Jacob Wheeler Makes History with Wire-to-Wire BPT Win

Wheeler becomes first angler to win BPT event across multiple fisheries after leading Qualifying Round

Mar. 31, 2026 at 5:48am

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Jacob Wheeler completed a wire-to-wire win at the Suzuki Marine Stage 4 Presented by Plano on Lake Brownwood, becoming the first angler to win a Bass Pro Tour event after leading the Qualifying Round. Wheeler earned $125,000 for the victory and took over the lead in the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year race.

Why it matters

Wheeler's historic win highlights his versatility as an angler, as he was able to adapt his techniques across multiple fisheries to secure the victory. This accomplishment is significant in the world of competitive bass fishing, where no Qualifying Round winner had previously gone on to win the overall event.

The details

Wheeler led after the opening period on Day 1 at O.H. Ivie and maintained his lead for all of Day 2, finishing with a two-day total of 78-12 on O.H. Ivie - topping the next-best angler by more than 12 pounds. On Championship Sunday at Lake Brownwood, Wheeler quickly found a stretch of docks where shad were spawning and used a bladed jig paired with a Rapala CrushCity Freeloader to boat six scorable bass for 23-11, including a pair of 4-14s.

  • On the first day of official practice, Wheeler spent the first half of the day on Lake Brownwood, then returned for three more hours on Wednesday afternoon.
  • Wheeler led after the opening period on Day 1 at O.H. Ivie and held the top spot at day's end with 44 pounds on 13 scorable bass.
  • On Championship Sunday at Lake Brownwood, Wheeler caught most of his weight in the first period.

The players

Jacob Wheeler

A professional bass angler from Birchwood, Tennessee who won his 11th Bass Pro Tour event and took over the lead in the Fishing Clash Angler of the Year race.

Justin Lucas

A professional bass angler from Guntersville, Alabama who finished as the runner-up to Wheeler, catching 10 bass for 32-7.

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What they’re saying

“I really had my doubts in this scenario – new lake, not being out here on the water yesterday. I was worried about it, and it just worked out.”

— Jacob Wheeler

“We both sort of came up about the same time. So, two young guys battling it out all the time, talking smack. We used to have like an arch-nemesis thing back in the day. It's nothing even close to that now. If I couldn't have won, I would have loved to see Lucas win.”

— Jacob Wheeler

What’s next

The next Bass Pro Tour event is REDCREST 2026 at Table Rock Lake, April 17-19 in Springfield, Missouri.

The takeaway

Jacob Wheeler's historic wire-to-wire win at the Suzuki Marine Stage 4 Presented by Plano demonstrates his exceptional versatility as an angler, as he was able to adapt his techniques across multiple fisheries to secure the victory. This accomplishment is a significant milestone in the world of competitive bass fishing.