Wheeler's one of the most-fished tournament venues in the country – right up there with Okeechobee, Kentucky Lake and Toledo Bend. So there exists a pretty extensive book on this Tennessee River impoundment in Alabama.
A few things are distinctive about tomorrow's Wheeler Bassmaster Elite Series though. One is the timeframe. Recent major Wheeler events have taken place either earlier or later in the year. So a look at weights from those events wouldn't be an entirely accurate depiction of what to expect this week. Still, here's a look:
> Wheeler FLW Series (March 26–39, 2008): 59-02 (4-day winning weight), 39-08 (3-day Top 10 weight).
> Wheeler Bassmaster Open (Oct. 18–20, 2007): 38-01 (3-day winning weight)
Also, the field this week is restricted to Wheeler. In May 2005, nine of the Top 10 at the Wheeler FLW Tour locked into Guntersville, which pushed the Top 10 cut weight to 31 pounds.
A better model exists in the June 2003 Wheeler FLW Tour. There, the field fished Wheeler and the Top 10 cut weight was 26-10 for 2 days. Aaron Martens won that event, Tim Horton finished 2nd, Kevin VanDam finished 4th, and Tommy Biffle finished 10th. All four pros are fishing this week. BassFans might also remember the controversy that followed that event when winner Aaron Martens was unable to produce a physical copy of a valid fishing license.
The 13-pound average from that event seems like about the right guess for the Top 12 cut this week (which occurs after day 3).
More on the current bite in a minute. First, an overview of the lake itself.
BassFan Lake Profile
> Lake name: Wheeler
> Type of water: Lowland impoundment
> Surface acres: 67,000
> Primary structure/cover: Grassbeds (flats), buckbrush, docks, shoreline grass, ditches, channel swings, mussel beds
> Primary forage: Shad
> Average depth: 20 to 25 feet
> Species: Largemouths, smallmouths, spots
> Minimum length: 12 inches
> Reputation: Unpredictable – can serve up 18 pounds one day, 8 pounds the next
> Weather: Hot, sunny and breezy
> Water temp: 77 to 79 degrees and climbing
> Water visibility/color: 1 to 2 feet, stained
> Water level: Normal
> Fish in: All depths
> Fish phase: pre-summer and summer with a rare post-spawn fish
> Primary patterns: crankbaits, jigs, worms, jerkbaits, (a little of everything)
> Winning weight: 52 pounds
> Cut weight (Top 12): 38 pounds
> Check weight: 20 pounds (50th place): 21 pounds
> Fishing quality (1=poor, 5=great): 3 for Wheeler
> Biggest factors: Can more than one kicker be caught each day? Also current – it usually shuts down on weekends and cuts weights in half
> Biggest decision: Whether to quit and hunt for a big bite, or continue to sort through numbers
> Wildcard: A big smallmouth (or two)
The Flats
The tried-and-true Wheeler attack is to fish the flats. They're massive in size, and fish use them all year long.
Like any flats-fishing, the key at Wheeler is to find the sweet spots that fish use to feed. These usually feature a hard bottom (mussel shells or rocks) in an otherwise soft-bottom area. Grass doesn't grow on the hard bottom, and fish use the areas as ambush zones.
Not all hard-bottom spots hold fish, though. Even fewer hold quality fish.
The guessing game on right now involves the quality bite – will the good fish move onto spots on the flats? Is it purely a timing deal?
Overall, small flats-fish have dominated practice, but expect at least half the field to spend some time at Decatur Flats scouring for a limit.
Also notable is that the grass is only a few feet high on the flats. That may have created a situation where the fish are more scattered than normal on the flats, hence the dominance of small bites during practice. Once the grass grows higher, the better fish traditionally become easier to pinpoint.
Current Conundrum
Wheeler's a Tennessee River impoundment, which means its purpose is in part flood control, in greater part hydropower. When the gates are open, the fishing's usually better.
Anglers who win at Wheeler aren't the ones who can only catch them on Thursday and Friday. The winners are the ones who can catch them on Saturday and Sunday, when the gates are shut.
It's typical to see weights plummet on weekends anywhere along the Tennessee River, and nowhere is the dropoff more dramatic than at Wheeler.
Groupings
With small bites so dominant right now, fans should see a major grouping of weights in the 8- to 10-pound range. That's your basic limit plus maybe one quality 2 1/2- to 3-pounder.
The biggest question for many will be when to abandon their 8-pound "pattern," and there's at least two schools of thought there. One says it's better to stick with biting fish and sort through numbers in hopes of a quality bite.
The other school says to box a limit, then go hunting for big fish in other spots. A common one-two punch might be to work flats in the morning, then move to channel-edge fishing in the afternoon. Or just as likely, flats-fishing followed by bank-burning.
Either way, it'll take at least one kicker each day to make the Top 12 cut. Could be a largemouth, but don't forget that some giant smallmouths prowl these waters too.
Todd Faircloth isn't quite sure what's going on with the big fish – his practice was all about small bites.
Field Notes
Following are some notes from anglers fishing this week's event.
Jared Lintner
"This is the first time I've ever been here. I've caught a lot of fish, but they're lacking the size. It seems like you can catch 12- and 14-inch fish, and quite a few of them in some areas, but I'm having a hard time locating the bigger fish. And I've fished everywhere – in creeks, out on the ledges. I don't know what's going on.
"I've been trying to weed through them for better bites, but that's all you catch – the small ones. I did catch one smallmouth yesterday which was 4 1/2 or 5 pounds. But the rest of my fish have been from a pound to a pound and a half.
