Reel Chat with BRENT EHRLER
– MODERATOR COMMENT –
Welcome to FLW Live Reel Chat. Today we’re joined by FLW Tour pro Brent Ehrler. With nearly $1.4 million in career earnings at FLW Outdoors events, Ehrler has already recorded 21 top-10 finishes, including two FLW Tour titles (2006 Forrest Wood Cup, 2010 Table Rock), two FLW Series victories (2010 Lake Shasta, 2009 Lake Havasu) and an American Fishing Series crown (2004 championship).
– MODERATOR COMMENT –
In addition, National Guard pro Brent Ehrler is arguably the hottest angler on the FLW Tour right now. He holds championship titles from both the Tour and American Fishing Series, and he has three more big victories in FLW Outdoors competition to his credit, including his recent and commanding FLW Tour win at Table Rock Lake.
– MODERATOR COMMENT –
Today, the Redlands, Calif., native is here to take questions from you, the fans. So, without further delay, let’s get started.
Q (MODERATOR): Brent, how does this most recent FLW Tour win stack up against some of your other victories?
A: This one was perfect timing. It was the start of the season, and you’re always worried about the start of the season. So it was a great way to start. I’ve never won an FLW Tour event like this. And to have that happen was just awesome. It was a great way to start off the season.
Q: How many fish did you catch on the jerkbait? I was under the impression most came on the swim Senko and the grub.
— Greg R. (Carbondale, Ill.)
A: Most of my fish came on the grub and a few on the Senko. I actually only weighed in two fish that I caught on the jerkbait. But the biggest fish I weighed in during the tournament came on a jerkbait.
Q (MODERATOR): Brent, you said that during Table Rock practice you had a difficult time finding good fish. So what changed so dramatically during the course of the tournament to allow you to cruise to an easy victory against some of the best anlgers in the nation?
A: Basically I didn’t know how good of a spot I found during practice. I really didn’t know what I stumbled onto. I decided to start there, but really had no idea it would turn out that productive. It was a creek-channel bend that formed a point. Under water there were a bunch of trees that you really couldn’t see. And the fish were suspened in those trees. I swam a grub and crankbait across the tops of the trees, and that’s what did it. It was a place where the fish were pulling up on the main lake, and the spot replenshed itself every day.
Q (MODERATOR): With such a commanding lead, how did you handle the nerves heading into the fourth and final day of competition? Also, at what point in the event did you realize that you had the tournament won?
A: I was probably more nervous for this one compared to any of the tournaments I’ve had heading into the last day. Usually, these tournaments are the easiest ones to fish, but I was definitely nervous. I knew what I was going to do, but I was so nervous about blowing the lead. I just wanted to know what was going to happen — either way. I caught a fish on my third cast and another keeper on my 10th cast. I fished another 10 minutes without another bite. At 7:55 I had two fish for about 5 pounds in the boat. But at 8:03 I caught a 4-pounder, which brought my total to 9 pounds, so I felt pretty good at that point.
Q: I live near Table Rock and fish the lake fairly often. How long do you think your area will stay productive? I am planning an early April trip, and I’m wondering if I should still be thinking deep.
— Steve L. (Springfield, Mo.)
A: No, don’t think deep. This time of year the fish are moving. They want to get to the shallow water and get to the backs of creeks. Right now I’d concentrate on transition areas. So I’d recommend using shallow-running crankbaits, jigs and shaky heads.
Q (MODERATOR): I know it’s still early in the season, but how excited would you be to make a run at this year’s FLW Tour Angler of the Year title? Secondly, do you think the upcoming FLW Tour venues for the 2010 season shape up to give you a reasonable chance at that title?
A: I would be very excited. I’ve been really close, and now that I have a taste of it, the (title) is all I want. I’ve had a great shot the last two years to put me over the top, but I lost a few fish at crucial times. I’ve started off great this year, so it’s a possibility, but you just never know in this sport. As far as looking at the upcoming season, I can’t say for sure how it will play out. But the AOY title is definitely the No. 1 thing on my mind this year.
Q (MODERATOR): For a relatively young guy, you’ve had a tremendous amount of success as a professional bass angler. My question is this: Did you expect to reach the level of success you’ve obtained this quickly or does your recent string of victories surprise even you?
A: It definitely surprises me. I feel very fortunate to have the finishes that I had. But not only that, to have them come quick and close together like this is surprising.
Q: What is the best source of information on seasonal patterns for largemouth bass?
— J. Hardy (Duluth, Ga.)
A: Boy, I’m not sure — maybe the Internet. I’d check out forums to get daily and weekly updates/fishing reports. Then you can see whether the fish are deep, on beds, starting to move up, etc.
Q (MODERATOR): From a Fantasy Fishing perspective, what future FLW Tour events should we make sure to have Brent Ehrler as one of our top-10 picks?
A: I’d have to say Lake Norman, Loudoun or Lanier would be your best bets. But I’d probably pick Lake Norman if you had to choose one.
Q: Did you always present your baits over the tops of the trees, or did you sometimes let it go to the bottom? It seemed like the other guys in the top five were all fishing on the bottom.
— Travis (Little Rock, Ark.)
A: On the last day, I caught four on the grub. It was a morning bite. But, late morning and early afternoon, I picked up a jig and picked up two fish on the bottom. But every other fish came from fish being suspended on trees.
Q: Brent, is the driving taking any kind of toll on you? Hauling your trailer back and forth across the country and sitting for eight to 12 hours a day in the driver’s seat has got to wear on you physically and mentally. Please be careful — you and all the guys doing that long haul from east to west.
