Beaver’s rising waters can’t dampen Ehrler’s fire
National Guard pro continues to dominate FLW Outdoors events
ROGERS, Ark. – Beaver Lake water levels continue to rise to some 9 feet over normal pool today, but that is still not enough water to put out the roaring fishing fire known as Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif.
So far in 2009 Ehrler has won an FLW Series Western on Lake Havasu, scored an 11th, 6th, and 15th in FLW Tour competition and currently leads the FLW Tour Land O Lakes Angler of the Year race.
And it looks the National Guard pro has no intentions of letting go of that AOY lead as he now leads the Walmart Open on Beaver Lake with a two-day total of 24 pounds, 6 ounces.
After two days of competition, two patterns are starting to emerge on Beaver Lake.
One pattern involves pitching heavy jigs or soft plastics into heavily matted debris pockets that have formed from the rapidly rising water. Some flooded bushes are being utilized in this pattern as well.
The other pattern is a hit or miss shad-spawn pattern on flat places, similar to how last year’s Walmart Open was dominated.
Ehrler is doing some heavy pitching in thick debris, but he is also is fishing open water with a spinning rod as well. He is not necessarily committed to either technique, but instead switches back and forth based on the conditions.
“I came into this event really nervous about the Angler of the Year points,” Ehrler said. “That was certainly my main goal coming here, but once I got to about 10 pounds today and felt like I was going to maintain the (AOY) lead I started to relax a little bit, then I caught a 2-1/2 then a 3-1/2 and I thought, `Hey, I think I just made the cut.’ So things are really going my way right now.”
The two kicker fish today allowed Ehrler to check in 13 pounds, 9 ounces on the day.
“With both of my patterns, I’m fishing pretty slowly,” he added. “I’m not cranking or winding anything. It’s mostly either pitching the thick stuff with a heavy weight and heavy line or moving out and fishing the outsides with a shaky head. I really have no idea what I can catch tomorrow. I might just catch 7 pounds or I might catch another 12 or 13 pounds.”
Christie second
Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., brought in just four bass today, but they were all quality largemouth – 
well, for Beaver Lake anyway – weighing 11 pounds, 12 ounces. That gives him a two-day total of 23 pounds, 4 ounces for second place.
Christie makes no bones about what he’s doing because he knows most anglers simply are not going to put their boat through what is doing to catch his fish.
In essence, Christie is forcing his boat into large debris mats in the backs of pockets with his big engine. Think of it as a boat with four-wheel drive, crawling up and over big log jams just to make a few pitches with a Yum Garrett Tube to virgin water covered up by thick debris.
“There is no telling how much damage I’ve done to the bottom of my boat,” Christie said. “I’ve jumped over some nasty stuff to get into some of these places. And what’s even worse is I’m apt to lose half the bites I get because I have to get the fish back through all that junk to land them. I lost two big ones that way today. I’d pitch in there, they’d thump it, I’d set the hook, have them on and start wrestling them through that stuff and they’d just come off, so it can be pretty frustrating.”
Browne third
Glenn Browne of Ocala, Fla., has weighed a nice collection of largemouths over two days for 23 pounds, 3 ounces to grab third place going into the final round.
Similar to Christie, Brown is focused totally on largemouths, but Browne is targeting mostly bushes.
“I definitely like Beaver Lake a lot better when it’s high,” said the Berkley pro. “I did pretty well flipping here last year and I returned to some of those areas this year. I’m basically pitching to bushes or vines or any debris in the backs of the pockets with a Berkley Chigger craw and a tube.”
Wendlandt fourth
After taking the day off with a paltry 7-pound, 8-ounce catch on day one, Beaver Lake master Clark
Wendlandt of Leander, Texas, worked double-time today to catch the tournament’s biggest limit yet, 15 pounds, 6 ounces, and rocket into fourth place with a two-day total of 22 pounds, 14 ounces.
Wendlandt’s top limit was anchored by the Folgers Big Bass on day two, weighing 5 pounds, 1 ounce.
The Kellogg’s pro has been patiently awaiting a shad-spawn feeding frenzy on Beaver Lake for several days and today it came to life.
“This morning I fished the same exact spot the same exact way as I did yesterday and it was completely different,” Wendlandt said. “Yesterday it was all little fish; today it was all big ones. I don’t know why they suddenly decided to show up, but they definitely came my way today.”
Wendlandt has won two Walmart Opens on Beaver Lake by sight-fishing, but he says that’s not even a possibility for him right now.
“I really believe that sight-fishing deal is going away and what I’m doing is just getting started – I hope so anyway,” Wendlandt added. “That was the problem yesterday: I spent too much time trying to sight-fish and it was just not happening for me.”
Rose fifth
Day-one leader Mark Rose of Marion, Ark., rounds out the top five with a two-day total of 22 pounds, 11 ounces.
Rose, too, was counting on a shad-spawn bite this morning, which got his day jump-started on day one, but it failed to materialize today.
“That shad-spawn bite is feast or famine,” Rose said. “Today it was a feast for Clark and famine for me. They were just not up on top feeding for me this morning like they were yesterday. Hopefully it will turn back on for me tomorrow.”
Rest of the best
Rounding out the top-10 pros in the Walmart Open on Beaver Lake after day two:
6th: Jay Yelas of Corvallis, Ore., two-day total of 22-8
7th: Ray Scheide of Dover, Ark., two-day total of 22-0
8th: Rob Kilby of Hot Springs, Ark., two-day total of 21-8
9th: Keith Combs of Del Rio, Texas, two-day total of 21-5
10th: Gabe Bolivar of Ramona, Calif., two-day total of 21-4
Hawks leads co-anglers
Kevin Hawk of Ramona, Calif., maintained his lead in the Co-angler Division of the Walmart Open today by catching a limit weighing 8 pounds, 6 ounces for a two-day total of 18 pounds, 6 ounces.
Hawk is dialed into a shaky head rig featuring a 1/8-ounce head and a green pumpkin Zoom Trick Worm, which fooled all his keepers today.
Moo Bae of West Friendship, Md., is in second place with a two-day total of 17 pounds, 8 ounces. He, too, is using a shaky head to do his damage at Beaver Lake.
Brent Bridgeman of Elkmont, Ala., is in third place with a two-day total of 15 pounds, 14 ounces.
Shane Lehew of Charlotte, N.C., is in fourth place with a two-day total of 15 pounds, 12 ounces.
Zac Cassill of Fairfax, Iowa, rounds out the top five with a two-day total of 15 pounds, 11 ounces.
Big bass
Earl Bennett of Mount Vernon, Ill., caught the big bass in the Co-angler Division on day two weighing 3 pounds, 7 ounces.
Rest of the best
Rounding out the top-10 co-anglers in the Walmart Open event on Beaver Lake after day two:
6th: David Hudson of Jasper, Ala., two-day total of 14-3
7th: Todd Lee of Jasper, Ala., two-day total of 14-2
8th: T.R. Fuller of Auburn, Ala., two-day total of 13-13
9th: Eddie Laster of Morton, Miss., two-day total of 13-11
10th: Dirk Davenport of Delaware, Ohio, two-day total of 13-6
Day three of the Walmart Open on Beaver Lake will begin Saturday at 6:30 a.m. at Prairie Creek Marina located at 1 Prairie Creek Marina Drive in Rogers.