) BRYAN THRIFT.I love the trendy picks, especially when they’re rookies. Mr. ChatterBait’s more of a Santee Cooper kind of guy, tournament-wise, but like Adams, he has a notch on his belt from Lake Wylie back in his BFL days. He, too, lives just around the corner from Lake Norman, so if anybody knows this stretch of the Catawba River, it’s Thrift. 3) DAVID FRITTS.Too strong to ignore heading back to his home hunting grounds. This is a points play. Can’t hurt you at all. 4) SHINICHI FUKAE.Hello, spawning bass. Shin and his microscopic worms will be all over the beds like it’s Beaver Lake. Norman’s a pretty shallow lake, which will play right into his superlight-line, tenaciously patient finesse patterns. Besides, it’s April. When was the last time Shin bonked this time of year? 5) DAVE LEFEBRE.Totally unoriginal, but it’s tough to argue with his results so far this season. The real test will be to see if, as a pundit, he picks himself at Norman. He didn’t at either Travis or Loudoun-Tellico and – whaddya know? – he nailed top-10 finishes at both of them, including a near-win, and now leads the standings. How much do you want to bet that he’s off his own list again? I’m going to go all Jennifer Simmons on him: beat him with his own fishing skills. If he’s on his own list, though, I demand a re-pick.		1) SHINICHI FUKAE.Shin has been on location for a long time and by now probably knows parts of Norman better than most locals. Small baits and spotted bass is what this event is all about, and that spells Shin. I’ve got a feeling he will be very consistent and will take the top spot. 2) MARK DAVIS.Mark is undeniably one of the very best anglers in the world, plus things are clicking for him right now. I think his momentum from the last win will help him score his second top-10 of the year. Look out. 3) DAVID DUDLEY.I’ve been picking an angler or two over the past couple events based on a gut feeling after seeing the general look of the water, and it’s been working. This place gets a ton of fishing pressure, and Dave’s newfound love, the old shaky head, should come into play. Besides that, Norman just looks like Dave. He’ll catch `em here for sure. 4) CLARK WENDLANDT.Lake Norman is a new lake for most of us, and Clark is one of the best at figuring out new water. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a big bag on day one, especially. He’s coming off a bad tournament and is probably not going to let that happen again in the near future. I’d sure hate to be a bass anywhere near the Frosted Flakes boat. 5) ALVIN SHAW.Shaw lives an hour north of the lake and has been spending a ton of time there. He needs a good finish, and what better place to get it going than on his home lake? If he keeps a cool head and doesn’t get overwhelmed by everything he knows, he’ll do well. That’s not to mention, he’s a lucky son of a gun.

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