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Concord, N.C. – The rain fell early in the morning on the second day of the Wal-Mart FLW Tour event on Lake Norman. However, it would take more than inclement weather to dampen the spirits of the 200 pros vying for a piece of the $1.5 million in prize money available this week.
The pro angler that can survive the qualifying rounds and put together the most weight on the final two days will walk away with $200,000.00. Friday was the last day to make the top ten. Fans attending the weigh-in on Thursday were treated to numerous limits of fish as 178 of the pros brought five fish to the scales. On Friday, the weights and the numbers were down.
Hank Cherry came to the scales early and set the mark with a limit totaling 13 pounds. His two day total of 26-13 gave the North Carolina angler the early lead. As the anglers continued to stream across the stage it became evident the cut line- predicted at 27 pounds- would be significantly lower.
“The big bite is key,” was the mantra echoed by all those fishing this week’s event and Gabe Bolivar demonstrated the effects of a quality fish on Friday. The Ramona, California angler brought in 13-13 anchored by the Snickers Big Bass of the day at 4-15. Gabe’s two day weight of 24-15 moved him from 69th up to 7th, good enough for a spot in the weekend finals.
Jim Moynagh left his jig rod in the box again on Friday and brought five more fish to scales. Jim’s second day total of 11-1 was enough to keep him in the top ten at the 2nd position.
Day-one leader, Jeremiah Kindy stumbled on Friday with just 8 pounds, 6 ounces and fell to 17th.
Bryan thrift finished second at the season opener on Lake Travis. With a two total of 26-1, he will head into the weekend in the fourth position. Currently setting 9th in the AOY race, Bryan is trying to keep pace with Michael Bennett. Bennett, 5th in AOY standings, came to the scales on Friday with 11-5 and will go into the finals with the number 9 spot.
The current AOY leader, Dave Lefebre failed to make a move on Friday boating just 9-11 and finished the event in 72nd.
The Top Ten
1. Hank Cherry 26-13
2. Jim Moynagh 26-4
3. Vic Vatalaro 26-2
4. Bryan Thrift 26-1
5. Greg Pugh 25-6
6. Scott Suggs 25-3
7. Gabe Bolivar 24-15
8. Jay Yelas 24-14
9. Michael Bennett 24-13
10. Larry Nixon 24-13
Cherry on Top
With the leader struggling and the fishing getting tougher, Hank Cherry took advantage of the situation and jumped to the top of the leader board on Friday. Adding 13 pounds to his day-one weight of 13-13, Cherry qualified for his first top ten of the season. This young Maiden, North Carolina pro is guaranteed to double his career earnings this weekend and has a shot at the $200,000.00 top prize.
Lake Norman in April equates to jigs around docks if you are looking for a consistent bite. That is the exact pattern Hank is using at this weeks event. “All my fish are coming on a Jymsu Bait Co. jig and chunk,” Cherry said. “It is just a matter of putting a limit in the boat and relaxing.”
This will be Hank’s first top ten so the relaxing part may be difficult, but putting fish in the boat has been easy for this Rookie so far this week. “I had my limit by 9:20 this morning,” he said. “I lost a couple of good fish that would have really made for a good weight.”
Hank also suffered motor problems and was towed to the scales by fellow competitor Clay Dier. Even with his misfortunes, Hank is ready for the weekend. “I’m sharing my area with Bryan Thrift, but we’ve marked our territory,” he said. “I think the fishing will get better and it might take 28 pounds to win.”
Thrift Skipped into Fourth
Bryan Thrift and Hank Cherry cut their teeth in team tournaments all across North Carolina so it is no big surprise to see the two make the top ten at this week’s Lake Norman event. Like Hank, Bryan is skipping docks with a jig in an effort to catch the winning weight. “The morning bite has been key for me,” Bryan said. “For some reason the better fish seem to bite early.”
Bryan is using a ˝ ounce, Shooter Lure Jig and just getting 8 or 9 bites a day. “I’m trying to get the bigger bites,” he said. “This morning my co-angler had a limit before I did. I was tempted to go to the shaky head, but I stuck with jig and it paid off.”
