FLW Series 2010 Table Rock Lake Champion, Brent Ehrler, displays chekc for $125,000. (Photo courtesy FLW Outdoors)
It’s kind of fitting in a way, Branson, Missouri is called the live music show capital of the world because of its live shows and great performers. The season opener for the FLW Series opening tournament on Branson’s Table Rock Lake March 3 through 6 could have been called the “Brent Ehler Show” because of the Ehrler’s great performance.
He was third at the end of Day 1, but first on Days 2 and 3 and most important of all first at the end of day four, winning First Place and a check for $125,000. Ehrler’s dominance by the end of Day 3 led FLW writer Brett Carlson, in an article entitled, “All but over for Ehrler” to say, “Ehrler could sleep the whole day tomorrow and possibly still take home the title.” Paul Miller, General Manager, Branson Tourism Center, an avid fisherman said, “Based on Ehrler’s performance the first three days he certainly has to be the overwhelming favorite, but with fishermen of this caliber anything can happen.”
At the Day 4 Weigh-in, held at the Branson Convention Center on March 6, as he did each day of the tournament, Ehrler, from Redlands, CA had a full limit of 5 bass giving him a total of 20 bass for the tournament weighing 69 pounds 11 ounces. The First Place victory earned him a check for $125,000. Second Place and a check for $40,000 went to Ron Shuffield, of Bismark, AR with a total of 18 bass for the tournament weighing 56 pounds 9 ounces. The results for the five anglers who fished the tournament final are (Name, City, State, 4 day total bass, weight and winnings):
1 BRENT EHRLER, REDLANDS, CA, 20, 69-11, $125,000
2. RON SHUFFIELD, BISMARCK, AR, 18, 56-09, $40,000
3 MIKE WURM, HOT SPRINGS, AR, 16, 46-06, $30,000
4 BRYAN THRIFT, SHELBY, NC, 15, 44-01, $20,000
5 GREG PUGH, CULLMAN, AL, 13, 38-08, $18,000
For comparison purposes the standings at the end of Day 3 for the top five were (Name, City, State, 3 day total bass, and weight):
1 BRENT EHRLER, REDLANDS, CA,15, 52-14
2 RON SHUFFIELD, BISMARCK, AR, 13, 38-15
3 BRYAN THRIFT, SHELBY, NC, 14, 38-14
4 GREG PUGH, CULLMAN, AL, 13, 38-08
5 MIKE WURM, HOT SPRINGS, AR, 13, 37-12
