Story
E LITE S ?
BY PETE ROBBINS
It was a resounding showing
for the west, and yet it was a little
bit disheartening, too. None of this
year’s Elite Series rookies hail from
the west. Ehrler, hardly anyone’s
idea of a “rookie,” was the only
westerner in last year’s first year
class. The last true rookie, someone
who hasn’t resided on another tour
for several years, to join the Elites was
Josh Bertrand in 2014.
At the time of this writing, in
mid-September, the only westerner
in position to qualify through the
Bassmaster Opens for the 2017 Elite
Series is Mark Daniels Jr., who has been
on the FLW Tour for several years. He, like Lucas, AMart, Roumbanis and several
others,
Brent Ehrler - Credit Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits
has
already pulled up stakes
and moved to the southern or
central United States, to make his job
easier.
Even John Murray, one of the
OG western pros, made the move.
The few who’ve stayed in their home
region, not surprisingly, are often
the ones who’ve won major titles –
Reese, Ehrler, Clausen – and therefore
have the bankroll that enables them to
leave their rig in the east and fly home
between events. Others, like Dean
Skeet Reese - B.A.S.S./Seigo Saito
Rojas, Brandon Palaniuk, Brett Hite and
WINTER 2017
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