CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Now in the homestretch at Bass Pro Shops REDCREST Presented by Shore Lunch, anglers who have been eliminated are now spending their time at the REDCREST Outdoor Expo. Having a keen insight into what’s going on on Lake Norman, we chatted with four competitors to get their thoughts on the lake and who they see winning the event.
No surprise, but Bryan Thrift was a popular choice, and not just because he held a commanding lead after with two days left. Here’s what Mark Rose, James Elam, Shin Fukae, and Randall Tharp had to say about the fishing this week and who to keep an eye on.
When the tournament site was announced, Rose had two anglers pegged as ones to watch. One was the favorite, Thrift, and the other was Brent Ehrler.
“I thought Bryan immediately, but a wildcard was Brent Ehrler,” Rose said. “Both are the type of anglers that can win big events and understand this type of fishing for spotted bass.”
Tharp also chose Thrift, which was reinforced after seeing him fish this week during the competition.
“Bryan, for sure, should win this because he’s got the most local knowledge,” Tharp said. “This particular lake fits his style and helped develop who he is as an angler. I also saw him out there and he’s doing something different than the other guys. Plus, I think he’s managing his areas very well to last for the whole event.”
Elam also believes that Thrift is the one to beat due to his versatility and what he’s shown so far this week. Elam also had a handful of anglers in mind who he thinks can track Thrift down.
“I think a versatile angler, like Thrift, fits this lake perfectly,” Elam said. “This lake is why he is like he is as an angler and can run-and-gun different areas with a bunch of techniques. He’ll be hard to beat, but Casey Ashley is a sleeper because it seems like he’s consistently catching bigger fish. The same is true of (Adrian) Avena; he’s doing what I was doing and targeting spawning fish. The ‘X-factor’ is finding a few big spawners, which could help him gain some ground or even win it.”
Lake Norman is said to offer a pronounced advantage to local anglers. Knowledge is power here, whether it’s knowing the most docks with good brushpiles or just being in tune with how bass react to different conditions.
“On Lake Norman, you can’t just do one thing and expect to do well,” Elam said. “You need to know spotted bass to catch your 10-pound limit to get started and have that security. But, you also need to know the key areas to find largemouth and Thrift knows all those places on this lake. Local knowledge is a humongous advantage on Lake Norman.”
Fukae took a humorous approach when choosing Thrift as the eventual winner. “I pick Bryan because he knows every fish in the lake and swims around with them. I’ve also been watching and he’s calm even when he has a small limit. He’s saying, ‘I’m good,’ and just fishing here and there.”
In addition to just knowing the key areas, Elam likes the local advantage of being able to make the right changes according to conditions.
“They know how weather patterns affect the fish here and can develop a plan based on the conditions,” he said. “That’s why those who have fished here a lot have the upper hand. They can blindly fish areas in the tournament where they didn’t even practice and still feel good about it if they see a situation pop up.”