CONROE, Texas – Brent Ehrler is on the hunt for a little redemption when it comes to Lake Conroe.
The California pro has competed on Conroe several times over the years as a pro, and even thought that he was going to win the Bassmaster Classic back in 2017.
That didn’t happen: Ehrler finished third at that Classic, behind Jordan Lee and Steve Kennedy. But Ehrler is planning on change that scrip this week at the MLF Bass Pro Tour Huk Stage Two presented by Favorite Fishing.
“I’ve fished big events on Conroe three or four times,” Ehrler said. “I really didn’t like the outcome the last time I was there, finishing third at the Classic. I’m not going to say that this one is going to be a grudge match for me, but Conroe sure left a sour taste in my mouth on the last visit. I plan on changing that.”
Searching for behemoths
Conroe isn’t known for large numbers of bass, but there are beasts swimming around for sure. Ehrler plans to target some of those potential behemoths for a shot at the MLF Bass Pro Tour trophy.
“I’m not sure if the numbers of fish are up, but there are massive fish there,” Ehrler confirmed. The top weights are likely to be pretty heavy, but the overall numbers won’t be, based on my history there. “They’ve had some crazy weather there recently. Assuming it’s going to be pre-spawn there, fishing should be good in theory, but not like it was in Florida.
“In the previous event, you could catch 20 or 30 keepers in a day, but not on Conroe. In my experience, there were maybe 6 to 10 keepers. Still, one of those fish could easily be a 10-pounder, so the weights should be good. If you weigh 20 pounds a day, you should make the final cut, maybe even lead the event.”
Ehrler’s attack plan in the event will be an “everything plus the kitchen sink” approach.
“I’ll be fishing Conroe from 30 feet deep up to 1 foot deep,” he said. “I’ve got to catch a few to narrow it down, but I have no set approach. I let the fish tell me what they want. I can’t just graph a spot and assume fish are active, I need to catch a few to see what they are up to. This is a big fish lake, but if I can also find a spot with smaller, but weighable fish, I’ll fish them to stay in the game if the bigger fish aren’t cooperating.”
So, Ehrler’s search for redemption on Conroe looks to be a bit more difficult than this experienced pro would prefer, but Brent still thinks the weights will be impressive.
“I’ve never caught a lot of bass on Conroe,” said Ehrler. “My expectations are not high, but I do believe there will be some big weights. Somebody is going to catch a 12-pounder. Seriously, it could happen. I’m hoping it’s me.”