Hoernke hard to handle at Norman

Texas pro samples the best of two techniques to lead FLW Tour event

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – Coming into the National Guard Open on Lake Norman, many FLW Tour pros knew that two primary patterns would be taking place: sight-fishing for bass on beds and fishing docks for post-spawn bass.

When the tournament began, some committed completely to sight-fishing and some committed completely to fishing docks where they hoped shad would be spawning.

But what if you could have the best of both worlds – sight-fishing and the shad spawn on docks?

Well that’s exactly what Sean Hoernke of Magnolia, Texas, has done over the last two days to take charge in the National Guard Open with a two-day total of 27 pounds, 11 ounces.

Essentially, Hoernke got on a red-hot shad spawn bite around docks yesterday morning, which produced 15 pounds. Today the all-you-can-eat shad buffet on his docks was closed and he went sight-fishing to collect 12-11.

“During practice we had some real cool nights,” Hoernke explained of his one-two punch. “And the shad spawn in practice was pretty sketchy. But yesterday morning was the first night where it was quite a bit warmer and on a whim I ran up to a place where I had seen a few shad spawning in practice – and it was on – that warmer night got them going.

“That’s why I was able to cull up so quickly yesterday – they were biting on those docks. And the best part about that was I never had to go to any of the sight-fish I found in practice.

“So yesterday, when I got to my docks, I got a very pleasant surprise; today when I got to my docks, I got a very unpleasant surprise because the shad where not there like they had been. There were still a few flicking around, but it was not near as good as yesterday.

“From there, I went to my secondary pattern: sight-fishing. The fish I had located on beds in practice were still there and I even found that a few more had pulled up.”

As far as the next couple of days, Hoernke is going to keep an eye on his shad-spawn spot first thing in the morning and then go sight-fishing the rest of the day.

Ehrler second

National Guard pro Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., is in second place with a two-day total of 27 pounds, 5 ounces.

Ehrler started the event with 13-13 yesterday and followed that up with 13-8 today.

He claims he is “just junk fishing,” mixing up swimbaits with a little bit of sight-fishing and casting a worm.

“First thing in the morning I’m starting with a swimbait around brushpiles and points,” Ehrler said. “But the window for that swimbait is pretty small. Then I just start casting a little worm to docks, dark spots and stumps. If I see a good fish on bed, I’ll fish for it; that’s how I caught my first two better fish yesterday. But mostly I’m just casting that little worm around to whatever looks good.”

Ehrler plans to continue his junk fishing ways tomorrow.

“I’m just trying to keep an open mind and fish for whatever comes my way,” he added.

Moynagh third

BP pro Jim Moynagh of Carver, Minn., is in third place with a two-day total of 27 pounds even.

Despite his limit for 12-6 today, Moynagh says he had a “rough day,” adding that he did not catch as many keepers today – only 7 or 8 – but they were better quality fish.

“I had absolutely no morning bite today,” Moynagh said. “I don’t know what happened. But with about 30 minutes left in the day, I really got lucky and caught a big one weighing 4-7 and another 2-1/2 right after it. Both of those fish came by skipping a weightless worm around docks. And that helped re-affirm what I need to be doing tomorrow.”

Baumgardner fourth

Snickers pro Chris Baumgardner of Gastonia, N.C., has checked in weights of 13-12 and 13-2 respectively for a two-day total of 26 pounds, 14 ounces.

Baumgardner said he is fishing docks, but he’s not using a jig as many might presume. Instead, he is skipping a weightless Trick Worm to the backs of dock floats where fish are bedding.

“I really don’t have a lot of beds marked,” Baumgardner said. “I seem to do better by just going out and going fishing. Several of the places where I caught them today, I had never even been in before. If you already have fish marked, you have expectations on where they will be. I do better if I just go into a new place and fish where fish should be, not where I’ve already found them.”

Browne to fifth

Glenn Browne of Ocala, Fla., has been as red-hot as his Berkley jersey lately. He’s scored a top 10 at a Lake Eufaula Stren, then went to the FLW Tour event on Lewis Smith Lake for another top 10 and now he’s made yet another top 10 at Norman with a two-day total of 26 pounds, 12 ounces.

Browne is known as a shallow-water specialist with a flipping stick, but he’s changed his tune just a bit at Norman.

“I’m sight-fishing – just going down the bank looking for them” Browne noted. “I don’t do a lot of sight-fishing, but sometimes you have to do whatever it takes and sight-fishing is it for me here.

“I tried fishing docks in practice and I caught quite a few, but the best five would only weigh about 9 pounds. When I went up around the bank looking for beds, some of the fish I saw were better quality than that – and they bite pretty easy – it doesn’t take long. I’ve even caught some cruisers by casting that shakey head out in front of them.”

Big bass

Art Ferguson III of St. Clair Shores, Mich., caught the big bass in the Pro Division on day two weighing 6 pounds, 5 ounces.

Rest of the best

Rounding out the top-10 pros in the National Guard Open on Lake Norman who will be fishing on Saturday:

6th: Art Ferguson III of St. Clair Shores, Mich., two-day total of 26-9

7th: Mike Surman of Boca Raton, Fla., two-day total of 26-8

8th: Scott Canterbury of Odenville, Ala., two-day total of 26-5

9th: Greg Pugh of Cullman, Ala., two-day total of 26-3

10th: Bud Pruitt of Spring, Texas, two-day total of 26-1

Davenport leads co-anglers

Dirk Davenport of Delaware, Ohio, leads the Co-angler Division of the National Guard Open with a two-day total of 20 pounds, 13 ounces.

He caught a limit for 10-14 while fishing with Aaron Hastings yesterday and 9-15 while fishing with Larry Nixon today.

“First, let me just say, fishing with Larry Nixon was incredible- what an awesome guy,” Davenport said. “Other than that, I’m primarily throwing a shakey head. The main key for me has been to pay close attention to everything my partner is throwing at and then casting somewhere completely different.”

The National Guard Junior World Championship winner, Shane Lehew of Charlotte, N.C., is in second place with a two-day total of 20 pounds, 9 ounces.

“The last two days I’ve mostly been skipping a wacky-rigged Senko to visible fish I can see,” Lehew said. “I’m from here, I fish this lake a lot and that’s my favorite way to catch them – skip a weightless bait to them and watch them eat it.”

Chad Pipkens of Holt, Mich., is in third place with a two-day total of 19-7.

David Hudson of Jasper, Ala., is in fourth place with a two-day total of 19-6.

Teddy Bradley of Mishawaka, Ind., is in fifth place with a two-day total of 19-1.

Big bass

Ray Pettit of Pacolet, S.C., caught the big bass in the Co-angler Division on day two weighing 3 pounds, 5 ounces.

Rest of the best

Rounding out the top-10 co-anglers in the National Guard Open on Lake Norman who will be fishing for the win tomorrow:

6th: Deirdre Davison of Tega Cay, S.C., two-day total of 18-13

7th: Butch Zadlo of Boone, N.C., two-day total of 18-10

8th: Beecher Strunk of Somerset, Ky., two-day total of 18-8

9th: Andrew Lemle of Perrysburg, Ohio, two-day total of 18-6

10th: Mark Swink of Shelby, N.C., two-day total of 18-4

Day three of the FLW Tour event on Lake Norman will begin Saturday at 6:30 a.m. from Blythe Landing located at 15901 NC Highway 73 in Huntersville, N.C.