After traveling the country fishing in many different series, including the FLW Tour and the FLW Series, Ehrler was pleased overall with his 2009 season but also slightly disappointed. One point away from an Angler of the Year (AOY) title did sting the California native.

"I'm pleased with how the season went overall," Ehrler began. "To have several good tournaments and to be able to finish high in the standings feels good. But I am also kind of disappointed. To be so close to Angler of the Year and not be able to achieve it is a hard pill to swallow. That kind of opportunity doesn't present itself often. I look back and often question what one little thing I could have changed to get to the AOY title."

Without dwelling too much on the narrowly missed title, Ehrler explained how he was fortunate this year. He didn't have one key turning point to his season, but he kept an open mind all year and wasn't afraid to change things up - a new concept to the Lucky Craft pro.

"I decided to go out and treat every day differently," Ehrler said. "I would find areas in practice I thought would be key in the tournament, but then they wouldn't produce. I was able to do things in the tournament that didn't coincide with what I did in practice; and it actually worked out for me. I was much more open-minded compared to years' past. When things didn't work out on day one this year, I wasn't afraid to change it up."

This concept stayed with Ehrler all season, and one of the highlights of his year was his trip to Arkansas' Beaver Lake where he was able to move up more than 100 spots in just one day.

Ehrler had a busy few weeks before Beaver Lake. He fished the Tour event on Lake Norman [North Carolina] and traveled to Las Vegas for a Series tournament where he made the cut, a good thing for his fishing career but not for his travel schedule. Fishing an extra day in Nevada caused him to miss the first two days of practice on Beaver Lake. With only two days of practice, Ehrler had to resort to fishing areas he knew and hope that they would produce decent fish.

"I figured all I could do was fish on history," Ehrler explained. "It didn't turn out so well for me and after day one, I was somewhere around 160th. I knew my only chance at moving up and having a decent finish was to completely switch things up on day two. Now, I know guys who can do horrible one day and bounce back and do well the next. However, that is just not me. If I'm not catching them on day one, I don't usually do any better on day two.

"I went out on day two with the mindset of doing something completely different," Ehrler continued. "I ended up doing well and moving up more than 100 points to around 50th. That was a big thing for me, a big accomplishment. It gave me the confidence in the fact that just because I bomb on day one doesn't mean I have to repeat it on day two. I learned a lot in that tournament, and I'll carry it with me."

In addition to being open minded, Ehrler also attributes his success to the new Lucky Craft rods he used this year. Ehrler has been working on the TLC Collection with Lucky Craft for four years, and he was excited he got to use them all this year.

"I've been helping Lucky Craft find new rods and try different actions," Ehrler said. "It's been my pet project for some time now. This year I was able to fish with all the production models that we are selling now. I've used every one of the rods, and they are awesome. I've never had any problems with them, and they are the best rods I've ever used. It wasn't just one bait that was key this year, as I used various types. It was the rods that were key. No matter what bait I was throwing, I was using a Lucky Craft rod, and they were a crucial part of my successful year."

After looking back on 2008, Ehrler switched gears to look ahead to 2009. He plans to keep things the same and fish with a mindset of consistency. Ehrler has never been one to fish thinking he is going to try and win it all. He tries to go out, find the most fish he can and play the numbers game.

"If I find a lot of fish, the chance of me catching the big ones is higher," Ehrler concluded. "I try to do well and stay consistent all year long. I try to stay up in the points. I'd love the chance at another AOY run in 2009, and I'd love to win a tournament. But all in all, my ultimate goal is to finish as high as I can and have some good tournaments. It's all about consistency for me."

The 2009 FLW Tour season begins in February on Lake Guntersville in Alabama and wraps up with the 2009 Forrest Wood Cup in Pittsburgh, Pa., in August.