Bryan Thrift utilized his knowledge of Lake Norman to dismantle the rest of the field over this past weekend's FLW event in Blythe N.C. The Shelby, N.C., native bagged a four-day bag of 58 pounds, 5 ounces to cruise to an easy victory – over 9 pounds to the nearest finisher. With the win, Thrift raised the trophy and $127,500 in winnings.
"It has been a tremendous start to the FLW season for me," said Thrift. "I really utilized the Abu Garcia Revo Winch when I fished a square-bill crankbait. Many anglers often forget that the reel plays an integral role when slow cranking. The Winch is ideal because it offers the power and slow gear ratio for this technique. It was a major player in this tournament."
Thrift concentrated his efforts on docks, fishing nearly 100 a day. Discussing his tactics throughout the tournament, Thrift mentioned he mostly used a ½-ounce jig in a crawdad color and square-bill crankbaits.
At the first FLW event on Table Rock Lake, Thrift strung together another great event, finishing in fourth place.
The next FLW Tour event is set for April 21-24 on Ft. Loudin/Tellico Lakes in Knoxville, Tenn.