After securing his second-consecutive Bally Bet Angler of the Year title, Mercury Pro Team angler Jacob Wheeler sat down for an in-depth conversation attempting to explain why he’s just so dang good at this sport.

Back in 2021, Wheeler won three of the seven Bass Pro Tour events. However, he still had to fight off Tennessee pro Ott DeFoe for the AOY title, due to a poor performance at Stage Three on the Harris Chain in Florida (he finished 51st, missing the cut). The dramatic AOY race came down to the final days of the 2021 season finale, and Wheeler finally secured his first AOY trophy on Lake St. Clair.

When the 2022 season came around, Wheeler had his eyes set on one prize: a second Bally Bet Angler of the Year title. He achieved that goal with ease. Over the course of seven Bass Pro Tour Stages, Wheeler secured a spot in the Top 10 in all but one of them, Stage Seven on Mille Lacs Lake, where he finished 11th.

In this interview, Wheeler discusses how he learned to win a tournament, and how his mentality shifted when he started focusing on becoming the Angler of the Year. From gaining experience on the water to becoming a father, listen to all of the factors that helped build his legendary career.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This video is the first of a two-part series. Keep an eye on MajorLeagueFishing.com for the second half of this interview, where Wheeler looks back over the last couple of decades and defines goals for his future.