Thrift Checking All Options For Flw Tour On Lake Chickamauga
Bryan Thrift has had 3 top 10 finishes so far this year
Some anglers consider themselves shallow-water fishermen, some prefer deep water fishing. Some like to flip, others like to throw crankbaits and some like the explosion made by a bass slamming a topwater plug.
FLW Tour Pro Bryan Thrift is all of these – and then some.
Going into the 6th FLW Tour Major tournament of the year Saturday on Chickamauga Lake, the Shelby, N.C., angler is spending his practice time this week with 25 rods on the deck.
“I like to keep my options open so I am going to do everything,” he said. “I’ve got 25 different baits tied on and I am going to throw every single one of them. I don’t care how I catch them as long as I catch them.”
The key to his success, Thrift said, is getting on the water and putting a lot of time in figuring the fish out.
“I’ll fish 15 hours a day, sample a little bit of everything and go with what works the best,” he said.
“I don’t think it’s a matter of finding what they want to bite. It’s a matter of finding where they are. It’s kind of hard to find them right now on Chickamauga, but when you do I think they will take about anything you throw at them.”
That strategy has worked really well for Thrift in his seven years as an FLW pro angler. He has won five major tournaments, qualified for the Forrest Wood Cup six times with four top 10 finishes including a 3rd last august on Lake Lanier, been ranked in the top 10 in points the last six years and was the FLW Tour Angler of the Year in 2010.
In the five tournaments so far this year he has finished 2nd twice and 7th once, and is sitting in 2nd place in the points race heading into the Chickamauga tournament this week.
“Everything is going really good this year,” he said. “Another AOY title would be great, but I am not thinking about that. I am trying to keep focused on catching fish at Chickamauga.”
The fun thing about tournament fishing, he said, is that anybody can win any tournament any day.
“You just have to make the right cast and that makes it so exciting for me. I get on the water, have a good time and fish hard. I try my best.”
Walmart FLW Tour Major
Jun 27-30, 2013
Chickamauga Lake
Dayton Boat Dock
