Dinks Prevalent Again, And Quality Scarce

The term "quality" means different things at different fisheries. At Clear Lake, a 7-pounder might be a quality fish in the spring. At Wheeler, a 4-pounder could be considered quality.

At North Carolina's Lake Norman, anything from 2 1/2 pounds on up is a quality fish. And that's why the Norman standings are typically scaled by 1- and 2-ounce increments.

Nearly everyone in the field catches a limit of 1 1/2- to 2-pounders, but it takes limits of 2 1/2- and 3-pounders to make the cut.

And word is that same scenario will play out tomorrow as the FLW Tour visits Norman for the third straight year.

Before more about the current state of the bite, here's the intel on the Norman fishery itself.

BassFan Lake Profile

> Lake name: Norman
> Type of water: Lowland reservoir
> Surface acres: 32,510
> Primary structure/cover: Boat docks (by the ton), points, clay banks, humps, shoals, creek channels, stumps, brushpiles
> Primary forage: Crawfish, alewives, bream, blueback herring, shad
> Average depth: 33.5 feet
> Species: Largemouths and spotted bass
> Minimum length: 14 inches
> Reputation: Tons of small and lean fish, big bites scarce
> Weather: Has been generally cool and cloudy, but warm front moving through today with heavy winds leading to sunny, warm conditions the next several days
> Water temp: Low-60s
> Water visibility/color: Mostly clear/6 feet in some places
> Water level: Full pool
> Fish in: inches to 30 feet
> Fish phase: A mix of pre-spawn, spawn and post-spawn
> Primary patterns: Plastics (especially finesse worms), docks, sight-fishing, jigs (including swim-jigs), swimbaits, spinnerbaits, topwaters
> Winning weight: 27 pounds (final 2 days)
> Cut weight (Top 10 after 2 days): 25 pounds
> Check weight (Top 50 after 2 days): 21 pounds
> Fishing quality (1=poor, 5=great): 2 for Norman
> Biggest factor: A few big bed-fish for those with a good boat draw, plus the possibility of new fish moving up
> Biggest decision: Whether to run and gun or stay put and sort through numbers
> Wildcard: Deep-spawning fish

A Look Back

With two Norman FLW Tours to reference, it's pretty easy to guess what'll transpire this week in terms of weight.

Sean Hoernke won last year's contest with a 13 1/2-pound average. He moved shallower than the competition and targeted ultra-shallow spawning fish in inches of water. He also added a few marina fish that were on the shad spawn, and key was that he ran new water every day.

The year before, Larry Nixon won by fishing deeper than the competition, where he tossed worms repeatedly to spawning stumps for bedders he couldn't see. He averaged about 12 1/2 pounds a day.

Expect the winning weight to be about the same this year, but it's anyone's guess as to how the winner will achieve that weight. There are several schools of thought.

Strategy Lowdown

Whenever a pro angler faces the small-fish conundrum, he or she has a couple of choices.

One is to do what Hoernke did and constantly run new water – reach a new spot, make a bunch of casts in hopes of catching a better fish off-guard, then run somewhere else, and so on.

The other option is to do what Nixon did – pick a handful of areas and methodically work them over the course of the event in hopes they replenish as the spawning cycle continues. In fact, that's how Guido Hibdon recently won the Eufaula Eastern FLW Series.

Based on weather, the Nixon strategy certainly seems plausible. Conditions are expected to stabilize for the first time in a while, which almost always puts fish on the move – whether shallower to spawn, or deeper after they've spawned. And mid-depth cover is a great place to camp for the intercept.

On the other hand, if new fish do come up, then the Hoernke strategy could prevail – especially the final 2 days when only 10 competitors are left.

Right now, the quality bed-fish are no secret. Everybody's seen them, and the field's just waiting for the boat draw to find out who'll catch them the first morning.

But Norman's a clear-water fishery, which means fish do bed deeper than in other, more stained fisheries. Not everybody can see them. In fact, given those situations, it's usually western and northeastern pros who are the best deep eyes. California pro Brent Ehrler, for example, finished 13th and 6th at the last two Norman events. And he recently won the Havasu Western FLW Series by catching deep bed-fish other competitors didn't see.

With near-still conditions and bright sun in the forecast, deeper spawners could very well be the deciding factor.

