By John Johnson
BassFan Senior Editor


There was a time when Wheeler Lake was every bit as good a fishery – if not better – than its heralded Tennessee River sister impoundment, Lake Guntersville. That period is two decades into the history books, though, and the Wheeler that confronts the 108 Bassmaster Elite Series competitors this week is no ravishing beauty.

Keeper bites during practice have been infrequent for many anglers, and often seemingly impossible to duplicate. Some are completely bewildered as to which spawn stage the majority of the bass are in – some claim that the reproduction process is almost entirely over with, whereas others believe the biggest wave of bank-rushers is yet to come.

Big bags will be weighed – the lake contains big fish and at least a small handful of the field will come up with a way to catch them. But weights throughout the standings list likely won't be nearly as tight as they were in last week's derby at Bull Shoals/Norfork.

Not often are Elite Series anglers resigned to formulate game plans to garner an average of 10 pounds per day, but that's occurring this week. There's a great deal of confusion as to why rods haven't been bowed more often, and a lot of hope that something will occur condition-wise to alter that scenario.

Before delving deeper into the bite, here's some of the lowdown on the fishery itself.

BassFan Lake Profile

> Lake name: Wheeler
> Type of water: Lowland impoundment on the Tennessee River
> Surface acres: 67,000
> Primary structure/cover: Buck brush, docks, shoreline grass, ditches, channel swings, mussel beds, rocky points
> 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: Warm and sunny to begin the tournament, but some thunderstorms are predicted for the final 2 days.
> Water temp: Mid-60s to mid-70s, depending upon location
> Water visibility/color: 6 to 10 inches/slightly stained
> Water level: Close to full pool, but fluctuating
> Fish in: Shallow and mid-depths
> Fish phase: Spawn/post-spawn, with a few pre-spawn stragglers
> Primary patterns: Pitching, flipping crankbaits, jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, Carolina-rigs, jigs
> Winning weight: 58 pounds
> Cut weight (Top 12 after 3 days): 42 pounds
> Check weight: 20 pounds (50th place)
> Fishing quality (1=poor, 5=great): 2 for Wheeler
> Biggest factors: Can more than one kicker be caught each day? Also weather, as it could be rough at times during the weekend
> Biggest decision: Whether to hunt for a big bite or continue to sort through numbers
> Wildcard: A big smallmouth (or two)

Here's a look at how Wheeler lays out, courtesy of Navionics:




History not Much Help

This is the fourth time the Elite Series has come to Wheeler since the circuit's inception in 2006, but the first visit since 2011. Only one of the three previous stops were in April (the other two were in June), and Tommy Biffle flipped his way to victory in that one with a 4-day total of just 50-13.

That was the year after the grass disappeared from the Decatur Flats – the big mid-lake area that formerly produced almost all tournament-winning stringers at Wheeler. With the flats devoid of vegetation, there probably won't be more than a handful of anglers working them at any given time.

Most competitors will look to other options, such as the Elk River.

"The lake is still recovering from quite a few off-years and it's definitely not the best of the Tennessee River lakes," said former Elite pro Jimmy Mason, who's operated a guide service on the system for many years. There are some big fish in it, though – at one of the bigger local tournaments last Saturday the winners had 24 pounds, and they had a 9-pounder. After that it fell off to 18 for 2nd.

"One of those bigger bites could really make somebody's tournament."

He expects the Elk to see a great deal of traffic, but crowding shouldn't be an issue as competitors can run for about 35 miles up to the Tim's Ford dam. It's by far the lake's largest tributary and it presently features a lot of stained water and shallow cover.

Another viable option might be the tailrace below the Guntersville dam.

"If there's a lot of current or even a decent amount, it's got a good population of smallmouths and some better-than-average (spotted bass). It's very possible that with the right current and the right pattern, somebody could do very well there."

Level Means A Lot

Mason said the Tennessee Valley Authority raises and lowers the water level at Wheeler from 6 inches to a foot several times during the week. That has an enormous impact on the location of the quality fish.

