The Tennessee pro is unquestionably the most successful angler in Bass Pro Tour history.
PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK — Jacob Wheeler is personally writing the Major League Fishing record books, as he became not only the first angler to ever win back-to-back events on the Bass Pro Tour, but also to only one to ever claim five tour wins with his third victory of the season at the Toyota Stage Six Presented by Googan Baits on Lake Champlain.
It was all downhill for Wheeler once he snatched the lead from Kelly Jordan only 30 minutes into Period 1, as he ultimately landed 27 bass for a total of 88 pounds, 2 ounces.
Marking his eighth MLF career win and his third of the season, Wheeler's Champlain performance wasn't even close, either. Second-place angler Jacopo Gallelli finished over 30 pounds behind with a total of 21 bass weighing 57 pounds, 5 ounces.
Photo by Josh Gassmann
"New York has been pretty good to me this year, I"m not going to lie to you," Wheeler said. "I love this sport so much. I love competing, I love preparing for events, I love competing against this group of guys and I love winning. You have to fish against the best guys in the world to become better and that's what I've done since joining the Bass Pro Tour."
Wheeler was largely dependent on his old reliable drop-shot rig all week long, capitalizing on an advantageous smallmouth bite. In fact, all 27 of Wheeler's scorable bass were smallmouth, and all of Gallelli's 21 bass were largemouth.
What's even perhaps most impressive, however, is the fashion in which Wheeler tends to win. He entered the event with an average margin of victory of 17-11 in his past four wins, which increased to a 20-5 average following his dominating week on Champlain. And, that average includes his one narrow, 2-ounce win at Stage Two on Lake Travis.
"When you win an event, you sometimes don't appreciate it until later," Wheeler said. "I'm going to be sure to savor this one because it was a fun one. I can't wait to get home to celebrate with my wife and family. We did it."
Wheeler continues to chase after the Angler of the Year trophy, however, as leader Ott DeFoe has remained consistent enough to keep him in the rearview.
He entered Stage Six 14 points behind and only cut the lead down to 12, as DeFoe finished in third place with a total of 18 bass weighing 50 pounds, six ounces.
Shaw Grigsby and Takahiro Omori shared the Berkley Big Bass prize for the event, as each recorded a 5 pound, 14 ounce bass,
The anglers will regroup Sept. 10 as they conclude the season at Lake St. Clair for Stage Seven.
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