Dock Talk

Docks always play a crucial role at Norman – there's scads of 'em. And they come in all shapes and sizes. So don't discount the dock-fishermen at this event.

Swim-jigs, finesse worms and swimbaits are typically the dock presentations du jour – Yelas finished 2nd here with a dock-swimbait presentation in '07, while local Hank Cherry hit docks with a swim-jig and finished 3rd.

Expect at last half to three-quarters of the Top 10 to incorporate docks in some way, simply because the expected sunny conditions almost always help the dock bite.

The Repeaters

One might look at Norman and the current setup and think the Top 10 will largely be determined by luck – or rather, what the pros describe as "fortune."

Sure, a single 4-pounder might push somebody into the Top 10, but again, a look at history shows some pros just plain have an edge at Norman. For example, over the past 2 years, nine pros finished in the Top 30 both times. Here they are:

> Jim Moynagh -- 6th, 2nd (4th-place average)
> Greg Pugh -- 8th, 4th (6th-place average)
> Brent Ehrler -- 13th, 6th (10th-place average)
> Andy Morgan -- 12th, 11th (12th-place average)
> Michael Bennett -- 7th, 18th (13th-place average)
> Craig Powers -- 18th, 15th (17th-place average)
> Luke Clausen -- 22nd, 25th (24th-place average)
> David Dudley -- 24th, 28th (26th-place average)
> Tony Couch -- 28th, 30th (29th-place average)

BassFans currently selecting their fantasy team would likely do well to include at least some of the above anglers.

But also remember that North Carolina cranks out a large number of tour pros, and several are fishing this event – names like David Fritts, Bryan Thrift, Chris Baumgardner, Alvin Shaw and more.

Notes from the Field

Here's what some pros had to say about their practices and the current fishing conditions.

Luke Clausen
"It's like it is every year at Norman. I find a section I get a lot of bites on – that I think is an area with better ones – and I go catch as many as I can and do a lot of hoping. But I'm not getting as many bites as I have in past years. In the past I'd get 50 bites a day. I've been trying new areas. The other day in practice I caught several 2 1/2-pounders, but they were 18 inches long – they're just so skinny.

"Bed-fishing's a war out there right now. Everybody's looking at them. I went and looked at them and found some areas with good ones, but I'm sure there were 20 other boats that saw them too. Boat draw will definitely (influence) where I start in the mornings. In the afternoons, I'll just go fishing."

Jim Moynagh
"I'm getting a lot of bites, but I'm fishing without hooks quite a bit so I don't know the size. One thing of interest is that, when I'm using hooks, it seems like I'm catching more spotted bass than I ever remember. They all run about a pound. And I haven't seen as many good largemouths as I've seen in the past.

"I'd say that compared to the previous 2 years, it's definitely earlier in the spawning season. The first year we were here there was definitely a lot more post-spawn. Last year was a little earlier, and this year seems to be even earlier yet."

David Dudley
"I think the stage they're in might be a little earlier (than last year) but I'm not getting any less bites because it's earlier. I'm of doing the same things as in the past – sight-fishing and just fishing.

"I could go out and catch an 8- to 9-pound limit 10 times – I'm getting anywhere from 50 to 75 bites a day not even trying. But this place is all about getting those couple of key bites. I've been fortunate the past few years."

Dave Lefebre
"It's about like normal for me here – tons and tons of bites, but the fish are so skinny it's unbelievable. A 16-inch fish weighs a pound and a quarter. I saw a couple big ones on beds to where if everything works perfectly I could do well, but I don't think the majority of them have started spawning yet.

"The big ones I found – no one's going to find. I didn't spend my time looking in the same places as everyone else. I'm purposely not going to fish for little ones. I'm trying for bigger bites."

Andy Morgan
"I think there's even more little fish than the last couple of years. There's lots and lots of fish on beds too. I'm going to put myself in a good area, and put myself in a position where I can run from good area to good area and try to find ones that come up. Last year I caught 50% off beds, and 50% just fishing. I haven't been anywhere I've been the past 2 years. I'm trying to stay away until (Thursday).

"Maybe the big ones live out in the middle. They claim there are bluebacks in here. When you've got that, a lot of the bigger fish tend to live in the center of the lake, like stripers. Yes, they'll come to the bank to spawn, but the bigger ones could have spawned early. I don't know."