— Rodney (Valencia, Calif.)
A: First thing I would say: I wish there were only eight to 10 hours a day in the truck; it’s usually more like 12 to 15 hours a day in the truck if I’m going across country. You’re on a select time frame, so you have to get there. I put roughly 800 to 1,000 miles a day (on the truck). Yeah, it does take a toll on you, and it does take a few days to recover. That said, I don’t see myself moving in the near future. I really like living out here in California — it’s just part of the deal.
Q (MODERATOR): A few years ago, a few plugged in people were saying, “Watch out for that Brent Ehrler guy; he’s going to be good.” This despite the fact that you were relatively unknown on a national level. Obviously, those people turned out to be right. But in your opinion, who is the next young guy (or gal) who might be relatively unknown at this time who we should all keep an eye on?
A: Cody Meyer. He’s going to be the next big deal. This is his first year on Tour. He’s a Western guy. And from all the guys I’ve watched over the years, I think he’s the real deal.
Q: Over the years, what has been your most productive and reliable bait?
— Terry L (Fayetteville, Tenn.)
A: I have three. I can’t possibly narrow it down to one. As far as soft baits go, you can’t go anywhere in the country without knowing how to catch fish on a Yamamoto Senko. You can do absolutely everything and anything with it, and the fish will bite. And then, on the reaction-bait side, or on the fast side, a Lucky Craft crankbait — one of three depending on the lake: SKT MR; BDS 3; and LV 500.
Q (MODERATOR): As a native of California, you’ve witnessed more than a few pros from your home state (and the Pacific Coast) achieve fairly high levels of success on the FLW Tour. I’m just curious why you think that is? Is it a mere coincidence, or do Western fisheries really prepare anglers to do battle on national level?
A: I think that fishing out West prepares us to be very versatile, meaning that we have it all: natural lakes, tidal waters, largemouth lakes, spotted bass lakes, highland reservoirs, etc. So we’re prepared for nearly all possible fishing conditions out East. To compare: If you get a guy from Alabama, who is good at flipping grass and fishing docks, maybe he’s not as good at fishing deep, clear lakes.
Q: How tall were these underwater trees? We don’t have trees like that up north in our natural lakes. If the water was 25 feet deep, do the trees reach up to 15 feet?
— Jason H. (Onamia, Minn.)
A: The tree tops would be anywhere from 5 to 15 feet from the top. For instance, if the tree was in 25 feet of water, the tree might be 10 to 15 feet tall. Most of my bites were in that 10- to 15-foot range. You could see the tops of the trees in some areas.
Q: Did you stay on your hot spot all day, or did you move and come back?
— Patrick (St. Peters, Mo.)
A: I moved around and never came back when I was done fishing that spot in the morning — partly because I wanted the fish to rest and didn’t want people to find.
Q: Hey Brent, I have watched the FLW Tour for quite a long time and am now fishing in the college tournaments across the South. I was just wondering how you stay so consistent going from one lake to the next and always staying on top of the fish. Thanks for your time!
— Jake Lawrence (Union City, Tenn.)
A: I think just hard work. I’ve been very fortunate that I’ve had the time to put into this sport. I try to fish dark to dark every day. Whether it’s windy, rainy, etc., you have to force yourself to go out on the water. You also need to decipher what you’ve learned in practice — and that just takes time and experience. That being said, you can’t always predict what fish are going to do. So you can’t rely on what the fish were doing last week or even yesterday; you have to figure out what they’re doing today.
Q: On stage Charlie and Jason mentioned something about you fishing against KVD in the near future. What was that about?
— Mike (Nixa, Mo.)
A: Charlie and Jason basically just said that they would love to see a fishoff between Kevin VanDam and myself. But definitely nothing like that is scheduled at this time. Those guys were just having a good time, joking around onstage.
Q: With the weather colder than normal, how do you like your chances at Lake Norman? Should I pick you to win?
— Adam (Greensboro, N.C.)
A: I’ve never been to Norman this early in the year before. I think we’re going to be in a prespawn phase. I like Lake Norman; I think my chances should be good, but you just never know.
Q: How close were you and Bryan Thrift fishing to each other?
— Bass Rube (Columbus, Ga.)
A: We both shared a spot — although I didn’t know it until the third day. But we went there at different times of the day. The first two days I fished the spot and left before he got there. The third day we kind of shared the spot. But on the fourth day, I was on my secondary spot and Bryan pulled up, realized I had a chance to win the tournament, and then left. And that was really cool of him because he didn’t have to do that.
Q: Hey, great job at Table Rock. It was fun watching you Saturday morning and running all the way up the lake with you. I was wondering what you think about areas to fish in late April at Table Rock for a tournament?
— Sid Krueger (Kearney, Neb.)
A: Late April, the fish will be in the prespawn/spawning phase. I’d definitely look shallow. I’d focus on creeks and coves and get off the main lake. One final thing: If the fish are in spawning mode, I’d look for clear water. But if they’re not, look for any kind of stained water, and you should do fine.
– MODERATOR COMMENT –
Unfortunately, fishing fans, that’s all the time we have to chat with Brent today. Thanks to all who tuned in and participated in today’s Reel Chat. And a special thanks to Brent Ehrler, the recent FLW Tour winner at Table Rock Lake, for giving us his time and insights into bass fishing. Check back shortly for a complete transcript of today’s FLW Live Reel Chat.