Wheeler Wins Knockout Round; Howell Sets MLF Record with 10-11 on Caney Creek
MONROE-WEST MONROE, La. – The first four days of the B&W Trailer Hitches Stage One Presented by Power-Pole were, to put it mildly, a grind. Many of the anglers advancing to the Knockout Round on Caney Creek Reservoir were just excited to be done banging their head against the figurative wall that was Lake D’Arbonne.
One MLF record later, another round win for Jacob Wheeler, and plenty of bass weighing over 7 pounds — Caney Creek Reservoir has made its mark on the MLF record book.
Eight anglers are moving on to the Championship Round to join Mark Daniels Jr. and Jared Lintner on Bussey Brake — Jacob Wheeler, Jordan Lee, Bradley Roy, Bryan Thrift, Randy Howell, Jeff Sprague, Alton Jones and Shin Fukae. Wheeler is the round winner with nine bass for 43 pounds, 7 ounces.
Wheeler’s “Best Day Ever”
When one of the hottest anglers on the planet says that Caney Creek Reservoir gave him his “best day of fishing as a professional angler in my life,” you better believe him. Wheeler won another Knockout Round and is on to the Championship Round, where he will no doubt be a favorite to take home yet another Bass Pro Tour trophy.
The Tennessee pro brought in fish weighing in at 7-11, 7-6, 6-5, 6-0, and 4-15. Those were just five of his total nine catches, but those fish would have given him a best-five total weighing 32-5.
“It was jerkbait fishing 101 for me today,” Wheeler said. “I figured it out through the day and it gave me the best day of fishing as a professional in my life. I have a friend who lives near here that has told me to come fish this place for a while now and this is my first time. I tell you what though, I’ll be back.”
Wheeler will be going for his sixth Bass Pro Tour win on Thursday.
Jones Jumps Evers in Final Minute
With time winding down in Period 3, Edwin Evers held onto the final spot above the Toro Cut Line. Evers had 14-5, a 15-ounce lead over Alton Jones.
In the final minute, Jones hooked up with a 2-pound largemouth that he caught on a swimbait. That fish pushed Jones past Evers and into the Championship Round. Evers finished in ninth place, just 4 ounces behind Shin Fukae for the final spot in the Championship Round.
Record Breaker for Howell, Big Fish All Around
Randy Howell broke an MLF record today by catching his personal best — a 10-11 largemouth on a lipless crankbait. Howell used that monster to push himself into the Championship Round ending his day with three bass for 18-3.
Caney Creek proved to be a hidden gem down in the Louisiana bayou. The 5,000-acre reservoir saw eight bass caught of more than 5 pounds, four 6-pounders, six 7-pounders, two 8-pounders (both by Jordan Lee), and, of course, Howell’s record 10-11.
Here’s hoping that Bussey Brake can prove to be just as good on Wednesday.
Daily Leaders
- The Berkley Big Bass of the Day was Howell’s 10-11
- Wheeler had the most weight on SCORETRACKER® with 43-7.
- Wheeler caught the most scorable bass with nine.
What’s Next & How to Watch
Stage One concludes on Thursday with the Championship Round on Bussey Brake. Ten anglers will have their weights reset back to zero with three periods to collect the most weight on SCORETRACKER®. The angler on top of SCORETRACKER® at the end of the round will win Stage One. The competition begins at 9 a.m. CST and you can watch it all on the MLF NOW! live stream beginning at 8:45 a.m CST on Thursday. Watch for free on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MLF app, or the MyOutdoorTV app.
Bally Bet Angler of the Year
Major League Fishing is proud to partner with Bally Bet for the 2022 Bally Bet Angler of the Year award. Bally’s is MLF’s exclusive sports betting, daily fantasy sports, and free-to-play partner for all MLF tournament circuits. The Bally Bet Angler of the Year will take home a $100,000 prize at the end of the 2022 Bass Pro Tour season. Be sure to check out the Bally Bet AOY standings all year long as the Bass Pro Tour season continues.