Wheeler Finishes Second to Monsoor; Walker, Birge and Meyer Have Strong Showings in La Crosse
LA CROSSE, Wis. – The four MLF anglers competing on Championship Saturday in the FLW Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Super Tournament did their best to dethrone local legend Tom Monsoor, but they couldn’t do enough. Monsoor was able to edge out Jacob Wheeler by 1-12 to win $125,000 on his home river.
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While Wheeler finished second, David Walker wrapped up third, Zack Birge finished fourth, and Cody Meyer locked in at sixth place.
Wheeler Just Misses Monsoor
There was no repeat for Wheeler on the FLW Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit. Although, a win on Lake Chickamauga and a second-place finish on the Upper Mississippi aren’t too shabby for the Indiana native.
Wheeler hopped around between Pools 7 and 8, where he had either a frog or a swim jig tied on. While he caught plenty of fish, he was never able to find the big bites that could give his bag a much-needed boost.
“I caught one 3-pounder for my first fish of the morning but that was it,” Wheeler said. “I knew I was going to need about 14 pounds to really put the pressure on Monsoor. Have to give credit to him, man. That guy knows his way around this place and he’s a stud.”
Wheeler held the lead for around 20 minutes while a couple of anglers weighed in their bags. With only Monsoor left, Wheeler needed the La Crosse native to weigh in a bag less than 11 pounds. Monsoor didn’t let up, posting a 12-10 limit and a 1-12 margin of victory over Wheeler.
Wheeler made his mark early on the FLW scene when he won the Forrest Wood Cup at the age of 20. Now, nearly 10 years and a mantle full of trophies later, the Rapala pro was happy to once again get to see some old friends and competitors on the FLW side.
“I love fishing on the Bass Pro Tour, but this is where I first got my start,” Wheeler reminisced. “I have a lot of friends who still work here and fish the FLW circuits, so to get to see them was fun. I’m just really thankful that I get to go out here and do this not only on the MLF side, but also on the FLW side. It was a great week.”
Walker Makes a Late Move
After feeling like he had the fish figured out around the Goose Island area on Pool 8 at the end of Day 3, Walker was left with more questions than answers halfway through the final day of competition.
“Today didn’t go like I wanted it to,” Walker said. “I fished clean, but I only caught six fish all day. The fish just left the areas where I thought they would be. I did a lot of searching today.”
Walker admitted that he lingered too long fishing the grass around Goose Island that got him to the final day. Still, Walker said that sometimes it pays to be stubborn. On the final day, it eventually paid for the Tennessee pro to keep an open mind with time running out in the day.
“With only about an hour and a half left, I moved away from the grass and the bayou looking stuff,” Walker recapped. “I moved out to these big flats and threw my frog on top of these really shallow bars. Those fish were smoking it in super shallow water. I caught a couple that way to get to five and probably made some extra money doing so. I’m happy with a third-place finish.”
Birge Couldn’t Find the Kicker He Needed
It was a hot start to the morning for Birge as he put four in the box before the rest of the field even had their bearings. Birge began the day just 1-1 behind Monsoor, so a fast start was just what he needed. Even though he was catching more than the rest of the field, the quality just wasn’t there on the final day for the Oklahoma pro.
“It seems like all I needed was a 4-pounder to win this thing and I just couldn’t find it,” Birge said. “I made as many casts as I could today and I left it all out there, it just wasn’t going to happen I guess.”
Birge finished the day with a 10-pound bag, putting him in fourth place and 3-11 behind Monsoor. Although a win was what he was aiming for, Birge didn’t hang his head for a second after another Top-10 finish.
“I’m really thankful to have a good tournament because Top-10’s aren’t easy to make,” Birge explained. “I’m hoping I can carry this momentum into the next one. I had a good REDCREST up here in La Crosse last year, another Top-10 here this year, and I feel like if we come back the third time might be the charm for me.”
Meyer Adds Another Top 10
Wheeler wasn’t the only MLF pro who made their second Top-10 finish on the Super Tournament circuit. Meyer nabbed sixth place in La Crosse after finishing fifth on Lake Chickamauga in June.
The Daiwa pro was able to find both smallmouth and largemouth all week long, using a mixed bag once again on Saturday. Meyer was quick to mention the baits as the main reason for getting bit this week.
“I had a Strike King Dream Shot in KVD Magic color on a drop-shot for smallmouth,” Meyer said. “I flipped a Strike King Rage Bug in green pumpkin-purple with a 3/8-ounce weight. I targeted slack current for those smallmouth and shallow wood with some current around it for largemouth. It was a really good week for me and I’m happy with how it went.”