Bryan Thrift
"It's been a lot worse than my expectation. I can catch the numbers, it's just that the quality isn't there like I want it to be. I've been (running around), but I think you have to pick somewhere in the tournament, put the trolling motor down, and fish everything in there. All the largemouths are either on the beds, or nowhere to be found.

"I think it should get better with the weather. That's what I keep telling myself anyways."

Top 10 To Watch

Here, in no particular order, is BassFan's recommendation on the Top 10 to watch at this week's Norman FLW Tour.

1. Jim Moynagh – He's in the midst of a slump, but over the past 2 years, no one's done better at Norman (his average finish is 4th). No reason not to pick him this year too.

2. Greg Pugh – Right behind Moynagh in average Norman finish the past 2 years (6th). Created some flap here last year with the "Norman Incident," but he's not the type to get flustered by history. Strong pick.

3. Bryan Thrift – Lives an hour away, knows the lake well, finished 44th here last year and 10th the year before, and is currently ranked 16th in the world. Could be a Norman killer.

4. Brent Ehrler – Perhaps the hottest pro fishing either tour right now. He's fresh off a win at Havasu and fishing clear water – his comfort zone. Averaged 10th here over the past 2 years and deep bed-fish could be his ticket this week. How hot is he? He's 3rd in the world right now and 3rd in the FLW Tour Angler of the Year (AOY) race.

5. Luke Clausen – Another strong Norman performer, and this lake just seems to suit him. It's tough to put a finger on exactly why, but then again, it's never easy to figure Clausen. He just catches them.

6. Michael Bennett – The reigning Forrest Wood Cup champ bombed at the Guntersville opener, but charged back with a Top 10 at Table Rock. His average finish at Norman the past 2 years is 13th. Look for him to be around there again.

7. Craig Powers – This is the time of year when Powers – regarded as the most accurate caster in the sport – truly shines. That's because he can get his bait around and under docks from a distance others can't. The bite sets up well for him now with the calm, clear weather. More of a move toward post-spawn would help him even more.

8. Chris Baumgardner – Norman's his home lake. He made the cut here last year and the Top 50 the year before. Not one to overlook.

9. Andy Morgan – Averaged 12th here the last 2 years and is always near the top of the World Rankings and AOY races. No reason to think he'll slip this week.

10. Anthony Gagliardi – Arrived here off a win at Table Rock. His Norman resume isn't stellar, but it's good. He's on a bit of a roll though and is always a good pick at any Tour stop.

Launch/Weigh-In Info

Anglers launch at 7 a.m. each day from Blythe Landing (15901 North Carolina Hwy. 73 in Huntersville, N.C.).

The Thursday and Friday weigh-ins will also be held at Blythe Landing beginning at 3 p.m. The Saturday and Sunday weigh-ins will be held at the Cabarrus Arena & Events Center located at 4751 Hwy. 49 North in Concord, N.C., beginning at 4 p.m.

In conjunction with the weigh-ins Saturday and Sunday, FLW Outdoors will host a free Family Fun Zone and outdoor show at the Cabarrus Arena & Events Center from noon to 4 p.m. each day. Children 14 and under visiting the Family Fun Zone on Sunday will receive a free rod-and-reel combo while supplies last. One member of the audience will win a new Ranger boat during the final 4 p.m. weigh-in Sunday, April 26. Admission is free, and persons must be present to win.

Weather Forecast

Here's the weather forecast for the tournament. Note the warming temperatures, clear skies and near-still conditions.

> Thur., April 22 - Sunny - 77°/50°
- Wind: From the W at 8 mph

> Fri., April 23 - Isolated T-Storms - 82°/58°
- Wind: From the S/SE at 5 mph

> Sat., April 24 - Mostly Sunny - 85°/58°
- Wind: From the S/SW at 5 mph

> Sun., April 25 - Sunny - 83°/56°
- Wind: From the S/SW at 15 mph

Notable

> Jay Yelas actually hooked up with a few 5-pounders this week. For his full practice report, click here to go On Tour With the BassFan Big Sticks.

> The FLW Tour now caps its field at about 150 boats – compared to 200 in years past. Several pros noted the difference is remarkable. They're surprised at the difference 50 more boats can make.

> This is the third stop of the FLW Tour and hence a pivotal event in the AOY race. To view the current AOY standings, click here.