When asked about sharing water with a fellow competitor, Bryan responded, “We’re friends and its not like we are on top of each other. We are doing the same thing on the same type of structure, but the area we are fishing is big enough for both of us.”
Day
Two Top 50
| Pl. |
Pro
Angler |
Hometown,
State |
Winnings |
| 1 |
HANK
CHERRY |
MAIDEN,
NC |
5 |
13-13 |
5 |
13-00 |
10 |
26-13 |
|
| 2 |
JIM
MOYNAGH |
CARVER,
MN |
5 |
15-03 |
5 |
11-01 |
10 |
26-04 |
|
| 3 |
VIC
VATALARO |
KENT,
OH |
5 |
13-04 |
5 |
12-14 |
10 |
26-02 |
|
| 4 |
BRYAN
THRIFT |
SHELBY,
NC |
5 |
13-01 |
5 |
13-00 |
10 |
26-01 |
|
| 5 |
GREG
PUGH |
CULLMAN,
AL |
5 |
14-10 |
5 |
10-12 |
10 |
25-06 |
|
| 6 |
SCOTT
SUGGS |
BRYANT,
AR |
5 |
11-06 |
5 |
13-13 |
10 |
25-03 |
|
| 7 |
GABE
BOLIVAR |
RAMONA,
CA |
5 |
11-02 |
5 |
13-13 |
10 |
24-15 |
|
| 8 |
JAY
YELAS |
TYLER,
TX |
5 |
14-02 |
5 |
10-12 |
10 |
24-14 |
|
| 9 |
MICHAEL
BENNETT |
ROSEVILLE,
CA |
5 |
13-08 |
5 |
11-05 |
10 |
24-13 |
|
| 10 |
LARRY
NIXON |
BEE
BRANCH, AR |
5 |
12-06 |
5 |
12-07 |
10 |
24-13 |
|
| 11 |
MARK
HARDIN |
JASPER,
GA |
5 |
14-07 |
5 |
10-03 |
10 |
24-10 |
$15,000 |
| 12 |
ANDY
MORGAN |
DAYTON,
TN |
5 |
12-11 |
5 |
11-13 |
10 |
24-08 |
$15,000 |
| 13 |
BRENT
EHRLER |
REDLANDS,
CA |
5 |
13-12 |
5 |
10-08 |
10 |
24-04 |
$15,000 |
| 14 |
BUD
PRUITT |
SPRING,
TX |
5 |
11-15 |
5 |
12-02 |
10 |
24-01 |
$15,000 |
| 15 |
CHARLIE
INGRAM |
SANTA
FE, TN |
5 |
12-15 |
5 |
11-01 |
10 |
24-00 |
$15,000 |
| 16 |
JOHN
SAPPINGTON |
WILLARD,
MO |
5 |
14-03 |
5 |
9-12 |
10 |
23-15 |
$14,000 |
| 17 |
JEREMIAH
KINDY |
BENTON,
AR |
5 |
15-06 |
5 |
8-06 |
10 |
23-12 |
$14,000 |
| 18 |
CRAIG
POWERS |
ROCKWOOD,
TN |
5 |
14-07 |
5 |
9-05 |
10 |
23-12 |
$14,000 |
| 19 |
DION
HIBDON |
STOVER,
MO |
5 |
13-14 |
5 |
9-12 |
10 |
23-10 |
$14,000 |
| 20 |
JOHN
DEVERE |
BEREA,
KY |
5 |
10-03 |
5 |
13-06 |
10 |
23-09 |
$14,000 |
| 21 |
BOBBY
CURTIS |
SILOAM
SPRINGS, AR |
5 |
14-06 |
5 |
9-02 |
10 |
23-08 |
$13,000 |
| 22 |
