Wheeler Elite Series

Brent Chapman – Competition Wrapup
Saturday, June 18, 2011

The way I look at it is, if I make the Classic, it's because of what I did in these last two tournaments. If I don't make it, it's not because of these two, but because of what happened at Murray and West Point. I'd be tickled to death and shocked and honored to make it, but a performance like the one I had at Murray is truly pitiful.

I practiced really hard for this tournament and I tried everything possible. The last day I got out on Decatur Flats and found two or three spots where I got bites and they ended up paying off. I caught all of my weigh-in fish from those.

I threw a TightLines UV 10-inch worm and a football jig and I also caught a few on a Strike King crankbait. The water was about 5 feet deep on the shellbeds. I went through a lot of fish – today was my worst day, but I still caught 20-some keepers. After the way I stressed in practice and thinking that 9 pounds a day would get a check, to get over 11, I'm real happy.

I'm probably not going to sleep well tonight, though, and I hope that what happens tomorrow doesn't make for a tough drive home.

Brent Chapman – End Of Practice Report
Wednesday, June 15, 2011

I feel pretty decent about at least catching some fish, but I'm concerned about how many people have found the same fish. I think this place is going to fish really small.

Offshore, when you get around the fish, they're not hard to catch. But when you work with several guys and they all found the same fish, you wonder how many other guys are going to be in the same boat, so to speak. It's going to be critical where a guy starts and whether he manages to catch a good one early. If you're boat No. 99 (to leave the launch), it'll suck to be you because all the good stuff will have a boat on it.

Last time we were here, when it was good, it took about 13 pounds a day to make the Top 12 and about 11 a day to get a check. I'm hoping it's only going to take 8 pounds a day, or maybe 9, to get a check this time and maybe 12 a day to make the Top 12. All I can try to do is go out and catch as much as I possibly can.

My confidence for catching some fish is pretty high, but again, the big variable is how many guys are out there. I got a couple of those better-quality bites in practice and I had some that I felt were decent that I didn't set the hook on. I'm hoping I'll be surprised.

Brent Chapman – Practice Day 1
Monday, June 13, 2011

This isn't the Wheeler that it was several years ago, for sure. For one thing, there's no grass out on the flats, and for another, (the Tennessee Valley Authority) isn't pulling any current to speak of. They did pull some later in the day and that helps, but we're liable to be weighing in before they start moving water.

The last time we were here in June was in '08 and it was definitely a lot better fishing then. It's Wheeler and somebody will figure out how to catch them, but I pretty much struggled today. I got a few bites later on, but it was definitely tough.

I don't know what's happened to the grass, but it kind of shocks me. If I was Decatur, Ala., I'd be doing everything in my power to make sure that grass has every opportunity to grow. That's what drives this lake and this community. I think that it not being there for several years has reduced the number of fish in the lake.

I'll go try some other things tomorrow. I've got some areas that've been good to me in the past in a different part of the lake and hopefully I can figure something out down there.