Jacob Wheeler Wins 8th BASS PRO TOUR Event on Dale Hollow!

MITCHELL FORDE 

BASS PRO TOUR

Before making a cast in the Championship Round at PowerStop Brakes Stage Three Presented by Mercury, Jacob Wheeler knew he was about to send Dale Hollow Lake’s bass into a feeding frenzy. He even warned MLFNOW! viewers not to expect much commentary from him, as he planned to be too busy boating bass.

It took less than two minutes for Wheeler to make good on his promise with a 3-pound, 7-ounce largemouth. That sparked a bass barrage for the ages.

Wheeler followed that fish with another 3-pounder, then a 2-3 and a 2-8 — all in the first 10 minutes. In the opening hour, he stacked 14 scorable bass for 43 pounds, 3 ounces on SCORETRACKER®. By the end of the first period, he’d amassed 70-6, all but burying the other nine anglers on the water.

Wheeler would cruise to a 116-6 total on 39 scorable bass – more than 30 pounds clear of Michael Neal in second place. The victory marked the second of the season for Wheeler, who also took home the title at Stage Two on Santee Cooper. He also added to his Bass Pro Tour-best win total, hoisting his eighth trophy since the inception of the league in 2019 and doing so on one of his favorite lakes in the country.

“This is like my lake; this is my home away from home,” the Harrison, Tennessee, native said of Dale Hollow. “My wife literally jokes that we should have moved to Dale Hollow, you like it so much, like giving me crap about it. And I just love it, man. … First big, national tournament on the lake, to get that win, it means a lot.”

Here’s how the Top 10 anglers finished up the Championship Round. Complete results can be found here.

1. Jacob Wheeler — 116-6 (39 bass)
2. Michael Neal — 85-10 (28)
3. Spencer Shuffield — 85-5 (29)
4. Drew Gill — 78-8 (27)
5. Alton Jones Jr. — 74-0 (23)
6. Marshall Robinson — 61-14 (21)
7. Dustin Connell — 60-14 (20)
8. Justin Lucas — 38-4 (13)
9. Keith Poche — 36-12 (14)
10. Alton Jones — 20-7 (7)

Capitalizing on an epic morning bite

Wheeler sowed the seeds for his Sunday morning blitzkrieg days earlier. As noted above, he spends quite a bit of time fun-fishing on Dale Hollow, so he knew to check the area during practice — which he described as a flat, main-lake drain protected by an island cluster. The islands act like a funnel, concentrating baitfish, and the flatter topography serves as fruitful spawning territory, making it a bass magnet.

Jackall Pro Jared Lintner on Bed Fishing the Clone Gill

Regardless of where you bass fish, bed fishing is exciting. IBASSIN got to chat to Bassmaster Elite pro Jared Lintner. He shared in wisdom on how he catches bedding bass.

“I and the bass look for the pockets that are quiet and out of the way. Stay away from areas that get heavy boat traffic or high waves.” Explains the 8-year touring pro.  The pockets that face east warm up quickly and draw in a majority of the bass, especially the biggest ones.

Jared Lintner knows the value of the
Jackall Clone Gill.

One bait that shines the brightest for bed fishing is the Jackall Clone Gill. This soft plastic bait perfectly duplicates annoying panfish.  The Clone Gill is the perfect shape and size of a Blue Gill. “These fish raid bass beds. They are the worst enemy of the bass and bass will chase them off their bed.” Explains Jared, a California pro.

“The key to fishing the Clone Gill is to drop it right on the bed and shake it.” Advises Jared. After he makes the perfect cast and adds a few shakes the bass should eat it. It can be that simple.

Jackall’s line of clone baits perfectly matches natural prey. Jared loves the fact that these baits are compact yet solid enough to handle a solid hook.

He rigs the bait with a 2/0 Gamakatsu hook and teams it with a 1/4oz to 1/2oz bullet weight. It might seem heavy but it helps make great casts and assists the bait's glide.  Jared rigs this bait Texas style with the bait on its side. Having the bait rigged sideways really makes it spiral.

Another great rig is drop shotting the Clone Gill. Jared switches from the EWG hook to the Weedless Wicked Wacky hook. He nose hooks the bait and plops it on the bed. The Clone Gill is firm enough to be re-rigged several times yet hold its integrity.  This well-made bait becomes a real asset when working a big bass on a bed.

Here is Jared Lintner’s gear list:

Rod: G Loomis 895 JWR casting rod

Reel: Shimano Core 100mg 7

Line: 20 Lb Sunline Shooter

Best colours: Baby Blue Gill, Blue Gill and Crappie

(Make sure local laws on bed fishing are always followed)