Cherry On Top
Homegrown Rookie Makes The Most Of Short Day

Photo: FLW Outdoors/Jennifer Simmons Hank Cherry (right) caught a quality limit quickly, then got help getting back to the launch from friend and fellow competitor Clay Dyer.

His 13-00 bag, which was 13 ounces lighter than yesterday's, gave him the lead at the cut. All eyes will be on the resident of nearby Maiden, N.C. this weekend, when he'll battle a Top-10 field that includes another hot young local and a couple of legends of the sport.

His 2-day total of 26-13 was 9 ounces better than Minnesota's Jim Moynagh, who caught 11-01 to remain in 2nd with 26-04. Ohio's Vic Vatalaro climbed 20 spots to 3rd with 12-14 today (26-02 total).

Bryan Thrift, another Tar Heel rookie who was the runner-up in the season opener at Travis, also moved up 20 spots today. He matched Cherry with a 13-00 stringer (although it took him longer to catch it) and slid into 4th with 26-01.

Greg Pugh of Alabama caught 10-12 today and dropped two spots to 5th with 25-06.

Here are the rest of the survivors:

6. Scott Suggs: 25-03
7. Gabe Bolivar: 24-15
8. Jay Yelas: 24-14
9. (tie) Michael Bennett: 24-13
10. Larry Nixon: 24-13

As expected, the number of fish caught and the weights both dropped considerably today, and the Top 10 underwent a major facelift. Veterans Moynagh, Pugh and Jay Yelas of Texas were the only holdovers.

Arkansas' Scott Suggs and Arizona's Gabe Bolivar both made monster moves to extend their stay. Suggs jumped 53 spots to 6th and Bolivar climbed 62 places to 7th as each caught a 13-13 bag, which equaled the best of the day.

The other newcomers were California young gun Michael Bennett (up 12 places to 9th with 11-05 today) and Arkansas stalwart Larry Nixon (up 23 spots to 10th with 12-07).

On the flip side, some anglers who'd fared well on day 1 took huge tumbles. Arkansas' Eric Ambort, who began the day in 7th, dropped 90 places with a two-fish, 4-07 sack and Arizona's Brett Hite (8th after day 1) fell 87 places with three fish for 4-10.

Day-1 leader Jeremiah Kindy of Arkansas caught an 8-06 limit today and ended up 17th. Tennessee's Craig Powers (9-05, 4th to 14th), Arkansas' Bobby Curtis (9-02, 6th to 21st) and Missouri's John Sappington (9-10, 8th to 16th) also fell from the single-digit ranks.

Fish that weigh 3 pounds or more were tough to come by when the event started, and they're a lot more scarce now. Nobody was close to that average today, and not a single 5-pounder was brought to the scales (Bolivar took big-fish honors with a 4-15).

That could bode well for Cherry and Thrift, who know the lake a lot better than the other eight finalists. But Moynagh's throwing a unique bait and Pugh is catching a ton of keepers, so they'll also bear watching.

Photo: FLW Outdoors/Rob Newell Stren Series standout Vic Vatalaro made his first FLW Tour Top 10.

The sky was overcast today, but a fair amount of sun is in the forecast for the next 2 days, and that could help those who go after the remaining bed-fish. A west wind that tops out at 16 mph is predicted for tomorrow.

Weights will be zeroed for tomorrow, and the winner will be determined by highest total over the final 2 days.

Cherry Done in a Hurry

The 33-year-old Cherry caught nine keepers during his short stay on the water – three 3-pounders and a pair of 2s. His engine went out when he went to make a move at about 9:15.

Clay Dyer gave up more than 3 hours of fishing time to tow him part of the way back to the launch. Early in the afternoon, he turned his boat over to a local non-competitor he knew and rode the rest of the way in Dyer's boat.

The fact that he fished only a quarter of the day may end up helping him, since some of his other fish got a reprieve.

"All I've done both days is just swim a jig around docks," he said. "I'm catching post-spawn fish, and going into (the tournament) I thought I could catch 15-16 pounds a day.

"The bite's changed a little bit – I think all of the boats running around has screwed it up more than the actual fishing pressure."

He didn't crack the Top 100 in either of his first two tour events and his biggest victories to date are a couple of BFLs. But he fishes more than 100 tournaments a year at Norman – during all seasons of the year and at all times of the day (he's won several night-fishing events here).

"I feel pretty confident that I can catch them the next 2 days. On the first day I didn't get bit on my best stuff – all the pounding from the trolling motors had dirtied it up. So I made my mind up this morning that I'd fish a couple of local community holes and catch whatever I could get.

"Tomorrow I can go back to my better stuff."

2nd: Moynagh's Bites Down

Moynagh used his Polish-made Salmo Skinner to catch four of his five weigh-in fish (the other was enticed by a weightless worm). He caught only six keepers today – down from 10 yesterday – and his bites are coming either early or late.

"I've gotten good bites in the last hour both days, and we have to be in an hour earlier tomorrow, so I'm a little concerned about that," he said. "My morning bite comes and goes real quick, and it's also key for me.