"I feel like the fish are outside in the main river on channel swings and isolated humps and ditches, but without ever having been here – and I don't get any info or help –it's hard to find the right kinds of ditches and offshore structure in practice. All I can do is keep pounding the bank and hope I figure out how to catch some better quality fish.
"It's a huge body of water. I just keep thinking that sooner or later I'll run into one of these creeks and get some decent bites."
Bobby Lane
"I'm not getting the big ones like normal, but I'm catching decent-size fish. It's fun. At least I'm catching them.
"I've done pretty well here every time I've come – like an 18- or 20 pound stringer. I led the Southern Open here last year, and made the (Bassmaster) Classic here. I haven't found those fish yet. But I've never been here this time of year either, so it's all kind of new to me. But it's fun because I'm catching a lot more fish than I normally do. I just can't find the quality.
"The grass is about 2 feet off bottom. I think we all thought it would be up a little more, but there's some growing down there, and the fish are still in it. You're just out on the flats throwing out in the middle of nowhere. It's sort of similar to Kentucky Lake in that you throw out into the middle of nowhere and try to find those sweet spots. That's what I'm looking for, like everybody else.
"I've got about four spots and I'm bouncing back and forth. I think we're on more of a summer pattern than a post-spawn. I've seen a couple of skinny ones, but the average fish looks nice and fat."
Todd Faircloth
"I'm catching a lot of fish, but catching a 3-pounder is difficult for me. I caught a few decent ones (on Monday), but (yesterday) I went all day without catching a 3-pounder.
"I think we're going to see a lot of limits, but if you can catch a couple of fish in the 3- to 4-pound range, that's what makes the difference.
"I think the fish are going into their summer deal. Some are probably already on it, but I don't think they're really wadded up like they would be in 2 or 3 weeks from now.
Bobby Lane's done well on prior trips to Wheeler.
"I've caught fish on different things, but I've probably had more luck on plastics than hardbaits. I've tried fishing bigger baits, trying to catch some bigger fish, but I just haven't figured them out. I fished through one area yesterday that I caught a 4-pounder in the day before. All I caught was small ones. So I don't know if it's just a matter of staying in the area and kind of weeding through them, or if it's a matter of finding an area that has a lot quality. I don't know what the deal is."
Top 10 To Watch
With the above in mind and more, here is BassFan's recommendation on the Top 10 to watch at the Wheeler Elite Series.
1. Tim Horton – This is pretty much his home water, and the fact that big fish are tough to locate should play into a local's hands. A notable sidebar is he was recently named PAA president. It's a demanding position, but one that seems right for him, so he likely feels some positive mojo. Another backstory: Needs to make a major move since he's about 20 spots out of the Classic right now.
2. Kevin VanDam – Fish scattered across massive, sprawling flats? That's KVD all the way. Looks very good for another Top 10 here.
3. Russ Lane – The Prattville, Ala. pro needs to move up roughly 10 spots in the points between now and the end of the season to make the Classic and he's hungry to turn things around. A darkhorse, but a strong pick.
4. Bobby Lane – Has some special memories here, and none are more important than last fall at the Wheeler Open, when he qualified for his first Bassmaster Classic and the Elite Series. The shorter grass somewhat handicaps him, but history helps.
5. Todd Faircloth – Has momentum on his side and an AOY title on his mind. Gets the nod because he's hot.
6. Skeet Reese – He's still on fire, and look for him to get on the crankbait, and the trolling motor, this week.
7. Scott Rook – The Little Rock, Ark. pro is definitely a river rat, and that's where he tends to shine. When the lack of current comes into play, look for Rook to make his big move.
8. Gary Klein – He's coming off his worst finish in 3 years, but has been very consistent. Not too flashy, just solid. Looks good this week.
It's tough to imagine a better tournament scenario for Kevin VanDam's style.
9. Rick Morris – An underrated river fisherman who's on a hot streak and currently tied for 10th in the points. He's in the midst of what looks like his best season ever, but needs to keep it up.
10. Aaron Martens – Won the FLW Tour here several years ago and just seems to have the Tennessee River wired. His finishes have been all over the map this year, but hey, he's A-Mart, and this is Alabama.
Launch/Weigh-In Info
Anglers launch Thursday–Sunday at 6 a.m. at Ingalls Harbor (701 Market St. NW, Decatur). Weigh-ins are held at the same location starting at 3 p.m. Central.
Notable
> BassFan Big Stick John Murray's practice was dominated by small bites. To read his full report, Click here to go On Tour With The BassFan Big Sticks.
> Mark Davis finished 19th last year at the Wheeler Open to secure his Elite Series berth. However, he was in position to make the Bassmaster Classic at that event but ultimately fell short, so there might be some mixed emotions about the lake for him.
> If he was fishing this year, Jimmy Mason would have probably made the Top 10 to Watch list. He's a Wheeler expert, but is no longer fishing the Elite Series.
Weather Forecast
Here's the weather forecast for the tournament days. For more weather information, including satellite and radar imagery, visit OutdoorsFanWeather.com.
> Thur., June 5 - Sunny - 93°/70°
- Wind: From the S at 13 mph
> Fri., June 6 - Partly Cloudy - 93°/72°
- Wind: From the S at 10 mph
> Sat., June 7 - Sunny - 93°/72°
- Wind: From the S/SE at 6 mph
> Sun., June 8 - Mostly Sunny - 95°/73°
- Wind: From the S at 4 mph
