Jacob Wheeler's Summer Bass Master Class on TVA Reservoirs

Wired2fish teams with bass fishing phenom Jacob Wheeler to break down an offshore ledge bass bite on Pickwick Lake during the summer heat. With tournament fishing pressure at its peak, Wheeler walks us through how he uses fish finder mapping, waypoint sharing, and side and down imaging to find schools of bass and put a variety of baits on their noses.

TACKLE USED

TERMINAL SETUP – VMC Tokyo Rig Finesse Neko, size 2/0
WEIGHT – VMC Tungsten Rugby Weight, 1/2-ounce
PLASTIC – Googan Baits Drag n Drop, color – Morning Dawn
SOFT SWIMBAIT – Storm Largo Shad, color – Green Gizzard
JIG HEAD – VMC Hybrid Swimbait Head, 1/2-ounce
LINE – Sufix Advance Fluorocarbon, 12-pound
JIG – Accent Scooter Football Jig
ROD – Duckett Jacob Wheeler Signature Rod

For Wheeler, there’s no such thing as a “best” bait, so he usually has upwards of 10 rods rigged with different presentations on his front deck. Despite his expertise with fish finders, he still likes to verify the fish species by fishing after marking a likely school. He prefers using finesse baits first, as they excel at generating bites but are less apt to spook the school.

In a fashion similar to his recent Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour win on the St. Lawrence River, Wheeler uses the VMC Tokyo Rig Finesse Neko to rocket a plastic worm to the bottom in deep water. Precision depth control allows you to put a bait directly in the face of the fish you’ve just marked. Catch a few, then start rifling through other proven tactics such as swimbaits and crankbaits to milk the school for extra bites