Wurm retains second

In second place is Hot Springs, Ark., pro Mike Wurm, who caught 16 pounds, 14 ounces on day one and 13 pounds, 5 ounces on day two. While Ehrler is fishing for a reaction bite, Wurm is dragging asmall jig on the bottom in a painfully slow fashion. This is the exact method he used to win the 1999 FLW Tour qualifier on Lake Murray. “Today was almost a carbon copy of yesterday, except that I didn’t get a 6-pound kicker,” said Wurm. “I had my limit of largemouths by 11 a.m., and I made two culls.” Wurm is running 45 minutes one way to get to his honeyhole. This area is large, and within it he has four different points and banks upon which he focuses. Once he’s there, he pulls out an Eakins’ jig with a Zoom Critter Craw trailer and fishes in approximately 25 to 30 feet. “I love to throw a finesse jig on a spinning rod, and now I’ve figured out how to make it even better. I’m using 10-pound braid with a 10-pound fluorocarbon leader, and that is the difference. I’m setting the hook quickly, and it’s going directly into the top of their mouth. And the braid helped a lot too with those tree fish. The line does not break near as bad.” While Ehrler is worried about other anglers encroaching, Wurm has no such problem. He’s boat No. 1 Friday morning, and he runs an Evinrude-powered Ranger boat. Complete Story