QUITMAN, Texas (Feb. 21, 2022) – Jacob Wheeler of Harrison, Tennessee, caught 16 scorable bass weighing 64 pounds, 9 ounces to earn the win Monday during the Group A Qualifying Round at the MLF Bass Pro Tour Stage Two Tournament on Lake Fork in Quitman, Texas.
Wheeler’s two-day Qualifying Round catch of 30 bass totaling 121 pounds even earned him the win by a wide 47-pound, 9-ounce margin over Bass Pro Shops angler Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Michigan, who caught a two-day total of 22 bass weighing 74-9 to finish in second place. Pro Keith Poche of Pike Road, Alabama, caught a two-day total of 17 bass weighing 68-5 to finish the round in third, while Jeff Sprague of Wills Point, Texas , ended the round in fourth place with a two-day total of 16 bass for 56-14. Rounding out the top five was Jonathon VanDam, who caught 12 bass for 56-0 to advance in fifth place.
“It feels great to win and advance straight to the Championship Round,” said Wheeler, who will advance to his ninth Championship Round appearance in the last 11 Bass Pro Tour events. “It’s good to start the season off where we left it last season. Momentum is everything in bass fishing – everything in any sport. Right now, our old buddy ‘Mo’ seems to be looking out for us.”
Like Day 1, Wheeler spent his day throwing various jerkbaits to isolated timber, using his forward-facing sonar to key in on specific targets.
“Realistically, it came down to Jerkbait Fishing 101,” Wheeler said in his post-game interview. “I caught a lot of fish today on a lot of different jerkbaits, but I ended up really focusing on more of the pearl-translucent colored ones. That seemed to be the deal for me today.
“I’m excited to get back out there for the Championship Round,” Wheeler went on to say. “I’m going to regroup and prepare for a cold day on the water on Thursday. There should be some giants caught.”
The top 20 anglers from Group A will now have an off day from competition, while the 40 anglers competing in Qualifying Group B will complete their two-day Qualifying Round of competition Tuesday. The Knockout Round, featuring 38 anglers competing to finish in the top eight, will take place Wednesday. Thursday’s Championship Round will feature Wheeler, Tuesday’s Group B winner, and the top eight anglers from the Knockout Round competing in a final-day shootout for the top prize of $100,000.
The top 20 pros in Qualifying Group A that now advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round on Lake Fork are:
1st: Jacob Wheeler, Harrison, Tenn., 30 bass, 121-0
2nd: Kevin VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., 22 bass, 74-9
3rd: Keith Poche, Pike Road, Ala., 17 bass, 68-5
4th: Jeff Sprague, Wills Point, Texas, 16 bass, 56-14
5th: Jonathon VanDam, Kalamazoo, Mich., 12 bass, 56-0
6th: Cole Floyd, Leesburg, Ohio, 16 bass, 55-10
7th: Zack Birge, Blanchard, Okla., 12 bass, 54-6
8th: Ish Monroe, Oakdale, Calif., 15 bass, 53-10
9th: James Elam, Tulsa, Okla., 13 bass, 52-10
10th: Cliff Crochet, Pierre Part, La., 15 bass, 47-14
11th: Mark Davis, Mount Ida, Ark., 17 bass, 46-8
12th: Bradley Roy, Lancaster, Ky., 10 bass, 45-12
13th: Andy Montgomery, Blacksburg, S.C., 11 bass, 44-1
14th: Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 11 bass, 40-2
15th: Randy Howell, Guntersville, Ala., 12 bass, 39-2
16th: Jordan Lee, Cullman, Ala., 12 bass, 38-4
17th: Randall Tharp, Port Saint Joe, Fla., 12 bass, 37-15
18th: Tommy Biffle, Wagoner, Okla., 11 bass, 36-13
19th: Takahiro Omori, Tokyo, Japan, nine bass, 35-8
20th: Britt Myers, Lake Wylie, S.C., seven bass, 34-4
Overall, there were 185 scorable bass weighing 687 pounds, 5 ounces caught by 39 pros Monday. The catch included five 7-pounders, four 8-pounders and one 10-pounder.
Knoxville, Tennessee’s Brandon Coulter caught a 10-pound, 2-ounce bass in Period 3, throwing a bladed swimjig near stumps and timber to earn the day’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass Award. Berkley awards $1,000 to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass each day, and a $3,000 bonus to the angler who weighs the heaviest bass of the tournament.
The 40 Anglers in Group A competed in their two-day qualifying round on Saturday and Monday – the 40 anglers in Group B on Sunday and Tuesday. After each two-day qualifying round is complete, the anglers that finish in 2nd through 20th place from both groups advance to Wednesday’s Knockout Round, while the winner of each group advances directly to Thursday’s Championship Round. In the Knockout Round, weights are zeroed, and the remaining 38 anglers compete to finish in the top 8 to advance to the Championship Round. In the final day Championship Round, weights are zeroed, and the highest one-day total wins the top prize of $100,000.
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Major League Fishing (MLF) Archive