Photo: FLW Outdoors/Rob Newell Sean Hoernke's morning bite was a bust today, so he had to rely solely on sight-fish.

But that's not necessarily what makes the playing field so level. Instead, it's the fact that nobody in the Top 10 has anything rock-solid to count on. Most are sight-fishing, but those fish have been picked over by 200 boats across 2 days. And the rapidly warming water means the fish are leaving.

The water's not quite warm enough yet for an all-out shad-spawn bite, although smatterings of it exist.

And the dock bite is too tough to pattern, so quality seems more a matter of numbers and luck than know-how.

Thus, 10 anglers will hit the water tomorrow swinging their sticks and burning gas trying to find that one hot stretch that'll deliver a 3-plus-pound bite.

Sean Hoernke, who began the day in 2nd, caught 12-11 today to lead the cut with 27-11. He's fishing a mix of bedding and shad-spawn fish.

Yesterday's leader Scott Canterbury didn't lay off – he struggled all day to find decent bedders and weighed just 8 pounds, but made the cut in 8th.

Brent Ehrler caught 13-08, which was 5 ounces less than what he caught yesterday, yet moved up nine spots to make the cut in 2nd. He's junkin'.

The 3rd-place cut position belongs to Jim Moynagh, who slipped one spot with 12-06 today.

Here's a look at the Top 10 who'll fish tomorrow, along with their cut weights.

1. Sean Hoernke -- 27-11
2. Brent Ehrler -- 27-05
3. Jim Moynagh -- 27-00
4. Chris Baumgardner -- 26-14
5. Glenn Browne -- 26-12
6. Art Ferguson III -- 26-09
7. Mike Surman -- 26-08
8. Scott Canterbury -- 26-05
9. Greg Pugh -- 26-03
10. Bud Pruitt -- 26-01

Andy Morgan was first out – he missed the cut by 7 ounces.

Along with Ehrler, others who moved into the cut today were: Baumgardner (12th to 4th), Browne (28th to 5th), Ferguson (19th to 6th), Surman (39th to 7th), Pugh (25th to 9th), and Pruitt (96th to 10th).

Ferguson's climb came from the benefit of a 6-05, which was the day's big bass. Pruitt made his massive leap via the day's best bag (15-15).

Those who fell out of the cut were: Mark Pack (4th to 65th), Clark Wendlandt (4th to 21st), Jonathan Newton (6th to 13th), Matt Herren (7th to 17th), Kevin Lasyone (8th to 24th), Luke Clausen (9th to 25th), and Brent Crow (9th to 27th).

Thunderstorm activity is predicted for tomorrow, with winds in the low to mid teens. That could affect the bed-bite, although it could help the shad-spawn bite. Either way, the weights should stay tight and to the ounce for the next 2 days.

Hoernke Ready

Hoernke knows that right now, the past 2 days mean squat. "It's good to be king for a day, but the real game starts tomorrow," he said. "I think a bunch of us are doing the same thing, and I'm basically catching them two different ways. I'm doing the shad-spawn deal in the morning, then sight-fishing in the afternoons.

"Yesterday I was able to catch a real quick limit off docks on the shad-spawn, but this morning they didn't fire too good. So I had to sight-fish everything I caught today."

Obviously, he hopes those fish do "fire" tomorrow morning, in which case he should be able to catch a limit and free himself up to scout new water and slow down, like he did on day 1.

Photo: FLW Outdoors/Rob Newell Part of Brent Ehrler's plan tomorrow is to drive down the lake – if he sees something good, he'll stop and fish it.

"I think that's the bottom line for this tournament," he added. "If you can catch seven 3-pound fish the next 2 days, you'll probably win. That's my goal."

And given the current conditions, and level playing field, he thinks the next 2 days should make for a heck of a horserace. "We're going to get a pretty fair shake on who's the best sight-fisherman the next 2 days. Everybody has to look for them with their heads up. It should be good."

2nd: Ehrler 'Just Fishing'

"I feel great," Ehrler said of making the cut. "I'm not too excited about starting over – I'd like to have a little cushion – but the worst I can finish is 10th. Hopefully I'll go out and have fun and whatever happens, happens."

He fished exactly the same way he did yesterday, which is a lot of different ways. He did some sight-fishing, fished some docks, and threw some reaction baits and swimbaits.

"I was junk-fishing – just fishing, really," he noted. "I don't have anything in particular. I don't know where and when the big bite will happen. It just happens.

"Tomorrow I'll go back to a few of the same areas," he added. "I caught my biggest one today in an area I hadn't been to. So tomorrow I'll probably prefish a little too – just drive down the lake and if something looks good, pull over."

6th: Ferguson Caught Fattie

As Ferguson put it, his 6-05 is a genuine trophy class fish for Norman – the equivalent of a 10- or 12-pounder elsewhere. It was a bed-fish that he'd actually spotted the day before. Shockingly, the fish was not only there, but other boats had tried for her then backed off today.