LUKE
CLAUSEN |
SPOKANE,
WA |
5 |
11-06 |
5 |
12-02 |
10 |
23-08 |
$13,000 |
| 23 |
RANDY
BLAUKAT |
LAMAR,
MO |
5 |
9-10 |
5 |
13-13 |
10 |
23-07 |
$13,000 |
| 24 |
DAVID
DUDLEY |
LYNCHBURG,
VA |
5 |
12-04 |
5 |
11-03 |
10 |
23-07 |
$13,000 |
| 25 |
GEORGE
COCHRAN |
HOT
SPRINGS, AR |
5 |
12-00 |
5 |
11-07 |
10 |
23-07 |
$13,000 |
| 26 |
JACK
GADLAGE |
BENTON,
KY |
5 |
11-03 |
5 |
12-03 |
10 |
23-06 |
$12,000 |
| 27 |
TIM
JOHNSON |
DALLAS,
GA |
5 |
14-01 |
5 |
9-03 |
10 |
23-04 |
$12,000 |
| 28 |
TONY
COUCH |
BUCKHEAD,
GA |
5 |
13-14 |
5 |
9-06 |
10 |
23-04 |
$12,000 |
| 29 |
MONTE
KNIGHT |
QUITMAN,
MS |
5 |
12-13 |
5 |
10-01 |
10 |
22-14 |
$12,000 |
| 30 |
BRENT
LONG |
CATAWBA,
NC |
5 |
10-12 |
5 |
12-02 |
10 |
22-14 |
$12,000 |
| 31 |
ART
FERGUSON III |
ST.
CLAIR SHORES, MI |
5 |
13-11 |
5 |
9-02 |
10 |
22-13 |
$11,000 |
| 32 |
CHRIS
MALONE |
IRONTON,
OH |
5 |
13-11 |
5 |
8-15 |
10 |
22-10 |
$11,000 |
| 33 |
AARON
HASTINGS |
MIDDLETOWN,
MD |
5 |
9-09 |
5 |
13-01 |
10 |
22-10 |
$11,000 |
| 34 |
TIM
KLINGER |
BOULDER
CITY, NV |
5 |
11-14 |
5 |
10-10 |
10 |
22-08 |
$11,000 |
| 35 |
KEN
WICK |
STAR,
ID |
5 |
12-02 |
5 |
10-05 |
10 |
22-07 |
$11,000 |
| 36 |
TONY
DEFILIPPO |
LAKE
ANN, MI |
5 |
12-04 |
5 |
10-02 |
10 |
22-06 |
$11,000 |
| 37 |
JOHN
TANNER |
QUITMAN,
TX |
5 |
11-03 |
5 |
11-02 |
10 |
22-05 |
$11,000 |
| 38 |
SHINICHI
FUKAE |
MINEOLA,
TX |
5 |
11-14 |
5 |
10-05 |
10 |
22-03 |
$11,000 |
| 39 |
KATSUTOSHI
FURUSAWA |
TOKYO
JAPAN 1920153, JP |
5 |
8-10 |
5 |
13-08 |
10 |
22-02 |
$11,000 |
| 40 |
JERRY
GREEN |
DEL
RIO, TX |
5 |
11-07 |
5 |
10-10 |
10 |
22-01 |
$11,000 |
| 41 |
JASON
ABRAM |
GRAY,
TN |
5 |
9-07 |
5 |
12-09 |
10 |
22-00 |
$10,000 |
| 42 |
MARK
MAULDIN |
CLEVELAND,
TN |
5 |
13-13 |
5 |
8-02 |
10 |
21-15 |
$10,000 |
| 43 |
ANDY
MONTGOMERY |
BLACKSBURG,
SC |
5 |
8-08 |
5 |
13-07 |
10 |
21-15 |
$10,000 |
| 44 |
DAN
MOREHEAD |
PADUCAH,
KY |
5 |
10-14 |
5 |
11-01 |
10 |
21-15 |
$10,000 |
| 45 |
TRACY
ADAMS |
WILKESBORO,
