California pro Brent Ehrler has an excellent track record at championship events, having won a Forrest Wood Cup and coming very close in Bassmaster Classics. Now fishing with Major League Fishing, he has his eyes on REDCREST. This year’s event is on Lake Norman in North Carolina and although he hasn’t been in years, it sets up well for his strengths and he thinks the fishing should be pretty good.
Back to Lake Norman
In his days with FLW, Ehrler recalled fishing the lake a handful of times, always faring well, and cashing checks each time. He believes the lake has only gotten better since then.
“I’ve heard over the years that the lake has changed a lot but also got better,” he said. “The spotted bass are more of a player now and they’ve grown up a little and gotten bigger. It used to be all about the largemouth. Both of them should be a factor, though, and we’ll see plenty of both species caught, but my initial thoughts are that you will need to fill your limit with spots and then hope to catch two or three bigger largemouth to increase your weight and have a shot at the win.”
But, Ehrler likened the lake to South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell (where he won an FLW Tour event), where largemouth will still be key. “I think you can do really well with just spotted bass, but it’s going to take some key largemouth to win it,” he said.
While some have predicted bass will be ready to spawn or even on beds, Ehrler thinks it’s still a little early.
“It seems like April is always the month they spawn in the Carolinas, so both species should be right in a classic prespawn pattern and we should be able to catch them with a lot of different baits and fish however we like to,” he said. “It should be a fun event since there will only be 40-guys at most fishing. We should be able to spread out because it’s a good-sized lake with so many productive areas.”
Fishing Shallow and Deep
The anglers fishing have two days of official practice and Ehrler plans to spend both of them sampling shallow and deep water. He will keep the deep fish honest, even though it’s been a shallow water bite every time he competed there.
“It seems like it’s been dominated by shallow fish every time I’ve been there, but I am going to look out deep as well, just to be sure,” said Ehrler.
The famed Lake Norman docks dominate the shallow areas and Ehrler believes a host of different approaches will be in play, including skipping jigs underneath them.
“There will be a lot of stuff in play, but a jig is almost guaranteed,” he said. “I like to fish my jigs this time of year with a Yamamoto Flappin’ Hog or 5-inch Double Tail as the trailer.”
Depending on the water levels and any incoming rain, Ehrler believes there could also be some shallow wood and rock cover to flip and pitch. He’ll employ the jig as well as a Yamamoto Senko or Flappin’ Hog Texas-rigged.
If he can find some good cover or brush in deeper water, he plans to fish with a shaky head or drop-shot, two techniques that he is extremely good at. “I like the Daiwa Yamamoto Neko Straight Worm a lot and fish it on a drop-shot, shaky head, and a Neko Rig for those deeper fish. I also think it will be great to rig on a shaky head and fish the corners of the docks or even skip underneath them.”
Ehrler’s final two predictions are no secret, a Z-Man Evergreen Jack Hammer ChatterBait with a Yamamoto Zako trailer and the tried-and-true 5-inch Yamamoto Senko.
“The Jack Hammer seems to play a role in every event we have now, and I think it will be a factor again in this one,” Ehrler admitted. “The Zako was designed for it and is the best trailer you add to it.”
About the Senko, he said it could become a top weapon, especially if the water warms up. “Even a little warming trend will get those fish moving shallow as they start to cruise and look for places to spawn,” he said. “There’s no better way to catch those cruising fish than a Senko on a wacky rig.”
With years of experience fishing big events, Brent Ehrler knows how to handle the added attention and pressure from a championship event. This knowledge and the fact that the lake sets up well for his finesse skills should make him a favorite to win. He’s won on several lakes that are dominated by spotted bass and winning again on Lake Norman wouldn’t surprise anyone.