By John Johnson
BassFan Senior Editor
If Jacob Wheeler turns in his worst finish in the four-year history of the MLF Bass Pro Tour in the season-ending event at Mille Lacs Lake, it'll still be enough to garner him his second straight Angler of the Year (AOY) title. He could even finish dead last and Jordan Lee, the only competitor with even a slight mathematical chance of catching him, would have to end up 14th or better to unseat him.
Therefore, Wheeler cashing the $100,000 check from award sponsor Bally Bet isn't completely a done deal. Some unlikely occurrences would have to transpire for things to turn out otherwise, though.
Wheeler, of course, won't approach the derby at Minnesota's renowned smallmouth venue any differently than he has any of the other outings this year. His regular-season showings thus far have been 8th, 3rd, 8th, 5th, 2nd and 2nd in an 80-angler field comprising many of the top anglers in the history of the sport. He also notched a 3rd in the REDCREST Championship.
"I don't plan on changing much; I have to fish the way I have been and it's working pretty well," he said. "I'll go in with the mindset of putting myself in the best position possible in the tournament and the points are part of that as well. I've been close a few times this year and I'd love to have the opportunity to win this event."
The No. 1 angler in the BassFan World Rankings for well over three calendar years now, he competed at Mille Lacs on one previous occasion at almost this exact time of year and that resulted in a 4th-place finish in the 2017 Bassmaster AOY Championship.
The wind is predicted to blow hard on the two practice days (Thursday and Friday), which could prevent anglers from collecting as much intel as they'd like. That's okay with Wheeler.
"I don't feel like Mille Lacs is that great of a numbers fishery," he said. "Like when you go to Sturgeon Bay you know you've gotta catch a ton of bass, but when you go to Mille Lacs, 10 bites a day could be pretty good, especially with the conditions we're supposed to have.
"It might keep people from moving around a lot and getting really dialed in. That's my kind of event; I don't want to be dialed after practice. Usually when I do really good or win, I get dialed in during the event."
He said that winning his first tour-level points title last year stoked a fire in him to do it again. He's been more focused on that than winning individual events (he was a three-time winner in 2021).
"My goal coming in was to win the Angler of the Year again and there were times that I put the tournament on the back burner a little more to make sure I got as many points as I could," he said. "For me, it's better than winning a championship event.
"It comes down to what your priorities are. I've won quite a few events, but only a handful of guys can say they've won multiple AOYs and for me and my career, that's more valuable. I didn't get tricked (by any of the venues or conditions) this year and I was the best for the whole year, not just for three days or whatever."