"I might have to change up a little bit and figure out something else to do from 9:00 on."

His bag was highlighted by a 3 1/4-pound spot – one of three fish he caught in the opening hour. He got only three more bites the rest of the day.

But he's averaging slightly more than 13 pounds a day. If he can maintain that, he likes his chances.

"It's so hard to say what it's going to take (to win) with just 10 guys left. All 10 of us could just go out and catch fish, but nothing great, or one guy might get on something real good and run away with it all.

"If I can catch another 26 pounds over the next 2 days, that should keep me in contention. But if I've only got one little rat after the first hour tomorrow, I'm going to be in trouble."

3rd: Vatalaro Upsizes

Ohio's Vic Vatalaro, a 4-year veteran, notched his first Top 10 on the Tour. His previous best finish was 15th at the season opener at Travis.

He caught 12 keepers today, topped by a 3 1/4-pounder.

"I've just scaled up on the size of the baits," he said. "I'm throwing jigs and soft jerkbaits, and it seems like the bigger baits are getting the bigger bites."

Photo: FLW Outdoors/Jennifer Simmons Brian Thrift is making the most of a limited number of bites.

"I think it was just nerves. I figured I'd better run and get a limit first, but my mind was in another place where I knew there were better fish.

"I settled down after I got three or four in the boat. Then I went (to the other spot), picked up the jig and got the bites I needed."

He thinks he has enough fish to make a run at the win.

"I've got lots of little areas with key fish moving out from the spawn. These fish are done guarding fry – they're almost into a summer pattern.

"I'm shooting for 13 to 14 pounds a day, and I think I can get it. The numbers are there, and I've got another spot that's very similar that I haven't fished yet."

He also knows the location of a decent spawner.

"I watched a 3-pound male come up and make a bed. I casted toward him and he looked at the bait, but he was skittish because he's just starting.

"Tomorrow I might slip in there and get him."

4th: Thrift Bouncing Around

Thrift has been in almost perpetual motion for 2 days.

"I did the same thing today as yesterday – I'm just running around and fishing as fast as I can," he said. "I pull up to one dock and make a cast, and then it's on to the next one."

He's caught all of his fish on a 1/2-ounce Shooter Lures jig. Of his seven keepers, the best was a 4-pounder.

"It's kind of iffy for me right now. I didn't catch any schoolers in practice, and I'm only getting eight or nine bites a day.

'If things stay the same, I might be able to catch two pretty good limits.

He doesn't have a true backup strategy.

"Plan B involves throwing the same jig in different places. I'll have four jigs and two topwaters rigged up, and if I catch them, that's good. If I don't, I don't.''

"I have had a couple of good ones follow a Chatterbait, but they haven't bitten it. If the wind's blowing a little bit, I might catch a big one on that."

5th: Pugh Boats a Bunch

Pugh caught 29 keepers today, including about a dozen off of beds. He kept three of the spawners, and culled up a couple of times off the docks.

"My biggest fish was a 3 1/2-pounder that I caught off a bed," he said. "I had another one about that size that I broke off."

Whether he's fishing beds or docks, he's throwing a 1/4-ounce football jighead with a Gambler Giggy Stick. "It's almost like a shakey-head, but it's something new that maybe they haven't seen."

Photo: FLW Outdoors/Rob Newell Greg Pugh is going through a lot of keepers to compile his bags.

"I'll just have a couple of rods on the deck and I'll stick with what I'm doing and try to get a lot of bites. If I get on the right docks, I could do well."

17th: Kindy Downcast

Day-1 leader Kindy caught as many fish as he did yesterday, but he couldn't connect with quality.

"I'm not sure what happened to my big ones," he said. "I'm very disappointed – I just have a sick feeling in my stomach.

"As for the money part, I'll take this finish every time, but I don't care about 2nd or 20th or whatever. I want to win. Seventeenth is really just the 16th loser."

He caught his fish around docks with a 3/16-ounce jighead and a Zoom Trick Worm.

"On my last cast yesterday, I lost one that was at least 4 pounds. If I'd caught that fish, I would've made the cut."

Notable

> Day 2 stats – 200 anglers, 143 limits (35 fewer than yesterday), 24 fours, 10 threes, 15 twos, 3 ones, 5 zeroes (three more than yesterday).

> The tournament is sponsored by the National Guard, and Cherry was thrilled to make the Top 10 because his father served in the Guard for 25 years.

> The 22-year-old Bennett, who was 5th in the Angler of the Year (AOY) race coming in, will take over the lead in that department. None of the four anglers who were ahead of him (Dave Lefebre, Darrel Robertson, Mark Davis and Tracy Adams) finished higher than 45th.

Weather Forecast

Here's the Weather Channel's forecast for the remaining tournament days.

> Sat, April 28 – Partly Cloudy – 76°/53°
- Wind: From the W at 16 mph

> Sun, April 29 – Moslty Sunny – 81°/54°
- Wind: From the W at 13 mph