"One of the most important deals will be the level on Thursday morning (day 1), and the guys will be able to walk down to the ramp they're launching from and check the gauge," he said. "If it's at 556 (feet in elevation), there'll be a lot of fish in the bushes. If it's at 555 or even 555 1/2, the bigger ones will pull out a little bit and they'll be a lot harder to catch.

"Even 6 inches will make a huge difference."

He said the bulk of the spawn has not yet occurred – locals say that never happens until the lake reaches full pool, regardless of water temperature. There will be fish in all three phases.



B.A.S.S./James Overstreet
Photo: B.A.S.S./James Overstreet

David Mullins is one of the many anglers who had a difficult time figuring out Wheeler during practice.

"Somebody could hit that first group of post-spawners that've pulled out – I've seen that happen already on Pickwick and Guntersville. They could get out there on the first morning and find that they've got more fish than they thought. What the weather does has a lot to do with pushing the post-spawners out.

"I really thing this will be a junk-fishing tournament – a lot of guys will weigh five fish that they caught on four or five different baits. Even though there's a lot of fish on beds, the water's dirty enough that there's going to be a lot more blind bed-fishing (than sight-fishing)."

Field Notes

Here are practice notes from a few of the anglers who'll be competing this week.

Bernie Schultz
"It's slow. It's not the Wheeler I'm familiar with, I can tell you that. There's no grass and the water's low. Even the shoreline grass is out of play. That could change, but from what I've seen the last 2 days, they haven't moved any water.

"I caught three keepers the first day and five the second day, and I'm scratching to get that. Every once in a while I catch a 2-pounder, but I haven't seen anything over that. There don't seem to be many on beds and I'm assuming that's because the water's not up.

"I've got a game plan, but I don't know how good it is. I'm hoping to get 10 pounds a day. Anything over 10 would be a bonus."

Cliff Prince
"It's been tough for me – hit or miss, really. I thought this place would be on fire. I've only fished one other tournament on the lake and you could catch them doing several different things, but this time it seems like they're really scattered.

"Every now and then you can catch a 4- or 5-pounder, but they're just so few and far between. I think they're pretty much done spawning – I feel like all the ones I've caught have been post-spawn. The thing is, I haven't seen any fry. I don't know when they did it because I came here for a day and a half before the Smith Lake Open and it seemed like they were all fixing to go. Maybe they all flooded to the bank at one time.

"The weather's going to dictate a lot of what happens. I've got some ideas, but as of right now, I'm just going to try to let the fish tell me what they want."

David Mullins
"I can get some bites, but getting a quality bite has been hard for me. I think the water needs to be either a foot higher or a foot lower. There's like 4 inches on the bushes – just enough to tease you – and it's not low enough for all of them to be out there offshore. I've looked a lot offshore and I've yet to find much of anything out there.

"I think it'll be a junk deal where you catch one here and one there. I don't even have a clue what kind of weight it's going to take, but I know 15 pounds a day would be real strong. The problem is that I don't think I've seen a 3-pounder since I've been here.

"There's a shad spawn going on in the mornings and I'm sure that'll come into play for some people, but I've yet to see a lot of fish chasing shad. They're in a weird funk and I'm not sure if they're coming in or going out. I'm not understanding what the deal is."

Justin Lucas
"I kind of feel like the fish are still waiting to spawn. I'm still not seeing any fry and that makes me almost think that most of them are still pre-spawn.

"The only thing I've got is a couple of stretches where I've had some bites. I'd like to find something that I can build off of. It's definitely tougher than I thought it was going to be."

Bradley Roy
"Practice has been pretty stingy. Bites really aren't the issue, but it's the predictability of the better fish. The water temperature is saying one thing and the time of year is saying another thing, and the fish are real scattered. They're in and out and I'm trying to figure out where the better ones are going to be.

"The majority of the ones I've seen have been post-spawn. I expected to see a good bit of all three phases, but I think most of them are done.

"I think I've got a little bit of a game plan, but it's going to be a matter of whether I can piece it together. It's one bite here and one bite there and if I can run it enough and time it just right, maybe I can catch some of the better-size fish.

"Nothing seems to be a whole lot better than anything else. I've caught fish just about everywhere I've gone, but the last piece of the puzzle is finding an area I can sit down in and work it until I catch a better one. I haven't found that area."

