David Mutual Wins the 2015 Rayovac FLW Series Northern Division Lake Erie!

North Pelee Is. bass turn on!
by David A. Brown
FLW PRESS RELEASE
Of all the angling axioms that drive our decisions, few top the wisdom of following the food. Exemplifying this simple, yet undeniably productive strategy, David Matual posted a three-day total of 65 pounds to win the final event of the Rayovac FLW Series Northern Division on Lake Erie.
Fishing Canadian waters, Matual targeted shallow reefs northwest of Pelee Island. He had three different areas, all within a few miles of one another.
The spots looked good, from a structural standpoint, but it was the presence of baitfish — a lot of baitfish — that convinced him to commit.

Mutual big bag secures win by a 1/2 pound. (Photo: FLW)

On day one, Matual noticed hordes of baitfish migrating into the shallow reefs — likely prompted by seasonal cooling, according to Matual. Smallmouth don’t miss much when it comes to filling their bellies and this buffet brought the brownies running with their mouths open.

“I was around a school of fish that were so jacked up that every morning when I got there, I saw them busting on the surface,” Matual says. “My spot just got better every day.
“I didn’t bring any topwater baits, but I wish I did; we had so many splashes.”
Initially, Matual fished the shallow reef areas in about 10 feet, but astute observation helped him dial in the sweet spots.

2013 Walmart FLW Lewis Smith Lake Day 1: Ehrler Grabs Lead

FLW PRESS RELEASE

JASPER, Ala. – A full field of the world’s best bass-fishing professionals began competition in the Walmart FLW Tour on Lewis Smith Lake presented by Evinrude on Thursday. After the final fish was weighed at the Lewis Smith Lake Dam Access, Keystone Light pro Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., sat atop the leaderboard and now has his sights set on the top cash award of up to $125,000.

Ehrler using both finesse and power to capture the day's best bag.
(Photo: FLW)

“My weight doesn’t really show the whole story of exactly what went on out there,” said Ehrler, the second-place finisher at the FLW Tour season opener at Lake Okeechobee. “It was pretty interesting how my day went. I mixed it up and did a bunch of different things. I was fortunate enough to get a couple of big bites.”
Ehrler brought a five-fish limit of spotted bass to the scales that weighed 17 pounds, 8 ounces. He holds a slim 8-ounce lead over Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes pro Dave Lefebre of Erie, Pa., who weighed in 17 pounds even.
“I pulled up to a spot today that I didn’t get a bite on in practice, but it just looked right,” Ehrler said. “There were some good laydowns, and the bank just looked right. I saw some fish on my Humminbird, but I didn’t catch any. I fished quite a few areas and covered a lot of water. I was fishing near the area again later in the afternoon and decided to take another shot at it. That time, it worked.
“It just takes time, though,” Ehrler continued. “I had a long day today and didn’t have to weigh in until 5 p.m. Tomorrow, I weigh in at 3 p.m. That could change the outcome of how I will catch them. Having a long day let me fish relaxed, while having a short day tends to push you and make you fish a little faster.”