NC |
5 |
11-12 |
5 |
10-01 |
10 |
21-13 |
$10,000 |
| 46 |
RON
SHUFFIELD |
BISMARCK,
AR |
5 |
8-04 |
5 |
13-08 |
10 |
21-12 |
$10,000 |
| 47 |
JACOB
POWROZNIK |
PRINCE
GEORGE, VA |
5 |
11-12 |
5 |
9-14 |
10 |
21-10 |
$10,000 |
| 48 |
CHRIS
BAUMGARDNER |
GASTONIA,
NC |
5 |
12-09 |
5 |
8-11 |
10 |
21-04 |
$10,000 |
| 49 |
MARCEL
VEENSTRA |
BRIGHTON,
MI |
5 |
11-06 |
5 |
9-14 |
10 |
21-04 |
$10,000 |
| 50 |
WES
THOMAS |
HANOVER,
IN |
5 |
11-03 |
5 |
10-01 |
10 |
21-04 |
$10,000 |
| 51 |
CHAD
MORGENTHALER |
COULTERVILLE,
IL |
5 |
12-08 |
5 |
8-11 |
10 |
21-03 |
$10,000 |
| 52 |
TOBY
HARTSELL |
LIVINGSTON,
TX |
5 |
11-02 |
5 |
10-01 |
10 |
21-03 |
$10,000 |
| 53 |
DARREL
ROBERTSON |
JAY,
OK |
5 |
10-04 |
5 |
10-12 |
10 |
21-00 |
$10,000 |
| 54 |
CHAD
GRIGSBY |
MAPLE
GROVE, MN |
5 |
10-10 |
5 |
10-06 |
10 |
21-00 |
$10,000 |
| 55 |
GLENN
CHAPPELEAR |
ACWORTH,
GA |
5 |
11-07 |
5 |
9-07 |
10 |
20-14 |
$10,000 |
| 56 |
KEVIN
VIDA |
CLARE,
MI |
5 |
9-11 |
5 |
11-03 |
10 |
20-14 |
$10,000 |
| 57 |
MIKE
HAWKES |
SABINAL,
TX |
5 |
10-11 |
5 |
10-03 |
10 |
20-14 |
$10,000 |
| 58 |
CHAD
COOK |
SUMMERVILLE,
SC |
5 |
10-10 |
5 |
10-04 |
10 |
20-14 |
$10,000 |
| 59 |
VU
(TED) NGUYEN |
LAKE
HAVASU CITY, AZ |
5 |
10-07 |
5 |
10-07 |
10 |
20-14 |
$10,000 |
| 60 |
MIKE
SURMAN |
BOCA
RATON, FL |
5 |
12-02 |
5 |
8-11 |
10 |
20-13 |
$10,000 |
| 61 |
KEVIN
LASYONE |
DRY
PRONG, LA |
5 |
10-15 |
5 |
9-14 |
10 |
20-13 |
$7,000 |
| 62 |
SCOTT
MARTIN |
CLEWISTON,
FL |
5 |
12-11 |
5 |
8-01 |
10 |
20-12 |
$7,000 |
| 63 |
TIM
CARROLL |
OWASSO,
OK |
5 |
8-13 |
5 |
11-14 |
10 |
20-11 |
$7,000 |
| 64 |
BILL
CHAPMAN |
SALT
ROCK, WV |
5 |
13-12 |
5 |
6-14 |
10 |
20-10 |
$7,000 |
| 65 |
CHRIS
SLOPAK |
HOT
SPRINGS, AR |
5 |
9-06 |
5 |
11-04 |
10 |
20-10 |
$7,000 |
| 66 |
OTT
DEFOE |
KNOXVILLE,
TN |
5 |
10-13 |
4 |
9-13 |
9 |
20-10 |
$7,000 |
| 67 |
JIM
TUTT |
LONGVIEW,
TX |
5 |
12-03 |
5 |
8-06 |
10 |
20-09 |
$7,000 |
| 68 |
AL
LITTLE |
GREENSBORO,
NC |
5 |
14-00 |
4 |
| |