Brian Snowden
"There's a few fish shallow, but most seem to be in like 5 to 12 feet. I caught one that was 5 1/2 or 6 pounds, which is the biggest one I've ever caught here. I've never done very good here and it's one of my least-favorite lakes.

"There's no rhyme or reason to anything. I caught a 2-pounder and that big one and I keep trying to run the same type of pattern, but I never get another bite.

"I think it sets up well for a guy who has 15 rods on his deck and when he pulls up to a laydown he flips it, when he comes to a rock he cranks it and then he goes over here and throws a shaky-head. I'm trying to keep an open mind to do that, but it's not my strength."

Top 10 to Watch

With the above in mind and more, here are BassFan's recommendations for the Top 10 to watch in this event.

B.A.S.S./Seigo Saito
Photo: B.A.S.S./Seigo Saito

The red-hot Greg Hackney looks to post yet another high finish at Wheeler.

1. Greg Hackney – When his confidence is high, such as it is right now, he's as big a threat as anybody to win any event he enters. He superb at choosing the right option when several are available and at making adjustments on the fly.

2. Gerald Swindle – If you threw out a couple of bombs in the North Country last summer and two out West last spring, Swindle's ledger would stack up well against just about anybody's over the past 3 years. He usually fares well when he can junk-fish throughout a derby, and he'll get that opportunity this week.

3. Randall Tharp – He missed a day of practice for this tournament as he chose not to drive over from Arkansas until Monday in the wake of his victory at Norfork/Bull Shoals, but that will matter little. He knows the lake well and he's a guy who tends to ride momentum for awhile once he captures it.

4. Jordan Lee – The 25-year-old has only a little more than a year's worth of experience as a tour pro, but the Cullman, Ala. native has spent a lot of productive time on Wheeler. He'll know which adjustments to make based on the present conditions.

5. Aaron Martens – A 31st at Winyah Bay is the only money showing he's posted in three events this season, and that trend is bound to change real soon. His propensity for formulating an off-beat program should bode will for him in this event.

6. Bill Lowen – There are a lot of accessible fish way up the Elk River, and there's a good chance that's where the avowed river rat will spend his time this week. He's missed only two paydays since the start of the 2015 campaign, and a third such occurrence isn't likely at this one.

7. Takahiro Omori – The former Classic champion has gotten a season off to a strong start for the first time in quite a few years (he's 10th in the points after three events), and there's no reason to think his roll won't continue at Wheeler. His bank-beating style should play well.

8. Tommy Biffle – His 23rd-place showing at Norfork/Bull Shoals last week was his best in 16 regular-season events dating back to the end of the 2013 campaign. He should be able to carry over that momentum to another venue that well-suits his flipping skills.

9. Justin Lucas – Versatility is one of the primary reasons he's gone home empty-handed from only three events since joining the Elite Series in 2014. He always finds something that fits his repertoire, and this week should be no exception.

10. Edwin Evers – His finishes have gotten progressively worse since his Classic triumph in early March, culminating with an 85th-place stinker at Norfork/Bull Shoals that sent him tumbling down the points list. Now it's time to start working his way back up, and he'll be determined to find something to start that process.

Launch/Weigh-In Info

Anglers will launch at 6:15 a.m. each day from Ingalls Harbor (701 Market St. NW, Decatur, Ala.). Weigh-ins will get under way at 3:15 p.m. in the same location.

Notable

> Brent Chapman thinks he's put together a program to get some bites, but like others in the field, he's unsure whether he can catch a limit that exceeds 10 pounds. To read his practice recap, click here to visit Pro View Reports.

Weather Forecast

> Thurs., April 28 – Mostly Sunny - 87°/59°
- Wind: From the WSW at 9 mph

> Fri., April 29 – Mostly Sunny - 87°/63°
- Wind: From the E at 6 mph

> Sat., April 30 – Thunderstorms - 83°/65°
- Wind: From the SSE at 10 mph

> Sun., May 1 – Thunderstorms - 79°/60°
- Wind: From the S at 12 mph