"There are still quite a few bed-fish, and I plan on bed-fishing tomorrow," he said. "They're still around. The water in the lake's running from 65 to 76, depending on where you're at. So it's just a matter of moving around and being in the right stuff."

When he left for weigh-in, he spotted a 3 1/2-pounder in his area that he thinks will be catchable tomorrow.

About his big fish, he said: "I found her yesterday and fished for her for an hour and never got it to bite. The male was on the bed yesterday. Today when I pulled in there, the male had backed off and I knew I had a better chance. I kept casting and casting and eventually I got her."

Aside from his bed-bite, he said he's got 'some alternative stuff going" that he thinks will benefit him.

"After a short practice because of the Texas (Bass Classic), man, I'm just thankful to be in the Top 10," he added.

7th: Surman Getting Stronger?

While Hoernke's banking on his morning shad-spawn bite, Surman's best shad-spawn bite has been in the afternoons, something that could carry him far the next 2 days. And the two pros were sort of foils today. While Hoernke busted on his morning bite and turned to sight-fish, Surman busted on his morning sight-fish then turned to the shad spawn.

He weighed 12 pounds yesterday and 14-08 today for a 2-day total of 26-08.

About his day, Surman said: "I had a good day and I had a good practice. I'm catching a bunch of fish and hopefully it continues. It's all about getting the big bite."

His bag today included a 4-pounder, a 3 1/2, a 3, and two 2-pounders.

"I had some big sight-fish found that I was pretty excited about," he noted. "But I was boat 170 and it didn't work out. Everywhere I went, they'd already been caught. I started doing some other things and kind of got on a little pattern with the shad spawn. I found an area where there was a bunch of shad, and the fish are there with them.

"That was an all-day deal – I figured out a little deal for how to catch them in the afternoon. Really, my afternoon bite has been better than the morning."

Given the strength of his afternoon, he's got a good feeling he can win. The last time he had that feeling was last year at the Forrest Wood Cup, when he finished 4th. And that's got him "excited about this tournament."

"I've made the Top 10 quite a few times, but only a couple of times did I think my pattern was getting stronger," he added. "I think there's more good ones moving into the area. So yes, I really think I can win it. Nobody's running away with it, and I think whoever gets a couple of real good bites the next 2 days has the shot to win $200,000."

11th: Morgan's Ride Home 'A Bummer'

Morgan, who was first out of the cut, had a feeling that was a little like Surman's – that this was a tournament he could win. Unlike Surman, though, Morgan won't get the chance. He's headed home.

"I should have made it in easily, to be honest with you, and I just don't feel real good about it," Morgan said. "It's great that I finished 11th here, and 12th here last year. But last year was the same thing – I thought I could win if I could get in. It's just a bummer to go home in 11th place."

Another bummer: He had the cut fish on yesterday – a 4 1/2-pounder – and lost it. "That was the one that put me in the grave – the one sealed my fate."

One potential positive, though, is that he emerges from the event as the new leader in the FLW Tour Angler of the Year race.

That could be a mixed blessing. Last year, with two events left to fish, he was 2nd in the race. He said he began to focus on the race too much, and his fishing suffered.

"I'm trying to put that all on the backburner and just come to these tournaments and try to win as much money as I can," he said. "I'll just go out and try to make every cut I can."

> His spent the tournament skipping docks with Zoom Trick Worm and War Eagle jig.

21st: Wendlandt Okay With Finish

BassFans might recall that Wendlandt withdrew from the recent Toyota Texas Bass Classic in order to focus on his practice here. Turns out he didn't learn that much in the first 2 days of practice though.

He began today in 4th, caught 10-04, and fell 16 spots to finish 21st.

"I really kind of had a bad practice – not a very successful practice at all," he said. "I didn't feel real confident about it. So I come away feeling pretty good about (the finish).

"But at the same time, after yesterday – having 14 pounds and kind of understanding why I caught that much – I feel like I had a good chance to make the cut. It just didn't work out today, but overall I feel good about it."

He fished docks and summarized his problems today by noting he "didn't make very good adjustments." In retrospect, he thinks he maybe should have slowed down.

Notable

> Day 2 stats – 200 anglers, 182 limits (3 fewer than yesterday), 4 fours, 4 threes, 7 twos, 2 ones, 1 zero (1 more than yesterday).

> Jay Yelas lost his swimbait bite yesterday and had to resort to a dinky 3-inch worm. He felt like nothing went right the past 2 days and he finished 129th. For his full report, click here to go On Tour With the BassFan Big Sticks.

Weather Forecast

Here's the weather forecast for the remaining tournament days. For more weather information, including satellite and radar imagery, visit OutdoorsFanWeather.com.

> Sat., April 26 - Scattered T-Storms - 79°/57°
- Wind: From the SW at 13 mph

> Sun., April 27 - Isolated T-Storms - 78°/60°
- Wind: From the E/NE at 9 mph